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Your friends might seem like the most important people in your life as a teenager. The facts are that the most important people in your life are found in your own family, your parents and siblings. If you let your friends know that your families well-being is more important to you than their friendship, you can begin to lay boundaries of behavior that you consider acceptable. If your friends insist that you participate in activities that you know are dangerous to you, you can fall back behind the safety of your boundaries. Your friends also have families. That common bond should have some meaning for your friends. It should be stronger than what has been called intimidation or euphemistically “peer pressure”.
“Peer pressure” should be examined as closely as the language that is used to mask its dangers. Peers are meant to be equals. Peers are those people who are of equal station to you in society. Your peers are those people of your age and financial background with whom you share your common activities. Pressure is force applied to someone or thing to make it give way to the user of that force. Your peers forcing you to do their wants is not friendship but intimidation. Say no to intimidation and enjoy your friendship with your peers.
If they really are your equals in background as well as age, they will feel as you do. If they don’t, they may be your age and financial background, but they are not your peers.