Shhh! Did you hear that? The sound of your child stomping their feet and shouting all the “gotta have its” of the new school year that has quickly fallen upon us.

Back to school shopping is here and its not looking too pretty. For most parents, back to school shopping is about as much fun as a root canal. Each year, the bar gets higher and higher as the standard for “coolness” rises. Name brands are as important as SAT scores. A student “must” be seen in only a certain pair of sneakers/jeans/ jackets/hairstyle and would ABSOLUTELY die if he/she were caught in anything less.

Has the pressure to fit in gone too far? Does a jacket really symbolize a student's worth?

Students are finding it harder to fit in as the standard for acceptance has become unreachable. Classrooms and hallways are filled with stigmas and stereotypes. Since students spend most of their days at school, they are surrounded with pressures to look a certain way, be a certain size, wear a specific brand and associate with a particular “in” crowd.

Students give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked and don't want to be made fun of. Today, name calling goes way beyond “geek.” Bullying has become harassment and discrimination. Students enter schools with metal detectors and resource officers strewn throughout the hallways. Could it be that today's pressure to fit in has caused issues such as low self esteem, eating disorders, mental health problems and crime? Of course, these circumstances aren't solely due to peer pressure but by environmental and hereditary conditions.

Peer pressure can cause students to leave their better judgments behind. It has to be difficult for the students who can't afford all the “gotta have its.” For students who just want to make friends, saying “no” or resisting the pressure to get involved in negative situations is easier said than done.

Peer pressure can be especially difficult for individuals with disabilities. Children who face constant teasing and harassment are more likely to develop a psychological problem. Children with attention deficit disorder and other mental disabilities tend to develop symptoms of depression which can lead to suicide. Currently, suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15-24. Individuals with disabilities are more prone to substance abuse than their non disabled peers due to the pressure to fit in, social isolation, media and coexisting behavioral problems.

Trying to stay clear of the groups who pressure you into uncomfortable settings is hard but not impossible. Most teachers and councilors are readily available for students who need to seek advice on handling these situations.

Peer pressure isn't always negative. Students can stick together and pressure bullies to treat others better. A soccer player can admire another athlete and strive to be as successful. Another student can share their tricks on remembering tricky math formulas.

And as a community, we can try to give these individuals the tools needed to recognize and handle negative peer pressure and value their individuality.

Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence, located at 75 Genesee St., Auburn. She can be reached at Options at 255-3447.