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Articles from November 2010

• Adopted teen finds success

  November is Adoption Awareness Month and the Adoptive Families Association of British Columbia (AFABC) have released some facts about adoption. The Vancouver Observer reports that only 10 to 15 percent of BC's 1,000 children who are registered for adoption are babies. Approximately 20 percent are sibling groups and 30 percent are teens. more...

• Parents can take steps to help bullied children

  Bullying can begin in children who are as young as four years old, according to the Portland Press Herald. In order to prevent or address this behavior, parents can take a few steps to ensure that safety is the priority. more...

• Alcohol and caffeine are an unhealthy mix for teens

  In recent weeks, alcoholic energy drinks such as Four Loko have made headlines for endangering the health of many teenagers. While experts agree that alcohol and caffeine should not be mixed, as of yet there are no studies explaining why. more...

• U.S. government aims to help end bullying

  A study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimated that 1.7 million U.S. children in grades six through 10 could be identified as bullies. The study found that 10.6 percent of students reported bullying others "sometimes" and 8.8 percent admitted to bullying others "once a week" or more, Montgomery Advertiser reports. more...

• Teen creates walk for Tourette Syndrome research

  In support of Tourette Syndrome (TS) research, a teen spent her summer vacation preparing the Mendham Walks for TS, which is the first in the New Jersey Walks for TS series of awareness events. more...

• College student commits suicide after consuming Four Loko

  In recent weeks, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Phusion Projects Inc. after a Florida man got drunk on Four Loko - a controversial alcoholic energy drink - and shot himself in the head with a pistol, Absolute Lawsuits reports. more...

• Report reveals how poverty can affect children's health

  According to a new report by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, being poor for even a short period of time can have lasting health implications for children. Approximately 15.5 million children are living in poverty in the U.S., which accounts for one in five children, according to the Census Bureau. more...

• Glee episode focuses on gay teen bullying

  Many teens are familiar with the hit television show Glee. The musical-comedy-drama features a group of high school students in a glee club that struggle with different types of social drama, both serious and comedic, The Phoenix reports. more...

• New system of coaching may help students with ADHD

  New research suggests that college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit for a new model of coaching used by the Edge Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers supplemental treatment for students with ADHD. The results of the study are being released this week at the Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) conference in Atlanta. more...

• Parents can help teens through depression

  According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, each year, about 100,000 Americans under the age of 24 attempt suicide and approximately 5,000 succeed. more...

• Former movie star gives advice to troubled young women

  In recent years, tabloids have been filled with accounts of the addiction and mental health issues that many young singers and actresses are facing in Hollywood. These girls often face the same pressures as normal teens their age, but with the added spotlight of fame. more...

• Adopted teen will celebrate Thanksgiving with his siblings

  This year, Thanksgiving will finally be a joyous occasion for adopted teen Sharrieff Moore. For the first time since he can remember, he expects to celebrate the holiday with his entire family, The Southfield Jay reports. more...

• Marie Osmond opens up about son's suicide

  In the wake of many teen suicides across the country, Marie Osmond, television personality and pop icon, is opening up about the loss of her son. This week, the star was on the Oprah show to discuss the pain she experienced at the death of depressed Michael Bryan, Monsters and Critics reports. more...

• Student breakfast foundation awards school for nutrition efforts

  This week, the got breakfast? Foundation presented its first-ever Silent Hero Performance Award to Buffalo Public Schools in New York in recognition of their achievement in implementing a successful Breakfast in the Classroom program. In addition, the foundation presented them with a grant for $5,000. more...

• Teens win GRAMMYs for anti-drug songs

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Health (NIH) partnered with MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation to honor teen musicians during National Drug Facts Week. more...

• Teen with autism becomes advocate

  At two years old, Taylor Morris was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and her mother was told that her daughter might never talk, or leave home. However, fifteen years later, Morris is dispensing hope to other autistic children and their families, The Capital reports. more...

• Study shows children suffer in homes of parents with PTSD

  Military members have a high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon returning from a tour of duty. However, research shows that children of these individuals can suffer from depression and trauma because of their parent's condition, The Star reports. more...

• High school creates drug tip texting program

  According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prescription abuse by teens exceeds marijuana use, and there are as many new abusers - age 12 and older - of pain relievers as there are for marijuana. As a result, a growing number of parents, law enforcement officials and school districts are seeking to curtail drug use. more...

• Study shows teen girls are more likely to engage in unprotected sex their first time

  New research indicates that teenage girls are 30 percent more likely than boys to have unprotected sex the first time they have sexual intercourse, regardless of any previous sex education instruction, WebMD reports. more...

• Boxing program teaches girls about self-esteem

  Raised in a devout Quaker household, Cece CuzaHoward never imagined that she would learn how to punch. However, a new program in California is teaching girls self-esteem through boxing, the LA Times reports. more...

• Study suggests hyper-texting teens are more likely to engage in at-risk behavior

  New research has shown that teens who text 120 times a day or more are more likely to have had sex or to have used alcohol and drugs than kids who do not send as many messages. The study's authors are not suggesting that "hyper-texting" leads to sex, drinking or drugs, but they say that it is startling to see an apparent link between excessive messaging and that kind of risky behavior, the Associated Press reports. more...

• Government program declares National Drug Facts Week

  According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, teens abuse prescription medications more than all illegal drugs combined, with the exception of marijuana. Many teens are under the misconception that these highly addictive and often easily accessible medications are safer than illicit drugs. more...

• Survey of local high school students reveals rise in prescription drug use

  A survey of alcohol and drug use among Sumner County students in Tennessee reveals that binge drinking and the use of prescription drugs are on the rise, according to the school system's annual student report. The survey was commissioned by the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition, which is a group of local leaders in education and health who hope to use the results to track the performance of programs that are aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles among teens, the Tennessean reports. more...

• Parent diagnosed with Asperger's after researching her children's conditions

  In late October, Dena Gassner, a 1980 graduate of Union College, returned to her alma mater to share her expertise in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the school reports. More than a dozen teachers, counselors and aids from the Knox County School System joined Gassner for a presentation on understanding the challenges that are faced by students with ASDs. more...

• Teen with Asperger's receives Cadet training award

  This past week, Canadian native Aidan Guerra received a red and green ribboned medal, which identifies him as this year's Alberta recipient of the Major-General Howard Award for achievement in academics, community service and cadet training. The achievement is prestigious; however, it holds more meaning for Guerra, the Vancouver Sun reports. more...

• Parents should support LGBT teens, gay adult writes

  The term "bullying" often refers to someone who habitually intimidates weaker people. Although it is usually used to describe how a student treats his or her peer, it can also be used for parents, according to Darren Rosenblum, writer for the Huffington Post. more...

• School program aims to help pregnant teens

  During the 2009-2010 academic year, there were 37 teen girls enrolled in the Graduation, Reality and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) program in Fairborne, Ohio. The purpose of GRADS is to empower teen parents to set realistic goals and to remain in school until graduation, according to the FHS NewsHawk. more...

• Organization aims to promote adoption of teens

  In recent weeks, Family Services of Northwestern Pennsylvania has organized a training program to bring together adoptive parents and professionals who place children into foster homes. The program features an array of experts, including Debbie Riley, author of "Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens," and Rita Soronen, executive director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, according to GoErie.com. Thomas - the founder of Wendy's Restaurants - was both an adoptee and an adoptive father; the restaurant chain is named after one of his daughters. more...

• CDC releases report on tobacco prevention programs

  A new report released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that rates of adult cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use vary widely from state to state, depending on how effectively they have implemented strategies to reduce tobacco use. more...

• Study reveals teen bullying statistics

  According to a new study, approximately half of all high school students surveyed said that they have bullied someone in the last year. Also, nearly half said that they have been the target of bullying, teasing or taunting in ways that seriously upset them, according to the LA Times. more...

• Organization seeks to raise mental health awareness

  In order to help raise awareness and funds that empower youth to eradicate the stigma of mental illness, the Let's Erase the Stigma (LETS) Educational Foundation continues to implement innovative fundraising events. LETS will hold their First Annual Benefit and Silent Auction this week. The evening will include performances by a youth jazz band and awards presented to LETS high schoolers as well as other community leaders. more...

• Study shows oral sex leads to intercourse in teens

  According to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, oral sex can be a precursor to teenagers having intercourse. The study surveyed more than 600 high school students in California to report on their sexual experiences. The participants were asked to fill out surveys twice a year, from the beginning of ninth grade to the end of 11th grade, CNN reports. more...

• Study reveals that teen girls are at higher risk for depression relapse

  A new study reveals that although most teenagers can recover from major depression, nearly half will have a recurrence of the condition. Researchers found that 96 percent of depressed teens recovered with treatment, but nearly half relapsed with another episode of major depression within five years, WebMD reports. more...

• Smartphone app tracks mental health

  Apple recently released an application (app) for its iPhone, which seeks to monitor the mental health of its user. The app was created to help the military keep track of the emotions of soldiers to prevent conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, but the technology may also be useful to teens. more...

• Disney star Demi Lovato enters rehab

  This week, Disney star Demi Lovato checked into rehab for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time, according to her representative. MTV reports that the young actress and singer left the worldwide Jonas Brothers tour she was performing on to attend a treatment facility for a potential eating disorder and self-mutilation. The singer also shut down her Twitter page over the weekend. more...

• Adopted teen's life becomes film

  This week, a movie about adopted teen India Meadow is being shown to promote the Bates Foundation, which provides custom-made prom dresses to underprivileged or hard-to-fit adolescents from Chicago's inner city. The troubled teen's life was turned around by Barbara Bates, a Chicago fashion designer and founder of the foundation, news channel ABC reports. Now their story has been made into a film called India of K-Town. more...

• Community bans sale of synthetic marijuana

  A small county in Indiana recently banned the sale of synthetic marijuana within the community. As lawmakers consider legislation to possibly forbid the use of such substances, including K2 and Spice, county officials felt it was best to get a head start, The Brazil Times reports. more...

• Teen with Asperger's wins recognition at LA Music Awards

  This week, John and Noni Gauder, grandparents of the widely successful singer and songwriter, Sarah Lonsert, spoke to The Village Daily Sun about their granddaughter's struggle with Asperger's syndrome. more...

• Community holds conference on teen dating violence

  This week, a psychotherapist from Arizona will be the keynote speaker at a conference for domestic violence. The topic of the event is teen dating violence, TriValleyCentral.com reports. more...

• Late-night texting may cause major health issues for teens

  Recent research shows that teens who text or surf the Internet past bedtime can suffer from sleep deprivation-related issues during the day. more...

• Teen with Asperger's Syndrome saves grandfather's life

  This week, Joe Posavitz's life was saved by his grandson. Ryan Reed, the 16-year-old teenager who saved his grandfather, has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. more...

• Community seeks to end teen drug abuse

  This week, a small town is Connecticut is holding a meeting to bring awareness to prescription drug abuse, which is the leading cause of death for teens in the state. more...

• Student with OCD faces complications related to her condition at school

  A high school student is complaining after she got in trouble for wearing colorful wigs to school. However, the teen has an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that causes her to pull out her hair. more...