Click on the links below to download and print copies of posters and teaching guides featured in the Heads Up series.

NEW! Stand Up Against Bullying
This health, life skills, and language arts poster/teaching guide aims to prevent student bullying as well as lower associated risks, such as substance abuse. The lesson, activities, and work sheets will help students build the skills they need to identify potentially harmful situations around them and determine steps they can take to safely intervene if they see a peer in trouble.
(First published 2017)

Respect Others. Respect Yourself.
This ELA and Life Skills poster/teaching guide helps students build healthy communication skills. The techniques covered in the tiered lesson, activities, and work sheets will serve students in all relationships, and in particular could help prevent emotional or physical abuse. Additionally, having strong communication skills will help students to navigate difficult situations, such as peer pressure or conflicts. (First published 2016)

Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
This poster/teaching guide includes an eye-catching poster, lesson, and dynamic worksheets designed to provide factual details and critical-thinking questions on the wide-ranging effects drugs have on the developing brain and body. These effects include harmful physical and psychological consequences that affect not only individuals, but also families, friends, and communities. (First published 2012)

• Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster/Teaching Guide

Marijuana: Download the Facts 
The teaching guide to the poster Marijuana: Download the Facts (PDF). This poster and teaching guide are designed for teachers to display and use in the classroom year-round to educate students about the risks of smoking marijuana. The teaching guide includes lesson plans and worksheets that communicate the facts of marijuana use, as well as guide students in analyzing media messages so that they can make educated decisions about drugs. (First published 2011)

• Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster in English or Spanish

Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths
The teaching guide to the poster Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths (PDF). This poster and teaching guide are designed for teachers to display and use in the classroom year-round to remind students of the importance of getting the facts when it comes to drugs and drug abuse. The teaching guide includes a lesson plan and worksheet to help students identify drug facts vs. myths, eye-opening questions and answers from NIDA’s National Drug IQ Challenge, and take-home activities in both English and Spanish. (First published 2010)

Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions
The teaching guide to the poster LIFE’S COMPLICATED ENOUGH: Make Smart Decisions About Drugs (PDF). This important teaching guide is a skill-building program to help students understand the importance of informed decision making. The teaching guide includes turnkey lessons and worksheets that support the idea that when young people know the facts, they have the tools to make smart choices. Find lessons and critical-thinking activities that bring students facts about the science behind teen brain development and decision making, as well as the health risks associated with drug abuse. (First published 2008)

The Teen Brain: Under Construction
The teen brain is still developing, so it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs. Drugs interfere with the teen brain’s natural development, affecting not only the brain, but the entire body. Check out the poster and article to learn more about how drugs affect the brain and the body. The accompanying teaching guide includes lessons, discussion questions, and student activities about drug addiction and how drug abuse affects decision making. (First published 2004)

You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows: Drug Abuse May Cause Addiction, Memory Loss, Heart Failure, Organ Damage, or Death.
Check out the Heads Up Poster Contest Grand Prize-winning artwork and poster concept by student Ania Lisa Etienne. Then use the lesson strategy, discussion questions, and student worksheet activities to help students learn more about how drugs can affect your brain and your health. (First published 2003)

Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty
Check out the poster and explore student worksheet activities to find out how drugs of abuse affect the brain and body. This poster/teaching guide includes posters in English and Spanish, student worksheet activities, answer key, and web resources. (First published 2002)

Quitting drugs is challenging because addiction changes the brain. Watch the video below to find out more.

Watch these videos to find out more about the health and life effects of drug use and addiction.

Videos are organized into two chronological sections on this page:

• Narrative Videos
• Animated Infographics

Narrative Videos

Animated Infographics

More Videos from the National Institute on Drug Abuse >>

NEW! Respect Others. Respect Yourself.
Explore the many ways that people can incorporate respect and healthy communication skills into their everyday lives. (First published 2016)

Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
This poster provides facts on the wide-ranging effects drugs have on the developing brain and body. The consequences affect not only individuals, but also families, friends, and communities. (First published 2012)

• For Teachers: Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster/Teaching Guide

Marijuana: Download the Facts
Find out how marijuana’s effects can interfere with teens’ lives, including in school and on the road. (First published 2011)

• For Teachers: Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster in English or Spanish

Prescription Drugs
This poster illustrates the double-sided nature of prescription drugs: proper use and abuse. (First published 2011)

Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths
This poster promotes the importance of getting the facts from a trustworthy source when it comes to drugs and drug abuse. Shatter the myths and get the facts during the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s National Drug Facts Week. (First published 2010)

LIFE’S COMPLICATED ENOUGH: Make Smart Decisions About Drugs
Follow a teen’s journey through the serious short- and long-term effects of drug use, demonstrating the importance of informed decision making. (First published 2008)

The Teen Brain: Under Construction
The teen brain is still developing, so it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs. Drugs interfere with the teen brain’s natural development, affecting not only the brain, but the entire body. (First published 2004)

You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows: Drug Abuse May Cause Addiction, Memory Loss, Heart Failure, Organ Damage, or Death.
Check out the Heads Up Poster Contest Grand Prize-winning artwork and poster concept by student Ania Lisa Etienne to learn more about how drugs can affect your brain and your health. (First published 2003)

Drugs and Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
This poster provides a graphic tour of how the body is affected by various drugs. A Spanish version is below. (First published 2002)

Las Drogas y el Cuerpo no son una Buena Combinación
This Spanish poster provides a graphic tour of how the body is affected by various drugs. An English version is above. (First published 2002)

One of the biggest challenges teens face is standing up to peer pressure. This article helps explain why by describing the science of how the developing teen brain reacts to both rewards and peers. We build on this understanding by highlighting teen risk taking when driving with passengers. Together, this article and lesson will help your students understand how their brains make decisions, the influence of their peers on those decisions, and what they can do to better navigate peer-pressure situations.

MATERIALS:

Lesson:
Download a PDF version of this lesson page and accompanying work sheet.

Student Article/Informational Text:
Students will gain a scientific understanding of how the developing teen brain reacts to both rewards and peers, as well as explore the real-world implications for teen risk taking when driving with passengers.

> HTML version
> PDF version
> Digital interactive version
> Leveled version (PDF) – grades 4-5 reading level

Student Work Sheet:
The work sheet gives students an opportunity to take what they learned from the article and apply it to a real-life peer-pressure situation they might face. An answer key is included in the “Additional Tools” document below.

> PDF version
> HTML version

Additional Tools (PDF):
Grade-tiered resources to support teaching the lesson and student article:

• Expanded Answer Key for Critical-Thinking Questions and Work Sheet
• Tiered Adaptations of Critical-Thinking Questions
• Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary Lists
• Additional Writing Prompts
• Expanded Paired-Text Reading Suggestions
• Expanded Standards Charts for Grades 6-12

STANDARDS:

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS:

1) Why do teens have a stronger emotional reaction to their peers than adults or children do? Cite examples from the article. (During adolescence, the reward center of teens’ brains has more dopamine receptors and is more likely to react strongly to the positive feelings produced by being around peers. Rejection by peers causes a bigger response in the areas of teens’ brains that govern negative emotions.)

2) What are two pieces of evidence from the article that suggest that teens make riskier decisions when they are with their friends than when they are alone? (In Steinberg’s study, the teen drivers ran more yellow lights when their friends were watching than when they were alone. Teen drivers engage in riskier behavior if other teens are in the car.)

WRITING PROMPTS:

Instruct students to use evidence from the article in their responses to the writing prompts.

• Grades 6-8: The decision-making process in teens is strongly affected by rewards and peers. How might this impact teens in both positive and negative ways?
• Grades 9-10: Peer pressure can challenge teens to take beneficial risks, or it can drive them to make decisions they regret. How can teens prepare themselves to resist negative peer pressure yet remain open to positive influences?
• Grades 11-12: Today’s teens don’t only interact in person. How do you think peer influence through social media and texting might impact teens’ decision making, and what positive and negative consequences could result? Consider what you have learned about how the presence of teens can impact risky behavior.

PAIRED READING:

• Grades 6-12: “6 Tactful Tips for Resisting Peer Pressure to Use Drugs and Alcohol,” teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/category/340
• Grades 6-12:“Let’s Talk: How Do You Avoid Peer Pressure?” teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/lets-talk-how-do-you-avoid-peer-pressure
• Grades 6-12:“Teen Brain, a Work in Progress,” teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/teen-brain-work-progress

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

• Interactive Website: “Peer Pressure,” thecoolspot.gov/pressures.aspx
• Interactive Website: “The Right to Resist,” thecoolspot.gov/right_to_resist.aspx
• Poster/Teaching Guide: “Facts On Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions,” headsup.scholastic.com/guide-smart-decisions

RESOURCES AND SUPPORT:

• Teaching resources: headsup.scholastic.com/teachers and teens.drugabuse.gov

The lessons and activities in this program will help develop students’ understanding of how respect is key to healthy behaviors and healthy relationships.

Click below or scroll down for all the
turnkey materials needed for this program.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have joined together with Scholastic to develop this grades 6–12 ELA and life skills poster/teaching guide in support of National Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month.

The purpose of this program is to build students’ understanding of how respect—for oneself and for others—is part of the foundation for healthy behaviors and healthy relationships.

Through the lesson, activities, and work sheets, students will build skills around recognizing and practicing healthy communication techniques. These skills will serve them in all relationships, and in particular could help prevent emotional or physical abuse from happening in their relationships. Additionally, having strong communication skills will help students to navigate difficult situations, such as peer pressure or conflicts.

While some of the content involves subject matter that may not be appropriate for all classrooms, the materials are tiered so that they can be easily taught to focus on the core messages of building healthy communication and behavior skills for teens.

As a key influencer in students’ lives, you have the opportunity to help them develop respect for themselves and others, and we urge you to use these activities as part of your work in preparing students for success in all areas of their life.

Download This Poster/Teaching Guide (PDF)

LESSON & ACTIVITY

Respecting Others and Ourselves
Through Healthy Communication and Behaviors

Time Required: One 40-minute class period (includes one work sheet). More time for additional work sheet activity, plus time for optional reinforcement/wrap-up activities

Levels: This poster/teaching guide is flexibly designed with two student work sheets that cover a wide range of communication issues and scenarios for grades 6–12. The program can be used with one or both work sheets as appropriate for individual classrooms. The first work sheet is a basic introduction to peer communication, including in unhealthy situations. The second work sheet is more advanced and expands into dating violence and drug use.

→ Cautionary Note: Some scenario topics (drug use and dating violence) may be sensitive, so please read through all content to determine topic appropriateness for your classroom.

Hang the poster (PDF) and use it to engage students in a conversation about what respect means and why it is important. Revisit the questions when wrapping up the activity to give students an opportunity to expand on their original answers using what they have learned. Recommended discussion questions include:

• Display the following definitions of respect and healthy communication.
• Respect: Treating all people (including yourself, as well as people with whom you disagree) in a way that demonstrates that all people are important and that their feelings and thoughts are valuable.
• Healthy communication: When communicating with another person, feeling heard, understood, and respected by the other person, as well as being able to listen, understand, and respect what the other person is saying.

• Group Activity: This activity presents students with statements that illustrate disrespectful ways of saying something or behaving so as to provide an opportunity to correct the disrespectful language or behavior. Students are asked to consider how particular language or behavior would make someone feel, and to think of respectful alternatives.
• Step 1: Read or display the statements further below.
• Step 2: After each statement, ask students to offer ideas on how the statement would make the other person feel. Write these feelings on the board.
• Step 3: Ask students to offer a respectful alternative to each.
• Idea: Have students think of alternatives by using the tips on the “Practicing Healthy Communication” work sheet as well as the respectful behaviors listed on the poster.
• Step 4: Ask students how the alternative would make the other person feel.

• For additional support, refer to:
• “Healthy Communication Skills: A Step-by-Step Guide for Educators”: Download PDF
• “Talking Points for Healthy, Unhealthy, and Unsafe Relationship Behaviors”: Download PDF
• “Tips for Effective & Healthy Communication—For Adults”: Download PDF
• “Answers to Teachers’ Questions About Children and Violence”
• Paired Reading Suggestion: “The Dark Side of Dating” from Choices magazine
• Work Sheets: Distribute one of the two reproducible work sheet options (see details below). Refer to work sheets for directions. Work sheets can be used for individual, small group, or classroom activities, or a combination of all three.

  → “Practicing Healthy Communication” (PDF): Basic introduction to peer communication to resolve conflicts or address unhealthy situations
  → “Using Healthy Communication to Resolve Conflicts” (PDF): More advanced, covering when to get help in dating relationships as well as how to respond to various negative situations, including dating violence and drugs

• Discuss students’ responses to the work sheets. Conclude by highlighting the importance of students identifying a go-to trusted adult with whom they can talk if they need to chat or if they have a problem. Provide the names of people at school who could fill that role, such as a guidance counselor.

Options A and B are recommended for reinforcement the day after the group activity. Alternatively, if time is limited, Option C can be completed at the close of the activity.

Option A. Acting Out Scenarios: Direct groups of students to write and act out their own original scenarios to perform for the class to demonstrate how healthy communication can be employed to resolve or avoid an unhealthy situation.

Option B. Writing Activity: Instruct students, individually or in groups, to write or design public service announcements (PSAs) that draw the connections between respect for oneself and others to healthy relationships and living drug-free.

Option C. Strategy Writing: Instruct students to describe a potentially unhealthy situation they may face and how they would respond using healthy communication strategies.

¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2011. MMWR, Surveillance Summaries 2012; 61(no. SS-4).

²Black MC, et al. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011.

The lesson and activities in this program will help students develop awareness and skills to help them respond to situations that involve bullying.

Click below or scroll down for all the
turnkey materials needed for this program.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have joined Scholastic to develop this grades 6—12 health, life skills, and language arts poster/teaching guide that aims to prevent bullying as well as lower associated risks, such as substance abuse.

While studies support the importance of preventing aggressive behavior among middle and high school students, they’ve also shown that children and youths who are bullied may suffer long-term negative consequences—including depression, anxiety, and an increased risk for alcohol and drug use. But it’s not only those who are bullied who may experience these consequences. Those who do the bullying—as well as bystanders—can also be affected.

Bullying creates an unsafe environment for students. However, students can help prevent bullying by standing up and speaking out. The lesson, activities, and work sheets in this program will help students build skills they need to identify potentially harmful situations around them and to determine steps they can take to safely intervene if they see a peer in trouble. By learning how to take action, they can make a difference not only in someone else’s life—but they can help create a safer environment for themselves.

Download This Poster/Teaching Guide (PDF)

LESSON & ACTIVITIES

Time Required: Two 30-minute class periods plus additional time for optional reinforcement/wrap-up activity.

Materials:

• Classroom Poster (flyer-size version)
• Classroom Poster (full-size version)
• Work Sheet 1: “Bullying: Recognizing a Problem”
• Work Sheet 2: “Bullying: Who’s Involved?”

PART 1 | Poster Discussion

Share with students the flyer-size poster or full-size poster and use it to engage students in a conversation about bullying. The questions and possible answers below 
may help to guide your discussion. You can revisit these after completing the activities:

• What is bullying? (Bullying is a form of violence among two or more children/youths that can include physical attacks or emotional or social abuse, comprising verbal or written actions such as name-calling, teasing, threats, spreading rumors, or excluding someone from a group. Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior that involves an observed or perceived imbalance of power and occurs repeatedly over time. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth.)
• Who is impacted when a child or youth is bullied? How are they affected? (Those affected by bullying include the child or youth who is bullied, who may feel isolated and sad; the child or youth who bullies others, who may or may not feel bad about his or her behavior; and the bystanders, who may be scared that they will also become victims.)
• Why is it important to stand up and speak up if you witness a peer who is in trouble? (The student may be afraid to ask for help. You could be the person who safely helps him or her get out of a harmful situation. You could help make your environment safer. You may help protect him or her from long-term consequences, including depression, anxiety, and addiction.)
• Why do you think many students do not take action when they see another student being bullied? (Students may feel sad or scared. They may feel relieved that they are not being bullied. Bystanding students might not want to get involved in such harmful situations.)

PART 2 | Activity – Bullying: Recognizing a Problem

This activity presents students with scenarios that may or may not involve bullying, and helps them to pay attention to details or clues that may indicate a peer is in trouble.

Step 1: As a class, quickly brainstorm a few situations that involve bullying. Ask students if they think bullying is always obvious. Could bullying sometimes look like friendly pranks? Refer to the step on the poster front “Take Notice” and discuss why it is important to be able to recognize bullying. (The first step in making a difference is recognizing that a peer is in trouble.)

Step 2: Hand out the work sheet “Bullying: Recognizing a Problem” (PDF) and have students complete Part 1 of the work sheet in pairs.

Step 3: When everyone is finished, summarize the key points that students discussed about how you can tell if a peer is being bullied or is struggling in other ways, such as with drugs and alcohol. (There are clues about whether a behavior is bullying, such as: if a group of students is isolating another student, or if messages are mean-spirited, or if one student is repeatedly the target of attacks, etc. It may be a clue that the behavior is not bullying if, for example, it is a one-time joke and the student who is at the center is good friends with the other students.)

Step 4: Have students complete Part 2 of the work sheet individually and then discuss their answers. Together, make a list of safe actions that students can take when they see a peer in trouble (for example: alert a teacher; reach out to the student in trouble by inviting him or her to join a lunch table or an activity after school; avoid sharing harmful messages, etc.). Highlight the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult. Make a list of the adults at your school with whom students can talk, such as a guidance counselor. Find more advice for educators and students about bullying prevention strategies that have been shown to be effective at stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/index.html.

PART 3 | Activity—Bullying: Who’s Involved?

Step 1: During another class period, distribute the work sheet “Bullying: Who’s Involved?” (PDF) Have students read the descriptions of bullying participants, and then identify the participants in the illustration. (Answers are listed on the work sheet.)

Step 2: Next, study the scenario in the illustration. Ask for volunteers to act out the individual roles in the scenario. One by one, discuss each of the roles. Ask the players to explain how they would feel in that situation. What are some specific impacts the situation might have in the short term and in the long term?

Answers will vary, but some possible discussion points include:

Step 3: Ask for a volunteer to read aloud the “Also Involved” section on drugs and alcohol. Discuss the “Think About It” questions as a class.

PART 4 | Activity—Reinforcement/Wrap-Up

As a class, discuss how bullying creates an unsafe environment in your school. According to the U.S. Department of Education, bullying can violate a student’s civil rights—or the legal right to freedom and equality. Discuss the anti-bullying policies in place at your school. Brainstorm ways you could help make your school a safer place. Some ideas might include signing a specific pledge that says you won’t bully other students or creating posters to inform students about the potential health risks of bullying. Then create the necessary materials to put your plan into action.

¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States MMWR: (2016) “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2015.”

²Musu-Gillette, et al., National Center for Education Statistics: (2017) “Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016.”

³Espelage, et al. (2010). Bullying in North American Schools, 2nd Edition.

⁴Radliff, et al. Addiction Behavior: (2012) “Illuminating the relationship between bullying and substance use among middle and high school youth.”

⁵CDC, National Health Education Standards, cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/standards/index.htm.

⁶CCSS, corestandards.org

Click on the links below for printable work sheets, interactive web activities, and quizzes in the Heads Up series.

Materials are listed in chronological order with the most recent first.

NEW! Prescription Opioid Use and Abuse
Students analyze data regarding opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths from these medications. Use with Lesson Plan: Prescription Pain Medications: What You Need to Know. (First published 2016)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

NEW! Practicing Healthy Communication
In this basic introduction to using peer communication to resolve conflicts or address unhealthy situations, students will think critically while analyzing role-play scenarios and responding to writing prompts. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Respect Others. Respect Yourself. (First published 2016)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

NEW! Using Healthy Communication to Resolve Conflicts
More advanced than the communication worksheet above, this worksheet covers when to get help in dating relationships as well as how to respond to various negative situations, including dating violence and drugs. Students will analyze conflict scenarios and respond to critical-thinking questions. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Respect Others. Respect Yourself. (First published 2016)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

What Should You Say?
Students apply what they have learned about the science of peer pressure and decision making to respond to a real-life situation they might face. Use with Lesson Plan: The Science of Decision Making and Peer Pressure. (First published 2015)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

Drugs: What’s the “Worst”?
Students synthesize facts about different drug dangers and use scientific evidence to craft an argument. Use with Lesson Plan: Questions About Drugs—Answers From Scientists. (First published 2015)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

E-Cigarettes: Behind the Marketing
Students analyze how e-cigarette marketing strategies are designed and how they might influence teens. Additional critical-thinking questions help students evaluate the information contained in ads. Use with Lesson Plan: E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know. (First published 2015)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

Using Drugs: Who Becomes Addicted?
Students analyze a chart of research-based risk factors and protective factors for drug addiction. Critical-thinking questions help students apply what they have learned to real life. Use with Lesson Plan: Recovery From Drug Addiction. (First published 2015)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

Marijuana: Perception of Harm vs. Use
Students analyze statistical information regarding attitudes toward marijuana compared to actual use. Additional critical-thinking questions help students synthesize what they have learned. Use with Lesson Plan: Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz. (First published 2014)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

The Power of Pausing
Students answer critical-thinking questions about possible consequences of real-life scenarios and how pausing could influence the outcomes. Use with Lesson Plan: Pushing Pause. (First published 2014)

Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

Short-Term Memory Quiz
This quick quiz will assess short-term memory, which can be affected by marijuana and other drugs. Students will be given 30 seconds to look at a list of 15 words. They will be scored on how many words they can recall.

Peers can play a big role in how teens make decisions in both positive and negative ways. Psychologist Laurence Steinberg says one way to make smarter decisions is to have a plan before you encounter a situation where you may feel pressured by your peers to make a poor choice. Complete the activity below to practice making a plan to help you make good decisions when facing peer pressure.

Directions:

Step 1: Read the scenario below.

Scenario: Jesse is having a blast at a school football game. Then a friend texts and invites Jesse and his friends over to his house after the game because his parents are out of town. Jesse’s friends want to go and are pressuring him to come along. Jesse knows that unsupervised parties are not okay with his parents, and they are expecting him to come home from the game. But he is struggling to make the right decision.

Step 2: Write a paragraph that explains why it may be difficult for Jesse to say no and what strategies he can use to help him stand up to peer pressure. Use facts from the article “The Science of Decision Making and Peer Pressure” to support your response.

Consider the following questions:

Step 3—Reality Check: Write a few sentences that you would actually say in a similar situation to help you stand up to peer pressure.

Click here to download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

Imagine you’re with classmates when a friend from another school approaches. Your classmates start making fun of her. You know it’s hurtful, but you want to fit in. You laugh along . . . regretting it later.

Or suppose a friend wants you both to audition for a play, but you feel too shy. He pleads with you to do it, so you agree. Later, you’re thrilled to see your name on the cast list.

Both of these scenarios are examples of how peers can influence a person’s actions—both positively and negatively. As a teen, you can be especially sensitive to peer influence, better known as peer pressure. Science helps explain why.

THE BASICS OF DECISION MAKING
When a person makes a decision, different parts of the brain spring into action. The brain’s limbic system generates an emotional response, and the prefrontal cortex produces rational thinking. In situations like the two above, “what we are doing is very quickly, and often unconsciously, calculating the rewards and costs of different actions,” says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, a leading expert on adolescent peer influence. “When we do this calculation and come to the conclusion that the potential rewards of a particular action outweigh the potential costs, we act in that way.”

TEEN DECISION MAKING
This decision-making process occurs naturally in humans throughout our lives. But during our teen years, our brains have unique characteristics that impact this calculation.

One reason for the difference in teen decision-making involves a chemical called dopamine in the brain’s reward center. Dopamine helps transmit signals in the brain that make people feel happy. The number of brain receptors interacting with dopamine is higher in adolescence than at any other time of life. This means that when a teen is exposed to a reward—such as a compliment—the reward center reacts more strongly than it would for an adult or a child.

In addition, being with friends increases adolescents’ sensitivity to rewards. Thus, the presence of peers makes the already sensitive reward system even more sensitive to potential rewards. At the same time, says Steinberg, “when adolescents are criticized or rejected by friends, there is a bigger response in parts of the brain that control negative emotions.”

Feeling rewards more strongly and responding more intensely to what peers may think means that there are biological reasons for why teens sometimes decide to do things with their friends that they would never do on their own. This can be positive, by encouraging peers to take on new challenges. But it can also lead to dangerous decisions—such as using alcohol or drugs, or getting into other high-risk situations.

DRIVING UNDER PEER PRESSURE
One way to understand how peer influence can lead teens to make poor decisions is to look at teens and driving. In a study conducted by Steinberg, teens and adults played a driving video game in which they would make more money the faster they arrived at the end of a road. Driving through yellow lights could speed up their time, but could also cause an accident.

Alone, teens took no more risks than adults. But when their friends were with them, teens took more risks and ran more yellow lights. They did this even though their friends weren’t allowed to talk. The presence of peers made the reward of earning more money by driving faster feel “more intense,” observed Steinberg.

Real life is not much different. Statistics show that teenage drivers are 2.5 times more likely to take risks while driving when another teen is in the car, and 3 times more likely with multiple teens in the car.¹

THE POWER OF PEER PRESSURE
So why do teens sometimes take more risks when their friends are with them? According to Steinberg, when the reward center “is activated by one kind of reward, it also makes us seek other kinds of rewards.”

For teens, friends are both a reward and the fuel that encourages them to seek more rewards. “Being around peers makes people more sensitive to the potential rewards,” says Steinberg, “and less sensitive to the downsides.”

But not all risk taking is bad. As explained by Steinberg, “Risk taking is normal during adolescence.” For instance, trying a new activity when you don’t know that you’ll succeed is a type of risk that helps a person develop into an independent adult. “The solution is not to eliminate risk taking, rather it is to facilitate good risk taking.”

¹National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2012.

Click here to download and print a copy of this article (PDF)