The Californian Association of Marriage and Family Therapists has put together a list of six things parents can do to help with the burden of peer pressure:

1. Talk about drinking, drugs, and other harmful behaviour, maintaining open communication and understanding your children’s opinions.
2. Talk about your children’s concerns and pressures.
3. Help your child to prioritise important items and form achievement goals.
4. Use TV and movies to start discussions about appropriate and inappropriate ways of responding to negative classmates and peer pressure.
5. Invite your children’s friends home and understand the social groups they are in.
6. Address concerns your children have quickly, ensuring they don’t develop into long-term problems. Consider your children’s point-of-view when resolving image issues.

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