There is an entire other side to peer pressure one that no one really thinks about much and I believe it can make a very big difference in the way we see things. I first heard this thought from Mrs. Zlata Press principal ofProspectParkHigh School and it brought about a complete paradigm shift in the way I thought about this issue. We always think about peer pressure in terms of our peers — the other people around us — putting pressure on us. In other words we are the lone sheep surrounded by all of these wolves … but when we think about it who are these wolves if not for ourselves?! We are all a part of this creation called peer pressure; whether we feel it or not we serve to function as part of the masses of society determining what’s appropriate to wear or not.

One of the biggest issues that kids face when dealing with tzniyus is that of peer pressure. Now, peer pressure is a hot topic with teenagers no matter what specific area of life you may be dealing with at the moment, but for reasons we’ll explain, it hits particularly hard when dealing with tzniyus.