One of the essential roles of parents during this phase of life is to protect their teens from taking dangerous risks by setting clear and firm limits . A teen's peers become extremely important at this stage of life. They will look to their friends for advice and feedback, and their particular peer group will be very influential in determining their lifestyle, ideas, and beliefs - although teens will adamantly deny that peer pressure has anything whatsoever to do with their choices. Intellectual development continues and teens are increasingly able to think abstractly and plan ahead. They are more able to think about their own futures and plan for further education or employment.
Middle adolescents are also increasingly able to place themselves in another's shoes.
Because of this, they have a greater capacity to empathize with others. This stage occurs roughly between the ages of 18 to 21. In our culture, however, late adolescence can be prolonged even further because of graduate education or financial dependence on parents. Most older teens can make their own decisions, but because they now feel more secure with themselves and their beliefs, they are more comfortable seeking their family's advice rather than automatically rejecting it. This is a pleasant and welcome change of pace for parents and decreases the conflict that families often feared would continue indefinitely.