The influences that others of a similar age have on you
is called peer pressure. One's peers can greatly influence how a
person thinks and acts. Peers have strong effects on each other because
people want to belong to a group.
Peer pressure can be positive or negative.
When peers exert pressure on you in a positive way, they want to be helpful
or encouraging. Talking a friend out of drinking an alcoholic beverages
or using drugs at a party is an example of positive peer pressure.
Negative peer pressure is when some one encourages you to do something that you believe is wrong or dangerous. When peers exert negative peer pressure on you they do not have you best interest at heart. Some people might have a need to belong to a certain group, that negative peer pressure might make them do things that are against their beliefs.
Making Responsible Decisions
