Live! Peer Pressure (starts at 7pm)

So, you've been in school for about a month or so now and you've seen some people already acting differently than they did before. They are being talked into doing things they wouldn't normally do on their own. They are changing who they are in order to fit in with a new group of friends. Heck, it might be you and you are worried and don't know how to continue to be yourself and keep your new friends.

Tonight, we will look at two videos that we can talk about or you can ask us questions about what to do with your situation. Brit, Jodi and Lil' Dee are here for you and are ready to chat -- we hope you are too!

Below you can check out the videos (after the videos is a chat area, you can log in or just come as a guest and talk anonymously):

Video #1: Peer Pressure -- Adolescent Issues

Video #2: 

Instructions to chat:
To sign in: you can sign up for a chatroll account (it's free!) at chatroll.com, you can sign in using a Facebook account or a Twitter account. If you want to remain anonymous, then you can just click the Guest button at the bottom of the Chat Area and enter your own username that has no ties to you.

Chat Area #1 (up to 10 people) We will add another area as needed through the discussion. 

Chat Software

After the chat:

Please take our quick evaluation survey, so we can know how to better our discussions for next month!

Videos for Tonight's Discussion

Here are the videos that we are going to discuss tonight for our Live! Peer Pressure chat. Check them out now, or during the discussion --it's up to you.

Talk to you all soon!!

Video #1: Peer Pressure - Adolescent Issues

Video #2: How to Deal: Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure Information (Check out before our discussion on September 27 @ 7pm!)

Peer Pressure Information Sheet

supplied by Affirmative Fusion

According to a publication on peer pressure by Parent Further, only 10 percent of teenagers surveyed said that they had not been influenced by peer pressure. In that same group, 28 percent of teenagers agreed that giving into peer pressure improved their social standing and nearly half of those surveyed admitted to picking on someone only after a friend picked on that person.

Peer pressure and drugs:

• According to the Underage Research Drinking Initiative, two-thirds of 10th graders and two-fifths of 8th graders have tried alcohol.

• The Monitoring the Future Survey from the same initiative found that approximately 30 percent of 8th graders have used illicit drugs.
• The survey also made three conclusions about the effect of peer pressure on drug and alcohol use:
• Teens with friends who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to do the same.
• Teens who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to convince their friends to do it too.
• Teens who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to seek out other teens who do the same.

Peer pressure and Sex:

• As teenagers try to find their identity and acceptable roles, they also face pressure to give into their new sexual desires. A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that:

• One-third of teenage males feel pressure from their friends to have sex
• 23 percent of females feel pressure from their friends to have sex
• 44 percent of teens want more information on how to handle pressure to have sex and how to know when they are ready to have sex.
• 46 percent of parents have not discussed with their teens how to handle pressure to have sex

Positive Peer pressure:

• Not all peer pressure is bad peer pressure. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, use peer educators to teach teenagers about safe sex because they have found that teens are more likely to listen to positive messages when they come from those in their age group.

• The NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) suggests having older teens who do not use drugs or alcohol to talk to middle schoolers to help influence them to make positive choices.

September's Online Discussion: Peer Pressure

Who: Everyone!

When: Sunday, September 27, 2015 

Time: 7:00 pm

What: Online Discussion about Peer Pressure

More information to come!

Back to School and more...

Hello all!

We know that it's been a long, crazy summer and are sorry we have not updated the blog since June! We were at the Youth to Youth International Conference (Columbus, OH) in June and then the Youth to Youth Eastern States Conference (Smithfield, RI) in July/August. We had a blast getting to know you all and hope to see you on here more regularly now that school is back in session!

Affirmative Fusion knows that going back to school can be tough or exciting. It can be tough due to pressure from peers to go down the wrong path and not do something you think is right. It can be exciting because after a long 3 months away from friends, you are back together.

This month (September) we are going to have an open discussion on Peer Pressure and how one can deal with it in a positive way. We hope to provide you with resources to use to help you make this positive choices and to give you a safe place to voice your opinions and pleas for help. We are here for you throughout the school year and beyond. Check back weekly for updates on different ways Peer Pressure can appear throughout the school year and the tips to help you stay on your path. We will also let you know when a live discussion with Brit, Jodi and Dee will take place (more on that later!).

Good luck this year and we hope to see you back!