DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and have been seeing a certain guy. We've been dating for the past year. Whenever he calls to talk to me, my mother puts us on the speaker phone for her and anyone else in the house to hear. I think this is utterly ridiculous.

I'm a good kid and I hate being treated like a criminal. I do believe that people behind bars have more privacy than I do. I'm writing to you because my mother always reads your column and I'm positive you will agree with me. I've never ever given my parents any reason not to trust me. Furthermore, I happen to be vice president of the student body at school and a member of the National Honor Society.

Don't let me down! I'm tired of being treated like a baby. — Cindy, Hyannis, Mass.

CINDY: It's important for parents to be aware of what their children are doing, but there are times when parents go overboard in monitoring them. This appears to be one of those times. Parents must make a decision to trust their children and respect their right to privacy so long as that trust remains unbroken.

Under the restrictions you describe, I'm positive you and your boyfriend don't talk to each other too often on the telephone.

STRESS SELDOM CAUSES ACNE

DR. WALLACE: I'm under a lot of stress at home. My parents are constantly screaming at each other and it looks like they might separate. This has been going on for about six months, and it gets worse every day. About six months ago, my face started to break out, and now I've got a pimple and acne problem.

Is it possible that my complexion problem could be caused by stress? I know that eating junk food does not cause acne, but I'm not sure about stress. — Nameless, Cumberland, Md.

NAMELESS: Stress rarely causes acne. It is possible, according to dermatologists, for an acne outbreak to be triggered by stress, but this would be a rare occurrence. Most stressful situations do not cause acne. It's important for you to get treatment from a licensed dermatologist for your complexion outbreak. With treatment, you may see improvement in a few weeks.

THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT...

DR. WALLACE: Do you think I should sue my teacher? Yesterday a couple of friends and I were goofing off in class and I put a few tacks on the chairs of the three nerds we have in the class. Two of the three sat on the tacks and let out loud howls. Naturally, the teacher asked me if I was involved and, being honest, I told the truth that I was the culprit.

Instead of giving me a detention, she blurted out that I was a stupid jerk. That caused the entire class to laugh. I felt like a fool and was totally embarrassed. My dad said that my teacher abused my civil rights and could be sued for a lot of money. Is this true? — Nameless, Columbus, Ohio.

NAMELESS: Anybody can sue a person for "a lot of money." Winning a verdict is another story, especially in your case where the teacher is telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find about more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.