Teen Health Course 1

Introduction

Many factors affect your health—the food you eat, your family and culture, even the shows you watch on TV. Some of the most powerful influences come from peers. Peers are people your own age. If their beliefs and opinions are important to you, they can affect how you think and feel. This influence is referred to as “peer pressure,” and it can be both positive and negative. On the Web site below, you will learn more about peer pressure and what you can do about the negative kind.

Link to explore: Girls and Boys Town Tips for Teens

Directions

• Read the page on Peer Pressure at the Girls and Boys Town Web site.
• Read about peer pressure, taking notes as you go.
• When you are done, answer the questions below.
• Finally, imagine that you volunteer at a teen hotline. Come up with a set of 10 questions teens might ask about peer pressure. Try to create answers that will help teens make smart choices and feel good about themselves.

Questions

1			What is the first thing you should do when kids are trying to talk you into something?
2			What are three of the questions you should ask yourself when a group is asking you to go along with them?
3			What are the four options mentioned on this site that you have when being pressured?
4			If you decide to choose to compromise, what can you do to keep control of the situation?
5			Who can you turn to when you need to express your feelings and let someone know what’s going on?