Lead author Dr Emma Halliwell, social psychologist at the University of the West of England's Centre for Appearance Research, said that while it might be assumed that boys will react similarly to girls when faced with this sort of peerpressure, it was important to show it scientifically.
And though it has been long established that teenagers who have good communication with their parents are more likely to resist negative peerpressure, new research shows that it is a boy's mother who is the most influential when it comes to risky behavior, not only with alcohol and drugs but also in preventing both early and unprotected sex.