DR. WALLACE: A lot of students at our high school cheat. I mean a lot, including honor students. I understand that it's important to get good grades to impress parents and college entrance officials, but cheating only hurts the cheater. Still, I'm amazed at the number of cheaters at school. I guess they learned to cheat watching their suburban parents cheat on tax returns. — Nameless, Erie, Pa.

NAMELESS: Every year, "Who's Who Among American High School Students" polls honor students across America on various issues — including cheating — to keep tabs on school trends. Of the 3,100 students surveyed, a whopping 83 percent said cheating is common in their schools (87 percent of the public school students said it was, along with 68 percent of the private school students). Fully 80 percent admitted that they have cheated themselves.

One of the prime reasons for cheating is the lax enforcement of rules by teachers. Ninety-five percent of school cheaters are never caught. Most teens have never had a discussion with their parents on why they shouldn't cheat. Indeed, most parents are unaware their own child might be cheating. In a survey of parents by "Who's Who," 74 percent said they didn't think their child would cheat — a figure belied by the students' survey.

This attitude of denial, on the part of both parents and teachers, gives students the license to continue cheating — hurting themselves and making a mockery of the education process. Cheaters are actually cheating themselves. Parental pressure to get good grades is the major reason students cheat!

YOU DID NOTHING SOCIALLY WRONG

DR. WALLACE: I got brave and invited a guy to a spring bash sponsored by our church. He said he would call me soon with his answer. A week went by and he hadn't called, so I assumed he wasn't interested and invited another guy, who immediately said yes.

A day later, the first guy called, saying he had decided to go with me to the bash. When I told him I'd assumed he wasn't interested and invited another guy, he said it was wrong for me to assume, then hung up on me.

I never called him for an answer because he'd said he would call me soon. To me, that meant he would call in a day or two, not a week. Besides, if I had called him again, it would have appeared I was desperate for a date, which wasn't the case at all.

Did I make a glaring social mistake by inviting a second guy before I had an answer from the first? When I invited guy number one, the bash was going to take place in 15 days. When I invited guy number two, the bash was only eight days away. — Melody, Provo, Utah.

MELODY: You did nothing socially wrong. Boy number one was inconsiderate in waiting a week before calling you and even ruder in hanging up on you. If he's a gentleman, he'll call and offer you an apology. Sadly, I think we can "assume" that won't happen!

MOTHER NATURE WILL DO HER JOB

DR. WALLACE: I'm 12 and considered tall for my age and very slender. I guess I take after my mother who is three inches taller than my father. All of my girlfriends are starting to get curves, but I'm flat as a board and my legs look like toothpicks. What kind of food should I be eating to add weight to certain areas of my body? Junk food doesn't work! — Nameless, Rye, N.Y.

NAMELESS: You gain or lose weight over your entire body and you cannot

"aim" the gain at a certain area. Eat nutritious well-balanced meals, get sufficient rest and proper exercise, and leave the rest up to Mother Nature. It might take a little time, but she will do her 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.