How can we avoid high-risk behavior? Certainly one of the ways is to avoid people who want to put us in high-risk situations. We meet and make friends in different ways---at school, church, clubs, our neighborhood, etc.

We are usually drawn to people who remind us of ourselves, or of someone we know and like. We usually stick with the friends with whom we have most in common. The right friends for us will:

(Ask students to complete Handout #10: “Right Friends/Wrong Friends” located in the Appendix. Once they have completed the worksheet, collect them and write their responses on a large sheet of paper to have ready for the next class. Display it in the classroom. )

Discuss students’ answers aloud. By choosing the right friends, we will have less difficulty and fewer obstacles in making the best choices to achieve our goals. Our “right” friends will care about us and help us to achieve those goals. The “wrong” friends will not respect our needs or wants but will only bully and intimidate us so that they can have what they want for themselves.

Compare the two lists. Do you have friends that fit the description on list one? On list two? If you have friends who meet the description on list one you are very smart and very fortunate. If you have friends who meet the description on list two, now is a good time to start backing away from their company and their influence. How can you successfully do this?

Allow the class time to take a look at this, and to think about their answers. Encourage class discussion in answering these questions.

Some possible answers may be:

• Replace wrong friends with new, good friends.
• Ask them to change their behavior.
• Don’t call them anymore.