Peer influence can be positive in these ways:

Sometimes your peers and friends can influence you into speaking up about yourself, like if someone is bullying you they might tell you to talk to someone about it. Or even them convincing you to do something like an activity you want to do. Whether that be sport, an opportunity that school has opened to you, or something other than these.

Peer influence can also be negative in these ways:

Sometimes Peers or friends can influence you into doing stuff like crime. Whether it be petty or very illegal. e.g. Shoplifting, Drugs, Alcohol etc. It can also be negative in the sense of breaking school rules. e.g. Cheating in a test, letting them copy your work, skipping classes or even school. One of my friends has asked me multiple times if I want to skip with her, which is an example of negative peer influence. Another example of negative peer influence is when some of my friends convinced me to play tag in the halls. He then told me to go into the class room with him to play in there, and I ended up getting in trouble.

I’ve been friends with the same group of people since Primary school, but since starting high school things are changing. Some of my friends are drifting away. I don’t want to leave anyone out but I am feeling more connected with some of my new friends. We have similar interests and they make me laugh. How can I navigate these changes in my friendships without hurting anyone?

P - Problem

I'd say that the problem in this scenario is Aubrey doesn't want to lose his old friends, but he still wants to relate and talk to his new friends as well.

O - Options

The options that Aubrey has ranges from full on ditching his old/new friends (1), or having a meaningful conversation with each of them to let them know "hey, I might not be able to hang out as much, but an we still be friends?" (2).

O - Outcomes

1. His friends (whichever one he ditches) will most likely not be very happy with him, because he will just disappear. I feel like if one of my friends were to do that to me I would be very angry or just sad that I wasn't "good enough" for them, but to be honest if someone is doing stuff like that they probably don't have very good standards anyway.

2. I'd hope whichever one he picked to hang out with less I'm sure will not be offended, and will understand, because in the scenario it says that they are drifting away, which means that they stopped hanging out as much anyway?

C - Choices

I would for sure choose number two. I already have tried this one one of my best friends from primary school, and him and I are still friends and still can get along even after not talking for months.

H - How did it go?

1. If he ditched his friends I can't imagine it'd go well at all.

2. I'd say it went well. If Aubrey just let them know calmly, hey might not be able to hang put as much, surely his friends wouldn't be angry with him?