Discussing Financial Problems

Dealing with Peer Pressure

An interviewer from a campaign targeting peer pressure has asked some secondary school

students to share stories of how they have dealt with peer pressure in the past. Daniel shares

his story…

Interviewer: Thank you for agreeing to share your experience today, Daniel. Can you

describe what ‘peer pressure’ is in your own words?

Daniel: I think that peer pressure is the way people in the same social group influence each

other. It’s the pressure that you feel to behave in a certain way because your friends want you

to, or they expect it.

Interviewer: Exactly – it can be a very powerful influence. How have you been affected by

peer pressure in the past?

Daniel: Well, a few years ago, I became part of a group of friends who were going to parties

and drinking heavily. The more I got involved, the more authority I started to have within the

group, and it made me feel powerful and important. There was constant pressure from the

others to smoke and drink heavily to fit in and very quickly, my life started to spiral out of

control…

Interviewer: How did you react to the peer pressure from the others in your group?

Daniel: Well, I was sucked in - I agreed to everything they said straight away. I felt that if I

said no or if I disagreed, I would lose my authority and my friends too. They were aggressive

and very manipulative…

Interviewer: And what were the consequences?

Daniel: I became addicted to smoking and drinking alcohol which had a very damaging

effect on my schoolwork and family relationships. Eventually, with the help of my parents, I

was pushed to seek help. After seeking help, my friends weren’t interested in my wellbeing

and I realised then that they were not true friends.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to others who are facing peer pressure?

Daniel: I would encourage them to be assertive and to think about how they are going to

respond. It’s better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction!