But when friends pressure her to steal or cut school, parents or guardians need to reinforce their values and help the child make good decisions, experts say. Communication between adults and children helps children make appropriate choices, she said. Stockton Unified School District has several support services in place to help students make proper choices. School counselors, community liaisons, social workers and psychologists are available to assist students through difficult times. Given children's susceptibility to peer influence, however, Robinson believes that the district's program of conflict management is particularly useful in the area of peer pressure.
Problems still exist, but they are more manageable.
It's a lot more effective with peers talking to students. That creates a positive influence in the schools. We try to fix it. We see both sides of the story. We try to break it down to as few people as possible so it's not a rumor.