Helping Adolescents Deal with Peer Pressure

ContentsPeer PressureTips for Educators and Related StaffPositive vs. Negative Peer PressureHow to identify a troubled childWarning signsStrategies to Help ChildrenSkill building activitiesCommunicationHow to Say No*Actual programs to implement in schools?CSMH-MSMHA 2006

PressuresTransition into middle school and becoming a teenager can be very challenging for children. Some changes include added pressures from friends and peers.

Pressures are a normal part of life and children need guidance from their teachers, parents and other adults so that they are able to handle these pressures in a positive way.

Some of these pressures may be drugs, truancy, sex, shop-lifting, bullying, cheating, and any other action that a child may not want to do.CSMH-MSMHA 2006

What you can do?Make students aware of some of the pressures they may encounter

Demonstrate the difference between positive and negative peer pressure

Provide suggestions and strategies to help children deal with peer pressure

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Positive vs. Negative Peer PressureNegative Peer Pressure-Is often dangerous and against school rules, home rules and personal values.

Skipping schoolVandalizingSmokingSneaking out of the houseBullyingDisrespecting authoritySex Positive Peer Pressure-Is often overlooked but does existand may be described as aninfluence to do what is right.

StudyingVolunteeringBefriending someoneCommunity ServiceJoining a sports teamCSMH-MSMHA 2006

Identifying Students

Traits putting students at a higher risk of falling to peer pressure

Low self esteem Lack of confidence Uncertainty about ones place within a given peer group No personal interests exclusive of one's peer group Feeling isolated from peers and/or family Lack of direction in life Depression Eating disorders Poor academic abilities or performance Retrieved on January 3rd, 2007 from http://teenadvice.about.com/cs/peerpressure/a/blpeerpressure.htm CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Helping Children Deal with Peer PressureSteps children can follow when confronted with peer pressure:

Ask QuestionsWhy would we do that ?, Whose idea was this ?, Is this a smart thing to do ?

Identify the negative behavior or actionCalling her names is just going to start trouble, dont think smoking is a good idea, It is against school policy to leave the grounds.

Evaluate the consequences We will get in trouble, Smoking is not healthy, My parents will take away my allowance

http://www.new-life.net/parent06.htm CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Steps continued:Suggest an alternativeWhy dont we go to the store after school is over

Leave the situationIf all else fails, remove yourself from the situation. Walk away and do something else

http://www.new-life.net/parent06.htm

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Positive and Healthy Ways to Deal with Pressures

Strategies for students to use: Make a joke and change the subject Say no and keep saying no Leave the area Get help from someone you trust Suggest a different activity Hang out with others who share your beliefs

Help students develop decision making skills CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Strategies to help children dealRelinquish the stereotype of peers as a uniformly negative influence on youth.

Nurture teenagers' abilities and self-esteem so they can forge positive peer relationships

Empower parents and educators to help teenagers pursue and maintain positive peer relationships

Encourage cross-ethnic and "cross-class" peer interactions and guide teenagers in dealing positively with cultural diversity and individual differences. CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Place sensible restraints on part-time teen employment

Support parent education programs for families with teenagers

Establish intervention programs for preadolescents with low social skills or aggressive tendencies. Strategies to help children dealhttp://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.darnell/strategies_for_coping_with_peer_pressureCSMH-MSMHA 2006

BullyingBullying can become a major problem for some students and often students are pressured to involve themselves in these situations

It is important to identify and attempt to rectify these situations as they interfere with your students learning and development and potentially affect the overall functioning of your classroom.

Any child can fall victim to being bullied and any child has the potential to be the bullyCSMH-MSMHA 2006

Steps towards an action plan for BullyingTeachers must make it safe for students to report bullyingStudents must trust that teachers and administrators will respect the anonymity of the student who reports information

Educators and related staff must be aware of all forms of bullying. Identifying intentions of bullying are:There is a power differenceThere is a negative intentionThe behavior is repeated

There must be a clear and effective plan for dealing with the bully and the victim. Students must know the consequences of bullying.

Retrieved on February 5th 2007 from: http://www.bullybeware.com/tips.html CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Steps ContinuedSchool personnel must know about the different types of bullies. Some victims are also bullies.

An effective tool for dealing with bullying is utilizing the masses who arent involved in bullying situations. These students can take a stand and prevent bullying incidents.

Retrieved on February 5th 2007 from: http://www.bullybeware.com/tips.html

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Possible Signs of Bullying:Watch for changes in the students behavior: Unwilling to go to schoolFeeling ill in the morningWithdrawal behaviorDecrement in school performanceHaving books or clothing destroyedTruancyStammeringBecoming aggressive or unreasonable

For more information go to:http://csmh.umaryland.edu/resources.html/resource_packets/download_files/bullying_2002.pdf

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Model pro-social behavioral that asserts self-worth of each individual student

Actively observe student behavior in the classroom

Speak with parents to see if additional stressors at home contribute to the bullying dynamic

Include discussions of conflict-resolution in your lesson plan

What can you do to help?CSMH-MSMHA 2006

What can you do?Ask school clinicians to present on consequences of bullying

Become familiar with the bulling prevention curriculum in the schoolIf there isnt one, start incorporating bullying curriculum in your lesson plans including knowledge, attitudes, and skill development pertaining to bullying

Role play in the classroom to help students develop refusal skills

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What can you do?Suggest that students stay together and walk in groups when traveling to and from school and when outside during recess or lunch

Meet with school administrators and help develop a bullying policy to implement school wide. More information can be obtained from Dr. Ken Rigby at http://www.education.unisa.edu.au/bullying/ CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Tips/Facts to help with BullyingUnderstanding why children bully / victimize others is of key importance in initiating change of this behavior

Make it known that bullying and victimizing is not acceptable in your school and must be stopped

Managing bullying requires that the bullying behavior be firmly admonished and controlled

Counseling is essential and should be compulsory

Retrieved on February 12th 2007 from http://www.bmef.org/bullying.htm, created by Jenny MacKay of Educational Consultations: Australia Great Britain 1995CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Tips and Facts ContinuedChildren who bully / victimize need to see themselves differently, with opportunities to behave differently

The victim also needs to learn to act differently and be given opportunities to shine and show strength

Bullying and victimization require that the school, the teacher, the parent, the peers, but most importantly the child (bully and victim), take responsibility to learn to act differently Retrieved on February 12th 2007 from http://www.bmef.org/bullying.htm, created by Jenny MacKay of Educational Consultations: Australia Great Britain 1995CSMH-MSMHA 2006

Useful Books and Online ResourcesOlweus Bullying Prevention Program http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

Take Action Against Bullyingwww.bullybeware.org

Steps to Respect: A Bully Prevention Program www.cfchildren.org/str.html

Blueprints for Violence Prevention: Book 9. Bullying Prevention Program (1999). By D. Olweus, S.Limber, & S.F. Mihalic; Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violencehttp://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Intervention for Bullying and Victimization (1996) By Richard J. Hazler

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Resources ContinuedCSMH-MSMHA 2006 How to Say No and Keep your Friends: Peer Pressure Reversal for Teens and Pre-Teens (1997). By Sharon Scott

CAFS Teacher Talk Volume 1(3) 1996 http://education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/v3i3/peerpress.html

Preventing Classroom Bullying: What Teachers Can Do (2003). By Jim Wright http://jimwrightsonline.com/pdfdocs/bully/bullyBooklet.pdf

Stop Bullying Now! http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp

*Before getting to third bullet, may want to ask audience what they think are examples of peer pressure during this time period.*Example of Positive peer pressure trying to get a friend to join a soccer team or read a book that you really liked.Example of Negative peer pressure trying to get a friend to smoke a cigarette or cut class.

Each point on this slide will be discussed in the following slides.*Discuss risk factors of peers falling into peer pressure. Explain that although the teens that display these traits are at a greater risks for falling into peer pressure, most likely all teens will experience peer pressure at some point in their lives.*Go through steps to follow when confronted with peer pressure and provide examples.*Review the strategies for students to use and ask audience for examples or ask them to role play each strategy. For example, when suggesting a different activity, one could say, Lets go play soccer instead.*Refer again to how peers can positively influence others and how to look for these traits in teenagers. For example, class leaders, sports team captains, volunteers, etc.

Diversity can be encouraged through stories, team-building within classrooms/organized activities, and learning experiences (e.g., working with someone of a different race/class).*Examples of Programs (#7): Coping Power, The Incredible Years, mentoring groups such as Big Brother/Big Sister, Making Proud Choices, Skill Streaming, and other such coping/assertiveness trainings.*Bullying often develops from consistent peer pressure.*Power difference can be age, popularity status, etc.

*May want to offer the Stop Bullying Now! Website: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp. It offers information, handouts, strategies, and facts about bullying.*Teachers, adults, and mental health professionals will want to think about bullying as being a possible reason if a student is displaying changes in his/her behavior in school. *Make sure teachers are sensitive about bullying issues in the classroom. If it is obvious that a child is being bullied and he/she is the only child being bullied in class, then the teacher will have to come up with a creative way to discuss this with the class without pointing out any students in the class.*Consequences of bullying: may become depressed, have low self-esteem, lose interest in schoolwork or try to avoid attending school. More and more, victims of bullying are reacting violently to their situations by attacking their tormentors, committing terrible acts of violence in schools or harming themselves. And those who victimize their classmates may be heading down a path toward more antisocial behavior and delinquency.

The purpose of refusal skills is to give youth the ability to say NO to unwanted risky situations. *Again, for more information, refer to the Stop Bullying Now! Website: http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp or the website on the bottom of the slide.*To understand why children bully/victimize others you may want to hold a focus group of children in the school to see if you can gain any answers as to where, when, and what, and who is doing the bullying in your school. During this focus group stress anonymity so instead of saying names of who is bullying talk more about the type of child who bullies others.