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Have you ever been in a situation where you felt totally alone without a friend in the world? 

Have you ever felt as if you don't fit in anywhere? 

Have you ever done something or felt pressure to do something even though you know that it is wrong, but you still do it, just because others do it? 

If you have, you have been a victim of peer pressure. 

Peer pressure (or social pressure) is the direct influence on people by peers, or an individual who gets encouraged to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual. 

Your immediate peers influence your life, even though you might not realize it. We learn from each other. Babies learn from examples, and mimic what other's do.  It's just human nature to listen and learn from other's in your age group. Peer pressure is very common under young people but also with adults.  Peer pressure is mostly looked at as negative but more than often peer pressure from the right friends, can help us out of a difficult situation.  If you choose the right friends they can prevent or stop us from making mistakes.   

Today we had a class discussion about this specific topic.  My students are usually very open with me, so they are fairly relaxed with the types of questions I come up with.  They know that I have their best interest at heart and they also know that I am very open minded. Because they are shy, I gave them each a paper to write down their answers anonymously. This specific class consists of 34 students, and they are all between 17 and 18 years old.    

I asked them these questions:

1.  Have you used any type of drugs before? 

2.  Have you ever done something that you know is wrong, but you did it in any case?

The results are as follow;

Question 1 = 27/34 ( 79.4%) said yes

Question 2 = 29/34 (85.26%) said yes

I don't know which is scarier?  

What will happen in the future?  If I think of myself during my teenage years, I was also exposed to peer pressure. My sister in law was my best friend since school and we had some good clean fun.  We also smoked and drank alcohol but that was as far as it went.  I was so scared of drugs, that even today it scares me to death.  Perhaps I was just brought up very sheltered, but I was never exposed to drugs during my teenage years.   

A few weeks ago,  we went out for dinner at the local pub with some friends, and I forgot my phone in the car.  While I fetched my phone, there was a guy standing at the car next to mine. He was clearly way over the alcohol limit already, and obviously did not care if I hear his conversation.   I was not eaves dropping but couldn't help to hear this question to someone on the phone.  "I need some coke....  Do you still have your contact?  See you in ten minutes....."

I don't know what shocked me the most.  The fact that he was clearly too drunk to drive, or the fact that he was on his way to go and purchase some drugs.  Dangerous drugs.     

All drugs are dangerous, but this was the first time that I have really thought about this.  If drugs are so easily available, then ANYONE could be exposed to drugs at any point in their lives.  

Would your child so no to drugs?

We speech to our children at home and at school. They are aware that this drugs are dangerous.  Why do they still want to try drugs?

Curiosity kills the cat!

Please educate your children and protect them from what is out there.  The world is becoming a sick sad place.  It is time that we start fighting back. Teach your child to find some excitement in something else.  

Teach your child not to fit in!

                                           

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