Does Your Teenager Argue? Maybe It's Not a Bad Thing

The Daily Progress and NPR's All Things Considered highlighted research conducted by UVa psychology professor Joseph Allen and his team regarding young teenagers, research that was recently published in the Child Development journal. They found that young teenagers who argued assertively with their parents were able to take the skills learned from that exercise and apply it with their peers. The same teens were less likely to give into peer pressure and resisted taking drugs or engaging in other harmful behaviors that would otherwise be encouraged by peers. For more information, check out the article in the Daily Progress, the interview on NPR's All Things Considered, or the report in the Child Development journal.