DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and recently met the sweetest, most wonderful guy in the world at a friend's wedding reception. So far, all we have done is have lunch together with a large group of mutual friends on a few Saturday afternoons. I'd really like to see this guy one-on-one on a regular basis, but he is 20 years old. I'm afraid my parents won't allow me to talk to him because of his age. I will graduate high school this June, and I'll turn 18 this fall. But that's a long way off!

I want my parents to meet this guy. I know they will really like him. I'm afraid to tell them he is 20 because they might tell me I can't date him because he's too old. They haven't specifically told me not to date someone that much older than I am, but somehow, I feel they wouldn't like the idea. Would it be dishonest of me to invite him to meet my parents and then, after he leaves, tell them he's only 1,035 days older than I am?

If I gamble and tell them his age before they meet him, they might never give him a chance. Trust me, this guy has a super nice personality, and he is reasonably handsome, too. He has behaved like a perfect gentleman every time I have seen him — Hopeful for a New Beau, via email

HOPEFUL FOR A NEW BEAU: I don't believe it to be dishonest if you don't tell your parents the age difference until after they meet him.

However, you absolutely must tell them his actual age as soon as he leaves. You may not hold this back for even one hour from your parents, no matter what. They deserve to have all of the facts to make their decision. Consider your "preferred facts" to be already in the mix via the meeting you all hold to get to know one another. Fair is fair, so if they think he is nice but too old for you, you must abide by the ruling, and I would advise you in that case to not make a major issue out of it. Once you graduate from high school and are in college, your chances of dating him will improve dramatically.

TEENS SHOULD RESPECT ALL ADULTS ON CAMPUS

TEENS: One of the saddest of contemporary trends in our schools these days is the proliferation of violence — against not only students but also teachers — in classrooms and on campus. This is the inevitable spillover of an increasingly violent society. Indeed, the once-shocking spectacle of students attacking teachers is becoming a more common occurrence.

For instance, a 17-year-old student severely beat a teacher who was trying to break up a fight recently at a high school in California. The teacher suffered a dislocated finger, a chipped elbow and bruises on the face and body. The words that echoed throughout the shocked community afterward were, "This shouldn't happen here." But it's happening now in far too many places. Violence and threats of violence against teachers are on the rise across the country.

How should we discipline a student who physically attacks a teacher? Should the student be suspended, expelled, prosecuted? This school district took the matter very seriously and filed felony charges against the attacker. If convicted, he faces up to three years and eight months in a state youth facility.

The school district could take the action it did because in California, as in some other states, it is a felony to attack a teacher. All 50 states should have such a law. A growing number are indeed considering one.

I suggest all teens practice respect when they address and interact with their teachers and any other teacher or school administrator on a high school campus. Teachers are absolutely not the enemy, and they deserve respect and physical safety at all times. Do your best as an individual to respect your teachers, administrators, counselors and all adults working on your campus. It will be good practice to gear up your best behavior, which you'll need when seeking a job in the "real world" after graduation from high school or college.

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 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.

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