By Gabrielle Rodriguez

Here’s the situation: you’re in school and there’s this big math test, but you didn’t study. A bunch of friends tell you, “If you didn’t study for the test then don’t go to class, just cut 7th period with us!” At first, you’re a little upset about the idea, but then you feel that it may work, so you decide to do it. This is peer pressure.

“Hey, we’re all going to this party after school at Chris’ house, you should come!” say your peers. Then, you answer, “Oh, I can’t, I have to finish up some things at home.” “Well, if you don’t come then you won’t be invited to any other parties, I’m just going to tell Chris you’re coming..” This is also peer pressure.

A lot of the times, people say they don’t go through it, but it doesn’t just involve someone wanting you to smoke or drink. Peer pressure is when you are under pressure by a person or a group of people to do things you wouldn’t normally do. I’m sure we’ve all felt like this.

Many times, people are even pressured to fight. When you have a group of people around you, when you’re confronting another person someone, will yell, “FIGHT,” and then the fight breaks out. You can even be pressured to have sex when you’re not ready. When your friends are telling you that they’ve already done it and find out you’re a virgin, they’ll start putting you on the spot telling you to lose it.

The one thing that can fix all this is to just speak up. A person is easily peer pressured when they think they don’t have any other friends, or they don’t have a voice. Friends really do come and go, and, if you don’t want to lose them as friends, just say, Listen, I’m not ready or It’s not my kind of thing. If that doesn’t work, then just say “NO” and walk away.