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Peer Relationships Issues Articles

• Parents who share caregiving may contribute to an unsupportive relationship

  According to new research from Ohio State University, families in which the mother is the primary caregiver of preschool-aged children may experience less conflict than those in which the parents share responsibility. For the study, the scientists surveyed 112 Midwestern couples who had a four-year-old child. more...

• Unhealthy relationships may affect mental and physical well-being

  Teens who grow up in unstable households may be at a higher risk for developing mental illnesses. However, unhealthy relationships affect both parents as well. more...

• Children whose fathers work overtime may exhibit bullying behaviors

  Recent research suggests that bullies may be a product of their father's work schedule. According to a study from Vanderbilt University, children who believe that their fathers work too much may exhibit bullying behaviors. more...

• Legislators decide how to punish teens found guilty of "sexting"

  A survey conducted in 2008 by teen magazine Cosmo Girl and the National Campaign revealed that 39 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 19 admit to having sent a sexually explicit message or picture in the past. The study also revealed that boys are more likely to receive sexts, while girls are more likely to send them. more...

• Author tours the U.S. to end "ex-gay" organizations

  According to the National Education Policy Center, more than 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) students report being harassed because of their sexual or gender identity. In addition, more than 20 percent report being physically attacked. more...

• Researchers find that children's successes and failures can be influenced by their friends

  According to researchers from the University of Oregon, the friends that teens make as they move from elementary school to middle school may signify their future successes or failures. The study, which is published in the Journal of Early Adolescence, looked at the data of 1,278 students, 55 percent of whom were girls, from a previous study. more...

• Texas school district aims to reprimand 'sext' offenders

  In recent weeks, officials at the Freeport Intermediate School District in Texas have reacted to allegations of sexual assault via cyberbullying. News channel KHOU reports that many parents are concerned about inappropriate images of young girls that have potentially been forwarded to many students. more...

• States aim to curtail teen bullying in schools

  As teen bullying becomes a national issue, many school districts are implementing prevention plans in an effort to curtail this trend. However, many of these initiatives may be ineffective at best, according to The Boston Globe. more...

• County receives approval for teen pregnancy prevention funding

  Teen pregnancy is a national issue that has been highlighted in recent years, due in part to television shows such as MTV's Teen Mom. In an effort to prevent teen pregnancy, the Graham County Board of Supervisors in Arizona recently approved next year's budget for programs, the Eastern Arizona Courier reports. The county's teen prevention initiatives were recently re-approved for $100,000 in funding through 2011. more...

• Research shows difference in bully and victim thought patterns

  New research from RMIT University in Australia shows that teenage bullies and their victims may have distorted thought patterns that can affect their emotional and social functioning. Dr. Geraldine Abdilla studied 1,086 teenagers for her research. more...

• Parents claim schools are not doing enough to stop bullying

  Bullying has becomes a major issue across the country as a result of the recent suicides of teens who had been harassed. The Spec spoke to several teens and their parents who said that schools and police still are not doing enough to prevent this issue. more...

• Filmmaker aims to end teen bullying

  Government statistics show that about 30 percent of students have experienced some kind of bullying. However, filmmaker J.C. Pohl - co-creator of the anti-bullying program Teen Truth Live - believes that the number is closer to 99 percent, Whittier Daily News reports. more...

• Research suggests that bullying may impair cognitive function

  Martin Teicher, a neuroscientist, recently conducted a study that suggests children who are constantly tormented by their peers have the same behavioral issues as those who suffer from physical abuse, Care2 reports. more...

• School teaches parents and children about bullying prevention

  Tracy Ferreira, a counselor at Garner Magnet High School, recently launched an anti-bullying week at the school, the Garner Citizen reports. more...

• NJ passes anti-bullying regulation

  In recent weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act, which requires all colleges that receive federal aid to amend their harassment policies, as well as provide funding to help schools start anti-bullying programs, the Daily Illini reports. 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• 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...

• CDC reports that sex education may lead to lower rates of teen pregnancy

  According to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a large disparity in rates of teen pregnancy between states, with Southern states often having much higher rates, All Headline News reports. more...

• Program seeks to raise awareness of cyber security among teens

  More than half of American teens worry about safety on the Internet and know someone their age who has been targeted by hurtful electronic communications, according to survey results recently released by the Chicago youth-market research firm TRU. Nearly a third of surveyed teens have been targets themselves, The Christian Science Monitor reports. more...

• Apple creates iPhone app to prevent teen sexting

  In an effort to prevent teen sexting, Apple's latest iPhone app will clean up text messages. more...

• Parents have many tools to help their bullied child

  Victims of bullying are often chosen for reasons outside of their control, such as physical appearance, disability, perceived sexual orientation and jealousy, among others. Parents may not be able to prevent teen bullying, but they can address the issue once it occurs, Psychology Today reports. more...