We can all crack under pressure. But today's teens are cracking in a disturbing way. In a recent study, nearly 40 percent of teens said it's ok to cheat, lie or use violence to succeed. In another study, 60 percent of high school students admitted to cheating on a test in the last year.

"We know that cheating in many schools is rampant," child psychologist Wendy Rice, PsyD, told Ivanhoe.

Where are kids getting this from? They may be learning it in school! Popping up across the country -- teachers caught showing students test questions in advance and even changing answers to make test scores look better. Bad examples from celebs, athletes and politicians could also be to blame.

"Even if they're getting caught, they did it so therefore it's okay. They crossed the line, so maybe I can cross the line," Dr. Rice said.

Mothers -- here's what you can do to counteract these outside influences. Go see the movies your kids are seeing. Watch the shows they're watching. Set ground rules on MySpace early and police not only your child's MySpace account, but also their friends -- if you see potential problems, don't be afraid to talk to your child about them.

"Don't talk at this age of trying to help the teens figure it out. Listen so they can figure it out with you," developmental psychologist Norrine Russell, Ph.D., told Ivanhoe.

Together, you can tackle the tough stuff. And while these stats may sound disturbing, some say we shouldn't be too worried.

"Adolescence is a time for testing limits and figuring out their own way, so on the one had it's concerning and on the other hand, it's adolescence," Dr. Rice.

Learning by example -- a reminder for us all to stay on our best behavior.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Norrine Russell, Ph.D.
nrussell@opbi.org