As students grow and develop, they become more socially aware, and are more influenced by the beliefs and attitudes of their peers. This is a normal part of socialization.
And while peer pressure at times can be a positive influence, more often peer pressure results in students doing something they don’t feel comfortable doing or something they know to be wrong.
At the least, this creates significant internal conflict or worse, it causes the student to proceed anyway in spite of the consequences.
One strategy that can help is to think about common peer pressure situations and think about what to do ahead of time.
In the peer pressure lesson below, we have a set of scenarios that students can use to work though on their own or as part of a group discussion.
Recommended Grade Level: Elementary and Middle
SEL Skill(s): Communication, Cooperation, Empathy
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
- PDF Worksheet
Instructions:
- Hand out a worksheet to each of your students
- Have students read each “Peer Pressure Card and have them write what they would say to the other person in that situation.