DEALING WITH PEER PRESSURE One of the biggest reasons young people drink is peer influences.There are direct peer influences (being directly offered alcohol) and indirect influences (the idea that everyone is doing it). Research has shown that the indirect influences tend to be the stronger peer influence. Why? Studies have shown that when young people are asked about how many kids their age drink, they overestimate the actual percent of kids that are drinking.This idea that “a lot of people are drinking,” has another important peer influence effect. If students think more people drink than do, then they also are more likely to believe that the kids who do not drink are in the minority.This means drinking becomes normal and not drinking is abnormal. The problem with this line of reasoning is that neither are true . Studies show that the majority of young people in high school do not drink and it is actually more normal to not drink than it is to drink. Parents can help correct these misconceptions and reduce the amount of peer pressure their kids feel to drink alcohol.
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REMEMBER! You cannot completely protect your child from peer pressure. You can, however, teach them how to make good choices. Help them consider how other adults or people they respect might view their choice to drink. This can have an impact on their choices.
4 Dealing With Peer Pressure
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