How to Avoid Peer Pressure

When fourteen- year old Ron came home last night smelling of
cigarette smoke, his mother Margaret, was immediately frighten. She had been
worried about him ever since his hanging out with a group of boys with a
troublemaker named Joe. Ron described Joe, who was a year older; as a real
tyrant who forced the other boys into doing his orders with threats that whoever
did not go along with his plans would be out of the group. After some gentle
questioning, Ron confessed that Joe smuggled a pack of his father's cigarettes
into a backyard tool- shed. He admitted that he tried to smoke. His throat felt
dry and his mouth like an ashtray. However, he could not handle it, admitting
that it was wrong and harmful.
Kids ageing thirteen to nineteen experience strong peer pressure. Parents
are always concerned about their children of that age- group because it can lead
to risky behavior, ranging from cigarette smoking to cliquish, that is, being
involved in a closely united small group who do not allow others easily to join
their group. Learning to fit in a major social advance needs to be encouraged
though only within limits. This is done when you give your child the confidence
to disagree. Confidence is the bedrock for all his behaviors. You should help
your kid to feel at ease when facing his peers in order to make him disagree
with his friends. Here are some simple ways to deal with this issue.
The first way is to help your child bounce back from disappointment.
When your teenage child feels hurt and rejected- which is inevitable- try to
strengthen a sense of belonging when such disappointments occur. When your
child feels excluded from a group, he will pretend indifference. You should
encourage him to express true feelings and try to find an excuse with the child
for the exclusion. He should know that it is normal to let his inner self shouts
and speaks up. Sometimes an argument or challenge between your child and a
member of the group is the reason behind the case.

From this, you should encourage your teenage child to be exposed to all
kinds of friendships. It is essential for your kid to have a close relationship with
two or three friends of the same gender who share mutual interests in life. This
will help him navigate "the stormy seas" of peer group relationships. It is
encouraging at times to allow phone calls, play dates at your home, or
outgoings. It will provide opportunities for children to face their peers in a
normal way.
Passing successfully through the above requirements, an understanding
will be achieved between your children and members groups. They will accept
each other even when they disagree. That will make it easier for them to find
their place among their peers, and, at the same time, will be able to say no to
peer pressure and risky behavior.

Word Bank
1. peer (n) friend
2. indifference(n) lack of interest or concern
3. occur(v) happen
4. inevitable(adj) unavoidable
5. excluded (adj)expelled
6. tyrant(n) bully
7. threat (n) warning
8. confess (v)admit
9. bedrock(n) basis , base
10. mutual (adj)common

Word Derivatives
Noun
Experience \ experiment
Confession
Description
Encouragement
Confidence
Disappointment
Expression
Exclusion
Argument
Acceptance

Verb
Experience
Confess
Describe
Encourage
Confide
Disappoint
Express
Exclude
Argue
Accept

Adjective
X
X
X
Encouraging\ encouraged
Confident
Disappointed \ disappointing
X
Excluded
Argumentative \ arguable
Accepted

READING COMPREHENSION
What is the problem that the writer is discussing in the above text?
What does the word "issue" in paragraph 2 refer to?
How does peer pressure affect teenagers?
What does the writer mean by the word "cliquish" in the second
paragraph?
What are the two solutions the writer suggested for the problem?
How does this parental guidance affect the teenagers' personality?
What is the kind of the above passage?

TRUE or FALSE
The following statements are false. Correct them so that they match
with what is mentioned in the text.

Some children apply intense pressure on their parents.

An argument between teenagers is a reason for close relationships.
Teenagers should accept each other only when they agree.
LANGUAGE FOCUS
Get from the passage:
A statement of fact.
A statement of opinion.
A cause effect relationship.
What is the purpose of the above text?
Who are the audience of the writer?
What is the type of the text? Justify your answer.
How does the writer achieve coherence?
What is the tone used in writing the text?
Pick from the text four words to fill in the following table:
Prefix or Suffix

Root

Meaning\ PoS with the suffix or prefix