About peer influence and peer pressure
Peer influence is when you choose to do something you wouldn’t otherwise do because you want to feel accepted and valued by your friends. It isn’t just or always about doing something against your will.
You might hear the term ‘peer pressure’ used a lot. But peer influence is a better way to describe how teenagers’ behaviour is shaped by wanting to feel they belong to a group of friends or peers.
Peer pressure and influence can be positive. For example, your child might be influenced to become more assertive, try new activities or get more involved with school.
But it can be negative too. Some teenagers might choose to try things they normally wouldn’t be interested in, like smoking or behaving in antisocial ways.
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