Living With Peer Pressure and Bullying

Peer pressure takes many different forms, including hurtful comments, undue influence by others to buy material items, or pressure to behave in a certain way or engage in a particular activity. Bullying is different from peer pressure because it implies a direct threat, repeated over time by the same person, of physical or emotional harm for not doing something.

Living with Peer Pressure and Bullying examines the nature of these two common behaviors, the effects they have, and how teens can combat them. Chapters also cover the coercive power of peer pressure, the risks and rewards of telling the truth, cyberbullying, and helping others cope with bullying.

The Teen's Guides series examines issues that affect teens: provides a comprehensive discussion of common health and social problems, remedies, and coping skills; and lists practical resources for further information.

Thomas Paul Tarshis, M.D., M.P.H., is the founder and director of the Bay Area Children's Association, a nonprofit agency that works with children and families with mental illness. He has worked individually with teenagers affected by poor self-esteem and peer-related issues for nearly a decade. Board-certified in child and adult psychiatry, Dr. Tarshis completed a three-year research fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University, where his focus was on bullying and victimization in schools. He has presented his research on bullying at both national and international conferences, and he has published articles on bullying and victimization in scientific journals. He is currently a member of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty of the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and father of three children, including a teenager.