Peer pressure is a dreadful thing, and it can really lead a child down a path they don’t necessarily want to take but feel they have no option as they look to “fit in”.
It can lead to serious problems in its worst state, leading to a life of crime, alcohol abuse and even drug addiction. In no time at all, you could find your son hooked on cannabis or prescription drugs in which you’ve then got to get them the treatment they need to get their life back on track.
Nobody wants to be sending their child to a drug rehab clinic, but many parents find themselves having to, and often the root of the problem is peer pressure. But how do you know your child is suffering from peer pressure?
Well, there are warning signs…
Changes in behaviour
One of the biggest signs of a child suffering with peer pressure is the fact that their behaviour will undoubtedly change, particularly around different groups of friends. For older friends, they may behave like the person you know them as, but new sets of friends you could see them develop a bit more of an attitude or speak a little differently.
Ultimately, they’ll be acting up to one group, behaving how they think that group want them to behave. It isn’t them, and it’s spottable from a mile off.
Talking about not fitting in
It can be heartbreaking hearing your child talking about how they don’t fit in or that they feel very different to the other kids at school. And while that should be treated delicately, it can also be a bit of a warning sign too.
It can be one of the major factors in why children start to behave differently and can bring some problems as a. they begin to act like other kids, often from the wrong crowd. And b. they may try to find coping mechanisms to deal with “feeling different”. That can often lead to alcoholism or drug usage to cope with the stress and anxiety of that.
Dressing differently
It’s not just a child’s behaviour that is noticeable when it comes to peer pressure, but how they look and dress too. If you notice your child starting to do their hair a little differently or asking for clothes, trainers or accessories they wouldn’t normally be into, then it could be a sign they’ve fallen in with a different crowd.
While that isn’t always a bad thing, you’ll generally get a good idea of what that crowd is like by the way a child is dressing. Of course, social media and TikTok can also play a big part in that, so monitoring your child’s social channels and usage can also be helpful in establishing any undue pressure on them.
