Glencoe Health

Introduction:
In this lesson, you learned about how your peers influence the way you think and act. Peer pressure isn't always a bad thing—in fact, it can be good if your peers encourage you to study hard or try new, healthy activities. However, sometimes your peers can influence you to do things that aren't healthy, like drinking or smoking. At the Web site below, you learn more about how to recognize this kind of unhealthy peer pressure—and how to resist it.

Links to Explore:
Peer Pressure
http://www.thecoolspot.gov/pressures.asp

Directions:

• Read the introductory page.
• Next, click on "Why Peer Pressure Can Work" and read that page as well.
• Click on "Spoken vs. Unspoken Pressure" and click through the cartoon that pops up.
• Click on "Peer Pressure Bag of Tricks." Click on each of the four headings under "The Tricks" and read the descriptions that pop up.
• Finally, answer the following questions based on what you have read:

1			Define peer pressure.
2			List three reasons why teens may give in to peer pressure.
3			Explain the difference between spoken and unspoken pressure.
4			Identify the four "tricks" that teens can use to pressure other teens.
5			Suppose that a friend offers you a cigarette. When you say no, your friend says, “Come on, one cigarette isn’t going to kill you.” Which type of pressure is your friend using?