Yes, and no. Yes, I should believe them because they have the ability to make their own choices. That is what they are really trying to tell me. To some degree they are correct. They do have the power of choice.
Many teens do say no when pressured by peers.
And many escape the trials of substance abuse. But, as we know, many don t. Much of that is do to peer pressure. The truth is you and I can do nothing about it. Oh, you can limit the friends your son hangs with or you can refuse to let your daughter attend unsupervised parties, but if they really wanted to, they could hang out with that friend behind your back and lie about the supervision.