Many students face peer pressure in school. Whether it has to do with grades, or teachers, students are affected. Is it possible to overcome these pressures? How can one cope with stress? What are some steps towards less stress?
School may place undue pressure upon youths
“Many young people experience high levels of stress,” says sociologist Ronald L. Pitzer. They must deal with the physical and emotional changes of puberty. There are also the pressures of school. As the book Childstress! observes, “physical fights and verbal altercations are not the only causes for trauma. Smoldering resentment that transmits itself even when masked by honied words unsettles children.”
“In high school, kids have more freedom and they’re more rebellious. If you don’t join them, they think you’re not cool.”—Kevin, United States.
“On a daily basis, I face the temptation to become involved in drinking and sex. Sometimes it’s hard to resist the desire to join in.”—Aaron, New Zealand.
“Now that I’m 12, the biggest stress for me is the pressure to date. Everyone at school says, ‘How long are you going to stay single?’”—Alexandria, United States.
“I was pressured to go out with a boy. When I refused, I was labeled a lesbian. And that was when I was just ten years old!”—Christa, Australia.
Coping with stress is like lifting weights—it will make you stronger, if done properly.
Coping with stress is like lifting weights. To be successful, a weight lifter must prepare properly beforehand. He lifts the weights correctly and avoids lifting too much weight. If he takes such steps, he builds strong muscles without damaging his body. On the other hand, if he fails to take these steps, he can tear a muscle or even break a bone.
Similarly, you can manage the stresses that you encounter and successfully accomplish the work you need to do without causing damage to yourself. How? Take the following steps:
1. Identify the specific causes. “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself,” states a wise proverb. (Proverbs 22:3) But you can’t conceal yourself from oppressive stress unless you first identify the most likely cause. So look back at the comments you wrote earlier. Which stress factor affects you the most?
2. Do research. For example, if a heavy load of homework is stressing you out, research the suggestions found in the article “Young People Ask—How Can I Find Time to Do My Homework?” published in the January 22, 2004, issue of Awake! If you feel pressured to engage in sexual misconduct with a classmate, you’ll find helpful advice in the article “Young People Ask—What if I’m Invited to ‘Hook Up’?” published in the March 2007 issue of Awake!
3. Plan your response. If you’re stressed over how your classmates will react to learning about your religious beliefs, don’t wait until a crisis arises to think of what you’ll say or how you’ll react. (Proverbs 29:25) “What helped me to cope,” says Kelsey, 18, “was that I prepared before the situation arose. I had already decided how I was going to explain my beliefs.” Aaron, an 18-year-old in Belgium, did the same. “I thought ahead about what questions I’d face, and then I prepared answers to those questions,” he says. “If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have dared to talk about what I believe.”
4. Don’t procrastinate. Few problems will disappear if you ignore them. Instead, they usually become worse, thus increasing your stress. For instance, if you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, identifying yourself as such as soon as possible can be a real safeguard. Marchet, now 20, says: “Right at the start of each school year, I initiated a conversation about some subject that I knew would give me a chance to explain my Bible-based standards. I found that the longer I waited to identify myself as a Witness, the harder it became. It really helped when I made my stand known and then lived up to my ideals throughout the year.”
5. Ask for help. Even the strongest weight lifter has his limits. You do too. But you don’t have to carry the burden by yourself. (Galatians 6:2) Why not talk to your parents or other mature Christians? Show them the answers that you wrote earlier in this article. Discuss with them how they might be able to help you cope with some of these pressures. Liz, in Ireland, told her father about her fear of being ridiculed because of her religious beliefs. “Every day,” Liz says, “my dad would say a prayer with me before he dropped me off at school. It always made me feel safe.”
For more information about this article, see Youths In Crisis.
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