Role Models in Fiction

Each day Smart Pop Books posts an essay on a topic of interest to teens. Today they're featuring an essay I wrote on the topic of fictional characters as role models.  It's based on subject matter from the bestselling books Crankand Glassby Ellen Hopkins. The books deal with meth addiction and are told from the point of view of a teenaged addict (and are based on Hopkins' daughter's real-life experience.)  You can read the essay here:


Smart Pop Books - Role Models


I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.  Do authors have a responsibility to ensure that the characters in their books act as role models for teen readers?  Why or why not?