Peer RelationshipsPositive and Negative Peer Influences

8th Grade Advisory Activity

Video: Bad Friendships

Listen for– Why do students sometimes experience negative

peer influence?– Why do you think Peter and Gavin are friends?

(Click on picture to play video and stop video at 3:20)

Reasons for Negative Peer Influences

• Misguided Loyalty: Students stay friends with peers that are making troublesome decisions even though they know it is probably a bad choice

• Popular friends: Students want to be popular• Danger: It seems exciting but students do not think through

the likely or possible bad consequences• Insecure: Students feel they do not have many friend

options and go along with whatever their friends want• Followers: Students let peer leaders take them down the

wrong path

Negative Peer InfluencesGet in Groups of 5

• What does your group think are the most common reasons students at our school are influenced negatively by peers?

• Rate the most common to the 5th most common• Be prepared to share your group’s reasoning– Misguided Loyalty– Popular friends– Danger– Insecure– Followers

Groups Share Their RatingsReasons for Negative Peer Influences

• What are the most common reasons students at our school are influenced negatively by peers?

• Give your ratings 1-5 and explain your choices – Misguided Loyalty– Popular friends– Danger– Insecure– Followers

Video: Positive Peer Influence

Listen for:– Teenagers should hang around people with the

same _______________. – What is a benefit of having a positive peer group?

(Click on picture to play video)

Peer Group InfluencePositive Peer Pressure

Hang around people with the same values – This will help you not get pressured into something that you really

do not believe in – Positive peer groups can fight off temptation together

Students often make the same decisions as their friends– If your peers smoke, drink, bully others, and do not study, then

you are much more likely to do the same thing– If your peers stay away from drugs, are kind to others, and do

their best in school, then you are much more likely to do the same thing

Positive Peer InfluencesStay in Your Groups of 5

Do you believe in this statement? Why or why not?– If your peers stay away from drugs, are kind to others,

and do their best in school, then you are much more likely to do the same thing

Name 5 of the following personality traits that can be most influenced by positive peer pressure– Helpful, loyal, optimistic, ambitious, considerate, fun – Trustworthy, honest, sincere, stable, ethical, funny, kind

Groups Share Their AnswersPositive Peer Influences

Do you believe in this statement? Why or why not?– If your peers stay away from drugs, are kind to others,

and do their best in school, then you are much more likely to do the same thing

5 personality traits: positive peer pressure influence– Helpful, loyal, optimistic, ambitious, considerate, fun – Trustworthy, honest, sincere, stable, ethical, funny, kind