In our live open mic forum we Serve Teens Opposed, Oppressed, Peer-Pressured.  Both male and female gather corporately in there desperate need to express themselves; dealing with universal issues. Being a misunderstood generation of people; Reform outreach provides them with a listening ear of a  mature youth advisory panel through positive resolving power on the concerns of their hearts; as they express themselves on a variety of topics. A few of these topics are: Faith, Power of Peer-pressure, Teen Drug Use, and Education.

What is Negative Peer Pressure?

“Boys and girls are under heavy-duty peer pressure to behave in certain ways and this can lead to unhealthy young-adult hood, even further disruptive adulthood. Young people need to learn to respect each other and the differences they behold from one another. What kind of peer-pressure are you or your children afflicted by? Conflict Resolution, Self Esteem, Self- Worth, Personal- Sexuality, Career Choices and Furthering Education.  We are driven to assist youth in making the positive impact, accomplishing their goals and driving them to the success they want to achieve. Moreover, to make an impact on the world through showing the love of Jesus Christ and the importance keeping God first!

The challenges adolescents and teens are facing today’s are enormous. Of course, we hope that our kids will be able to say no to such negative influences, but it’s sometimes difficult because such choices are not always popular with their peers. The truth is that it takes moral strength not to be influenced by others, it takes understanding self worth at a very young age, it takes embracement in being different, even weird, peculiar.  We want to help you develop the inner strength of character needed to buffer negative pressures and then teach you specific assertiveness skills. Only then will you be able to stand up to negative peer- pressure. Below are six ways to overcome peer-pressure.

ASSERT!

1. A – Assert yourself with physical confidence. Teach your kid to stand up for his beliefs and not back down by using confident posture: stand tall with feet slightly apart, head high, and look the person straight in the eye. Emphasize that the posture he uses to deliver his lines is usually more important than the words he says.
2. S – Say no firmly. Once your kid decides not to do what is being asked, stress that he must say no to the person using a friendly but firm and determined voice and then not give in. Remind your child that his job is not to try changing the other person’s mind, but to keep himself out of trouble and follow his beliefs.
3. S – Say goodbye and leave. Emphasize that standing up to a friend isn’t easy. Stress that he may face intimidation, teasing, or rejection for his choice, but that’s what courage is all about. Sometimes the best option is to walk away from the situation. Set up a policy with your kid that whenever he feels unsafe in a situation, he should phone, and you agree pick them up with no questions asked.
4. E – Give a reasonable excuse. Your child could give the peer an excuse: “I told Dad I’d be home,” “I have homework,” or “I promised my friend I’d come by.” Tell your kids it’s okay to use you as an excuse: “My mom will ground me for life if I did that!”
5. R – Repeat your decision. Tell your child it’s sometimes helpful to repeat his decision several times like a broken record: “No, it’s not right,” “No, it’s not right.” It makes him sound assertive and helps him not back down from his stand.