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Childhood friends may influence kids' behaviors
By Staff Writer
 Many parents forbid their kids from spending time with peers who regularly display bad behaviors. A recent article published by the Los Angeles Times discusses how unruly friends may impact a child's life. According to the news provider, teens who associate with smokers, drinkers or drug users are more apt to engage in these activities themselves. Moreover, young people who are prone to illegal or negative actions tend to seek friends who do the same. The article cited a study conducted by researchers at the University of Oregon who surveyed more than 1,200 middle school students and asked them to identify their three best friends. The results indicated that students whose friends regularly misbehaved performed worse in school than kids whose companions participated in positive activities such as sports or completing their homework. The Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base states that about 30 percent of teens are offered drugs in middle or high school. Furthermore, the Kaiser Foundation reports that about half of adolescents feel pressured in terms of sex in their relationships. Boarding schools offer healthy environments for kids to create friendships and focus on achieving academic success.
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