PEER PRESSURE CAN REALLY HURT

Dear editor,

Peer pressure is when someone pressures you in to doing something you
don't want to do.

It could be drugs or actions or any kind of rebellion you know is
wrong. People can pressure you in different ways. They might say they
will beat you up or say personal things about you to other people
that are not true.

There is a wide range of people who could put pressure on you, they
can be your friends or enemies or even predators. There are ways to
say no to peer pressure. You can walk away and you can talk to a
different friend or a trusted adult.

It is your decision to make the right choice. If someone is putting
pressure on you, you can cut off all contact with that person and
make an effort not to be in any situation where that person is going to be.

Peer pressure is terrible. It happened to me by my "best friend" and
it hurt a lot. It hurt to get caught doing something wrong and the
other person was nowhere to be found and it was all on me.

Remember that peer pressure is wrong. If it's about stealing or even
doing drugs, its your decision to make the right choice.

Editor's note: This anonymous apology to the community is part of a
resolution agreement through the Community Justice Centre.