Peer pressure
In Denmark, there is a lot of peer pressure in the schools, whether it’s serious or not so serious. It’s really important for many young people to be a part of the popular group at school or outside school. You want to feel accepted by the popular ones, to be invited for all the parties and all the other stuff they are doing in their spare time. To be accepted you can’t stand out too much, you have to wear the same kind of clothes and do the things that are normal. That pressure to be accepted sometimes causes you to do things you don’t really want to do. That could be smoking or drinking for example. All of your friends are smoking and they want you to try it as well. Then they might say things as: “Just try it, are you afraid?” or “everyone else does it.” In most cases you will just give in to the pressure and do what the peer want you to do.
It can also be in a situation, when you are young and you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, and you’re not ready to have sex. But if everyone else has tried it, they might sort of press you into doing it.
Written by Alberte, Emma and Thea - Eisbjerghus Efterskole.
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