Chapter 1 Lesson 3 Textbook PDF

Who Are Your Peers? MAIN IDEA​ ​Your peer group is made up of people who are close in age and have things in common with you. As a teen, you spend a lot of time among your peers. The students at your school and other teens you know from your outside activities are your peers. Peers will be an impor...

Who Are Your Peers? MAIN IDEA​ ​Your peer group is made up of people who are close in age and have things in common with you. As a teen, you spend a lot of time among your peers. The students at your school and other teens you know from your outside activities are your peers. Peers will be an important part of your life throughout your lifetime. Think about all the peers you encounter in your daily life. Your peers may be your friends, classmates, teammates, or neighbors. A peer can also include an acquaintance​. ​Sometimes your acquaintances become friends. A peer can be someone you have never met but with whom you have something in common. For example, if you volunteer for a national agency that works for a clean environment, you are peers with other teens who may volunteer for that agency. They may live in other cities or other countries, but they are still your peers. Influences on Your Friendships As you learned in Chapter 1, your family is one of the biggest influences on your health. Many times, we learn how to behave in relationships by watching others. Parents can show you ways to behave in a relationship if they express love and caring for each other. Your family also influences who you choose as friends, and how you behave with your friends. Family members who show respect for themselves will probably show respect for friends. A person who respects himself will try to make good choices to avoid health and other risks. READING CHECK Identify​ Who are your peers? Friendships during ​the​ Teen Years During your teen years, you develop friendship​s​ with some of your peers and acquaintances. Friendships usually begin with a common interest, such a sport, a class in school, or conversations on the bus to school. Your peers and acquaintances are the people around you. Your friends are the relationships you choose. Your friends may have a shared interest or the same values as you do. Having friends is an important part of your social health and growth. In strong friendships, you appreciate the values of loyalty, honesty, trust, and respect. READING CHECK Compare and Contrast​ What do peer relationships and friendships have in common? How are they different? What Makes a Good Friend Friendships share many qualities and usually grow stronger with time. The qualities of strong friendships apply to all friends, including you as a friend. Strong friendships have a number of qualities in common. Shared Values​ Friendships can begin with shared values. If you are an honest, responsible person, you will appreciate honesty and responsibility in your friends. For example, if you work hard at your schoolwork and are eager to learn, you share interests with other good students. If you take responsibilities for younger siblings at home, your friends may also have strong family relationships and responsibilities. Reliability​ A good friend is reliable​.​ Reliable friends do what they say they will do. They do not talk negatively about one another to others. It feels good to be reliable and to have a friend you can rely on. Loyalty​ A good friend is loyal​,​ or faithful, to his or her friends. In friendships that are strong, both friends are loyal to each other. Good friends will respect and honor each other’s interests, values, beliefs, and differences.  Sympathy​ Good friends share sympathy for one another. For example, if you studied hard for a test but did not do as well as you had hoped, you may feel sad or disappointed. A sympathetic friend will understand and respect your feelings. A friend who has empathy is able to identify and share your feelings. Caring​ A good friend cares about you and shows it. A friend can show caring by being interested in your feelings, your values, and your beliefs. A caring friend is a good listener. A caring friend gives time and attention to you and your interests. Trust​ Good friends trust each other. They learn through their friendship that trust is important. Trust in friendships goes both ways, and is proven in reliability and loyalty. Cooperation Working together as a team can help strengthen friendships. Helping each other and offering support are ways to show friends you care. Respect​ A good friend has self-respect. A good friend also has respect for his or her family, school, and friends. Good friends show respect by giving their time and attention to each other. You can show respect by displaying all the traits of friendship: reliability, loyalty, sympathy, caring, and trust. Good friends also show their respect each other’s values and differences. READING CHECK Recall​ Name three qualities of a good friend. Making New Friends Teens typically find most of their friends at school, in their neighborhood, or in shared activities. Sometimes it can be hard to find new friends, such as when you change grades, schools, or move to a new neighborhood. However, you can develop skills to help make new friends. Be yourself.​ Identify your values, beliefs, and special interests. What would make you a good friend? You want to make friends who value you for who you are. Break the ice.​ Start a conversation with a compliment or a question. Show your interest. If the other person shares the same interest, you may begin a friendship. Seek out teens who share your interests.​ Join a club, sports team, or community group. There you will find peers who share some of the same interests as you. Join a group that works for a cause you support.​ You can show your citizenship and giving qualities to people who share your values. You will also help your community. Strengthening Friendships Some friendships last a long time. The friends may share the same interests and develop similar interests as they grow older. Other friendships may require some work to maintain. If both friends are willing, a friendship can be strengthened to make it long-lasting. A number of strategies can help to make a friendship strong. Spend time together.​ The more time you spend with someone, the better you get to know each other. Do your homework together, share a special interest, practice a sport, or work on a project together. Communicate openly and honestly.​ Open and honest communication will build trust and respect—qualities you want in your friendships. Help each other through hard times.​ Good friendships aren’t only about the fun times. Good friends also share their time and sympathy when a friend has a problem and needs some extra care and support. Respect each other’s differences.​ People are not exactly alike; they have some differences. Friends whose families represent a different culture from your own may have different customs. Show respect for ways your friends are different from you. Learning about other cultures is interesting. Be accepting of others. Encourage each other to reach goals.​ A part of friendship is sharing the interests and goals of others. Be giving of your time, attention, and support in your friend’s goals.  Identify problems and work to solve them.​ A part of communication includes discussing problems and expressing your interest in solving a problem. It could be a problem your friend shares or a problem between you and a friend. In order to communicate your interest in a friend, remember to think before speaking. Be a good listener. Be honest and truthful with your feelings and opinions. Talking about a problem with a friend can help both you and the other person understand how you are different. It can also help you both understand the issue and help to find a solution. In a strong friendship, the friends are equal. One friend does not use his or her age, economic status or position to influence a friend to do something against his or her values. In unequal friendships power differences may be used by influence the other friend. Power differences can occur if one person is older and has more life experience. They can also occur if one friend has a higher economic or social status, or if the friends work together and one has a higher position. READING CHECK Describe​ How can power differences affect a friendship? Peer Pressure MAIN IDEA​ ​Peer pressure can affect you in different ways. Teens spend much of their time among peers at school and in other activities. Peers influence some of the decisions that you make. This influence is called peer pressure​.​ Teens want to fit in and be accepted. Sometimes, without even knowing it, they are influenced by their peers. For example, if you notice that almost everyone at school wears zippered sweatshirts, you may want a zippered sweatshirt too. You are influenced by what you see your peers do. This is called indirect peer pressure. No one is making you get a zippered sweatshirt, but you want one because you see everyone around you wears one. At other times, you may feel direct peer pressure. A peer might tell you what you should do to fit in or be accepted. If you choose not to do what that person suggests, you may worry whether you will fit in and be part of the group. Remember that while your peers have a big influence on your life, you always have a choice to say no if you believe that a behavior or action will be harmful. READING CHECK Define​ Explain what indirect peer pressure is and give an example. Positive Peer Pressure Like all influences, peer pressure can have a positive or negative effect. Positive peer pressure helps you make healthful choices. For example, if someone says “You are such a good dancer, we wish you would join the dance team,” that is a positive suggestion. Dance may strengthen your physical health. You may also make new friends who have a shared interest. Imagine that many of your peers volunteer at a food bank. They enjoy the sense of citizenship and caring. You may choose to volunteer too, based on your peers' positive experiences. Volunteering may make you feel good about yourself because you are helping others. You may make new friends. You are using an example you see in others to make a positive choice for yourself. This is positive peer pressure, or positive influence. Negative Peer Pressure Negative peer pressure may make decisions difficult. Your peers may urge you to do something you do not agree with or do not want to do. When you face negative peer pressure, you have a choice to make. It helps to think about your values. If you feel you have to choose between making a healthful choice for yourself or fitting in with a group, think about the consequences. Remember, true friends will respect your decision. Negative peer pressure can take many forms. Encouraging a person to act in a way that is harmful or illegal is one form of negative peer pressure. Others may include dares or threats. Negative peer pressure can also come in the form of teasing or name-calling. You can learn to recognize negative peer pressure by using the ​H.E.L.P.​ guidelines. H.E.L.P.​ stands for ​H​ealthful, ​E​thical, ​L​egal, and ​P​arent-approved. If what your friends tell you to do does not meet the ​H.E.L.P.​ guidelines, you can refuse. All of your actions are your own choices, but you can learn ways to resist negative peer pressure. Avoid the situation.​ If you can tell that a situation might be unsafe, harmful, or against rules, do not participate. Use assertive responses.​ If your peers suggest a dangerous behavior or situation, say no. Use an assertive response​. Focus on the issue.​ State your reasons for your choice. Avoid responding if your peers tease you. Avoid trading insults. Walk away.​ It is best to try to talk things out with peers who try to pressure you. If anyone gets angry, walk away. READING CHECK Explain​ Tell why negative peer pressure can be harmful or hurtful. Caring Angelle noticed a new girl in her classroom. The new girl did not know anybody in school. At lunch, Angelle saw the new girl eating by herself. Angelle sat beside her and introduced herself. They discovered they both had seen the same movie. They talked about the movie and soon were laughing about the funny parts. Two of Angelle’s peers sat down to join the conversation.