Dear editor,

Peer pressure is when someone pressures you in to doing something you don鈥檛 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 鈥渂est friend鈥� 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鈥檚 about stealing or even doing drugs, its your decision to make the right choice.

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