The teen years are a transitional period for both teens and parents, particularly when there are special challenges and needs. Adults have great opportunities during this period to help teens transition positively into adulthood. While the key principles of healthy teen development have not changed over the years, the context in which teens develop has changed. The period of adolescence begins earlier today than in prior years, teens have more sporadic and less intense contact with parents than they did in the past, peers provide a strong sense of social support, schools are larger and less personal, and technology has increased the amount of information available to teens and presented challenges for parents to monitor what teens are exposed to (Steinberg, 2002). However, many teens are resilient in the face of the normative challenges during adolescence, especially if they have the support of one or more caring adults (Steinberg, 2001).