Warm-Up

1. Warm-Up • In what ways do friends contribute to your life? List as many examples as you can!

2. Peer and Dating Relationships Lesson 30

3. Objectives • Evaluate the positive and negative effects of peer relationships and friends on physical and emotional health • Evaluate the dynamics of social groups • Demonstrate refusal strategies and apply skills for making responsible decision under pressure • Examine strategies for maintaining safe and healthy dating relationships • Identify the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship

4. Friendship • Significant relationship between two people • Based upon caring, respect, trust and consideration • People you share hobbies, interests and other friends with • Platonic friendship: friendship with a member of the gender in which there is affection but the two people are not considered a couple

5. Types of Friendships • Casual • Relationship between peers who share something in common • People with whom you share some interest but you do not necessarily form deep emotional bonds with • Close • Strong emotional ties • Comfortable sharing thoughts, experiences and feelings • Trust and support each other • True friends have several common attributes: • Similar values, interests, beliefs and attitudes • Open and honest communication • Sharing of joys, disappointments, dreams and concerns • Mutual respect, caring and support • Concern about each other’s safety and well-being

6. Cliques • Small circle of friends usually with similar backgrounds of tastes, who exclude people viewed as outsiders • Often share similar attitudes, wear the same clothing, meet regularly in an area identified as their “turf” and engage in other behaviors that identify them as a clique • Can have both positive and negative influences on peers • Positive: provide members with a sense of belonging, self confidence • Negative: members discouraged from thinking for themselves, exclusion of other people, prejudices and stereotypes enforced • Prejudice: making assumptions of judgments about an individual without really knowing him or her • Stereotype: exaggerated and oversimplified belief about an entire group of people, such as an ethnic or religious group or a gender

7. Building and Strengthening Friendships • Be loyal • Trust and depend on each other • Speak respectfully of each other • Encourage each other • Be supportive • Acknowledge each other’s accomplishments • Help each other through difficult times • Respect each other • Common courtesy • Avoid taking friends for granted • Keep your promises

8. Peer Pressure • The influence that people you age may have on you • Positive or negative influences • Positive: • Encourage participation in healthful behaviors • Discourage participation in risky behaviors • Negative: • Pressure others to take part in behaviors with negative consequences • Harassment: persistently annoying others • Engaging in behaviors against one’s values • Manipulation: indirect, dishonest way to control or influence others

9. Resisting Negative Peer Pressure • Avoid it if possible • Develop friendships with people who share your values and interests • Stay true to yourself • Be assertive • Stand up for your rights in a firm but positive way • Use refusal skills • Communication strategies that can help you say no when you are urged to take part in behaviors that are unsafe, unhealthy or that go against your values • Step 1: State your position • Just say no! • Step 2: Suggest alternatives • Suggest another activity in place of the one you do not want to partake in • Step 3: Stand your ground • Use strong body language • Maintain eye contact • Leave the situation

10. Passive and Aggressive Responses • Passive: tendency to give up, give in or back down without standing up for one’s own rights and needs • Passive teens may thing they are making friends by going along • May cause others to view them as pushovers • Aggressive: overly forceful, pushy, hostile or otherwise attacking in an approach • Aggressive teens may react by yelling, shouting, shoving or insulting others • Most people react to aggressive behavior by avoiding the individual • Being ASSERTIVE, not passive or aggressive will serve as a useful skill throughout life, especially when resisting peer pressure

11. Dating • Don’t be pressured into dating, make sure it is your choice • Group dates are a great option • Dating allows teens to develop and practice social skills • What to do on a date? • Sports or athletic activities • Promote health • Allow dates to get to know each other better in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere • Community activities • Choose an event or activity that interests both of you • Charitable activities • Volunteering together can help build strong friendships • A great option for group dates

12. Avoiding Risky Situations • Avoid places where alcohol and drugs are present • Alcohol and drugs impair judgment • People under the influence are more likely to engage in risky behaviors • Avoid being alone with a date at home or in an isolated place • You may find it more difficult to maintain self-control when you are home alone or in an isolated place with a date

13. Relationships • An ongoing relationship with just one person may help you develop skills and behaviors that will someday prepare you for the responsibility in marriage • However, dating only one person during adolescent may limit your chances of socializing with others • Teen years are a time to try different roles and relationships • Don’t stay in a relationship just because it is comfortable • Common dating problems include staying in a relationship because you don’t know how to leave it gracefully OR clinging to a person who wishes to end the relationship • Honesty and open communication will help resolve difficulties

14. Setting Limits • Curfew • May be set by a parent or guardian • Set time that you must be home • As you mature you’ll need to set your own limits • Age, where you’ll go, what you’ll do • Make your limits clear to avoid potentially risky situations