DR. WALLACE: I am having problems with a group of girls at school. We were once all friends, but I broke away from them because they were doing a lot of immature things, such as writing hate letters and making obscene phone calls. When I left the group, they said they would "get" me one way or another.

First, they copied my handwriting and wrote a suicide note and signed my name and mailed it to our guidance counselor. That caused me a lot of time wasted and a lot of explanations. They harass me 24 hours a day. They constantly call on the phone and say nasty things to my family. We have changed our telephone number several times, but somehow they always get our new number.

Right this minute, they are walking up and down my street and are yelling things at me when they pass by my house. What can I do? —Nameless, Miami, Fla.

NAMELESS: Have your parents meet with your school counselor to discuss the problem and to come to a quick solution. It probably will take the counselor contacting the parents of the other girls. This type of unacceptable behavior must be eliminated immediately. If for some reason it continues after contacting the counselor, your next step is the principal, followed by the superintendent. I'm positive that the school personnel can end this harassment.

NO CHANCE YOUR BABY WILL DIE

DR. WALLACE: My second cousin and I used to have sexual relations and now I'm pregnant with his baby. My friends have told me that since we're cousins, the baby won't live very long, so now I'm scared to death.

I've prayed to God for forgiveness, and I promised him I would never do this again. Please tell me what to do! I'm eight months pregnant, and I don't want my baby to die. —Nameless, Little Rock, Ark.

NAMELESS: Tell your attending physician that your baby's father is your second cousin. Your physician should be aware of this fact as soon as possible.

I'm told by my own personal physician that there is no chance your baby will die because your second cousin was the father. What he did say was that the chances of the baby being mentally deficient are higher than average, but still extremely slim.

SCHOOL PERSONNEL CAN OPEN A STUDENT'S LOCKER

DR. WALLACE: I'm really, really mad, and I don't know what I can do about it. Somebody told the principal I had a knife in my locker, so he decided to check it out. I was there, but he didn't ask my permission. He took all my stuff out of my locker and all he found was a squashed sandwich and a rotten banana from a lunch I must have forgotten to eat a few days ago. Isn't it illegal to do a locker search without a search warrant? Is it possible to sue the principal, or do teens have no rights because they're under 18? —Larry, Oakland, Calif.

LARRY: Every few months I receive a letter like yours from young people who have had lockers or purses searched by school administrators. The schools are increasingly aware of the possibility of violence on campus and will take strong measures to nip all problems in the bud. Yes, school administrators have legal authority to search a student's locker without permission. Administrators are responsible for the safety and welfare of every student in the school, and they are doing their job.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.