Baltimore Sun: Peers matter to teens

In a study conducted at Temple, psychologist Laurence Steinberg, author of You and Your Adolescent: The Essential Guide for Ages 10 to 25, found that teens, more than college students or young adults, are likely to engage in risky behavior if they know their peers are watching. Steinberg's study suggests that the mere presence of other teens is much more detrimental than any back-seat chatter. "When they are with their friends, they take a lot more chances than they do by themselves," said Steinberg. And he could see it happening in their brains.
March 17, 2011 | Baltimore Sun