Is your teen able to handle peer pressure?

As parents we may often ignore what is probably the most important influence in our teenager’s life -- peer pressure. While parental opinions may be given some consideration, if only because of the consequences of ignoring them, it’s more often the comments and actions of peers that help many teens decide virtually everything from hairstyles to clothing choices to academic efforts.

Peer pressure can be a good thing, encouraging participation in sports, religious activities and working for good grades.

But peer pressure can also be a negative, especially for a teen lacking in self-confidence an...