tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75117691936033372102024-02-07T22:26:40.837-08:00Sue Scheff on Defiant TeensParents struggling with today's defiant teens
Parent's Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.)Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-87308186242062763752009-07-25T07:50:00.001-07:002009-07-25T07:51:38.947-07:00Sue Scheff: Teen Cutting - Self Injury<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3JuliUxu4Xg-OilpUt0AFurlg5Ym7xOXzgTv6qhx1uxN64BiFr6NFHUeD0r-1rbFm-1JfDChyphenhyphen9-rFd5861bKvUV6JYaFHAi1OSQVHeS3KaxY-boxGCuf6ssDedwvADrIWLscx06Fnc4/s1600-h/teencut.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 81px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 107px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362410343993135618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3JuliUxu4Xg-OilpUt0AFurlg5Ym7xOXzgTv6qhx1uxN64BiFr6NFHUeD0r-1rbFm-1JfDChyphenhyphen9-rFd5861bKvUV6JYaFHAi1OSQVHeS3KaxY-boxGCuf6ssDedwvADrIWLscx06Fnc4/s320/teencut.jpg" /></a><br /><div>If you discover that your teen is cutting, there are several important keys to remember. First and foremost, approach your teen with a level head. Address your teen calmly and supportively. Do not react angrily or upset your teen in any way. Experts warn that overreacting or reacting loudly or angrily can often push your teen further away and increase the cutting or self injuring behaviors. Your teen needs to know you are open to hearing what she has to say and getting her the help she needs. You should also tell your teen that you are not upset with her, love her, and know she is in a lot of pain. </div><br /><div><br />Counseling for a teen that cuts is crucial. It can often take many years of therapy before your teen is willing or able to uncover the reasons she cuts herself. Schools, pediatricians and emergency rooms can be extremely helpful at providing resources for teens that cut. Often there are local support groups for parents who feel guilty or unsure of how to deal with a teen that cuts. A great resource specifically for self injurers and their families is <a href="http://www.safe-alternatives.com/">S.A.F.E (Self Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives</a>, an organization dedicated treating victims of self abuse.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.susanschefftruth.net/index.html">Learn more here.</a></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-56182438117059170112009-05-15T16:46:00.001-07:002009-05-15T16:48:37.393-07:00Sue Scheff: Defiant Teens? Parent and Teen Book May Help<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLJ_NA180E7nJ3aqi2VeQC-jbz920yh7Aj7Anah0Rimf17z6A5nnno4MCTZgVVEHRDXWi2m1jux219ln5i6-MQTsRGvqxegz0DEU-SLWOoTvK90LliEH-skyBGiP-0zYTSseu_4fK4Ok/s1600-h/HansonFrontCover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336201578188867170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLJ_NA180E7nJ3aqi2VeQC-jbz920yh7Aj7Anah0Rimf17z6A5nnno4MCTZgVVEHRDXWi2m1jux219ln5i6-MQTsRGvqxegz0DEU-SLWOoTvK90LliEH-skyBGiP-0zYTSseu_4fK4Ok/s200/HansonFrontCover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>THE SECRETS TO SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN YOUR TEENS</strong>, by <a href="http://learn2balance.com/">Lori Hanson</a></div><br /><div><br />Award-Winning Author of “<a href="http://www.lori-hanson.com/index.php?page_id=278">It Started with Pop-Tarts (R</a>)”, <a href="http://suescheffblog.com/Learn2Balance.wordpress.com">Lori Hanson</a>, wrote an amazing very quick and easy read parent and teen book. What I loved about this book is it was written in a fashion that addresses some serious issues that teens face today, however in a condensed and easy to understand format.</div><br /><div><br />I literally finished it in less than 2 hours (with many interruptions) and was very impressed how Lori both talked to teens and parents - almost at the same time - and you could feel that Lori is connecting.</div><br /><div><br />I recommend any parents of teens today purchase this book and share it with their teen. What a great way to start communications - since today many parents have lost that connection with many teens.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oh, did I mention Lori incorporates her dogs (Sasha and Yagger) as analogies - absolutely fantastic - we all love dogs and to see them and their actions helping us as parents to understand human behavior was brilliant and again, something we can all relate to.</div><br /><div><br />You can purchase this book <a href="http://bit.ly/Jyotp">here</a>. Don’ miss it! Get it before it hits the book stores!</div><br /><div></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-67897929587903071262009-04-25T05:15:00.001-07:002009-04-25T05:16:59.364-07:00Sue Scheff: Help Prevent Teen Violence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBA_Y2uHAx5auZZpTWDtouxN2XNLekTq4rjFPHBTmwNaITjgVXhQVWKVMaUQWavTm5VBwbslITBhaYiCGe-43HlxV_kRdv-VT7A_PlThuiMl0SuKzIodx0Hnh_JqmK4ZZbkNb7uFMQVo/s1600-h/teenviolence2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328601659272062290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 50px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBA_Y2uHAx5auZZpTWDtouxN2XNLekTq4rjFPHBTmwNaITjgVXhQVWKVMaUQWavTm5VBwbslITBhaYiCGe-43HlxV_kRdv-VT7A_PlThuiMl0SuKzIodx0Hnh_JqmK4ZZbkNb7uFMQVo/s200/teenviolence2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It comes to a point where you are almost afraid to turn on the news. Kids with guns, teens shooting teens, threats, bullying and more - it is time for parents to take the time and learn more. Talk to your kids - open those lines of communication. Raising kids today has become more challenging than ever. I hear from parents almost on a daily basis and I am stunned at what these kids are learning and doing at such a young age.<br /><br />Source: <strong>Co<a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">nnect with Kids</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>Can Students Prevent Violence by Telling?<br /></strong><br />“He was saying ‘I’m gonna kill people,’ everyone took it as a joke. I can’t say that I would take it any differently.”<br /><br />– Joanna, 15, talking about the school shooting in Santee, California<br /><br />A student who seems strange, a comment that sounds frightening … how can students tell who’s serious and who isn’t, what’s a joke and what’s a real threat?<br /><br />The problem is students say those kinds of ‘jokes’ are made all the time.<br /><br />“I’ve had friends who were just like, ‘man I just want to kill that teacher’ or ‘I just hate it here and want to blow up the school,’” says Tara-Lynn, a high school junior, “I’ve probably said things like that myself.”<br /><br />“I mean I hear people say that all the time. I don’t take it seriously,” adds Joanna, a freshman.<br /><br />When should students take it seriously? They’re in a bind. If they tell on someone, they’re called a rat or a snitch. If they don’t tell, someone could die or be injured. Always in the back of their mind, what if they tell on someone… and they’re wrong?<br /><br />“How do you know you’re not gonna just end up crying ‘wolf’ all the time, every time a kid makes a threat,” says Cliff, a junior.<br /><br />How should kids evaluate a threat? Experts say first, kids should follow their instincts. If something another student says doesn’t feel right, even just a little bit, it probably isn’t.<br /><br />“Either afraid, or guilty, or this is just going against my values, it doesn’t feel right,” says psychologist Dr. Wendy Blumenthal.<br /><br />Then find an adult you trust. Someone you can trust to protect your anonymity. Someone you can trust not to panic when you tell them you’re worried.<br /><br />Maybe that’s your parents, but it could also be a school counselor, a minister from your church or a coach.<br /><br />Because if a disaster happens and you stay silent about what you heard, just think how that would make you feel.<br /><br />“Because if we take everything for granted,” says Crystal, a junior, “this (the school shooting in California) is what can happen.”<br /><br /><br />Tips for Parents<br />Police have been able to prevent several ‘Columbine-like’ massacres at US schools recently–thanks to tips from students. Students notified school officials after learning that other students planned to carry out violent acts. And while kids are more willing to report threats of violence after Columbine, experts say parents should explain to their children that there is a difference between ‘telling’ and ‘tattling.’<br /><br />According to the National Education Association (NEA):<br /><br />Children ‘tattle’ to get their own way or to get someone else in trouble.<br />Children should be encouraged to ‘tell’ an adult when someone is in danger of getting hurt.<br />Some schools have started anonymous hotlines so that parents or children can provide information that could alert authorities to potential problems.<br /><br />According to the American Psychological Association one in 12 high schoolers is threatened or injured with a weapon each year. To reduce that risk, the APA lists several ‘warning signs’ that kids need to recognize in other students, indications that violence is a “serious possibility”:<br /><br />Loss of temper on a daily basis<br />Frequent physical fighting<br />Significant vandalism or property damage<br />Increase in use of drugs or alcohol<br />Increase in risk-taking behavior<br />Detailed plans to commit acts of violence<br />Announcing threats or plans for hurting others<br />Enjoying hurting animals<br />Carrying a weapon<br />Once students recognize a warning sign, the APA says there are things they can do. Hoping that someone else will deal with the problem is “the easy way out.” The advice for students:<br /><br />Above all, be safe. Don’t spend time alone with people who show warning signs.<br />Tell someone you trust and respect about your concerns and ask for help (a family member, guidance counselor, teacher, school psychologist, coach, clergy, or friend).<br />If you are worried about becoming a victim of violence, get someone to protect you. Do not resort to violence or use a weapon to protect yourself.<br />The key to preventing violent behavior, according to the APA, is asking an experienced professional for help. The important thing to remember is, don’t go it alone.<br /><br /><br />References<br />National Education Association<br />American Psychological Association </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-19077469078703850612009-04-19T07:40:00.000-07:002009-04-19T07:41:57.434-07:00Sue Scheff: Teens and Eating Disorders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTKkq0jRTE-qRQ6YAzSGwGGxDGhUPWi_FRivv-FoXiOxfrg9hHdIbqYyLYzNTBRZydwNLqEosbVWFZIveHByp5eo6t2hU5wFkQv6KQdYLSsaZrCW0QZRHMVKeFRrUqsNVPaA-fqLG9vk/s1600-h/teenbingeat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326412671735620658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 95px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTKkq0jRTE-qRQ6YAzSGwGGxDGhUPWi_FRivv-FoXiOxfrg9hHdIbqYyLYzNTBRZydwNLqEosbVWFZIveHByp5eo6t2hU5wFkQv6KQdYLSsaZrCW0QZRHMVKeFRrUqsNVPaA-fqLG9vk/s200/teenbingeat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Especially young girls today, the peer pressure can encourage your young teen/tween that being “thin” is in. Teen body image can lead to other concerns, whether your child is suffering with some depression, not being able to fit in at school, or just plain feeling fat and ugly - we need to talk to them and explain about <a href="http://suescheffblog.com/2008/12/sue-scheff-teens-and-eating-disorders/">Teens and Eating Disorders</a>, including anorexic. <a href="http://suescheffblog.com/2008/12/sue-scheff-teens-and-eating-disorders/">Teen Obesity</a> is another issue parents need to learn more about.</div><br /><div><br />Source: <a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></div><br /><div><br />“I think that it definitely had something to do with my mom and my sister talking about different diets, and at that age …you don’t understand everything that they are discussing and the way that they’re discussing it, and in my head I blew it up as something bigger.”<br />– Shay Fuell, recovering anorexic</div><br /><div><br />About 2.5 million Americans suffer from anorexia. Shay Fuell was only nine years old when the fixation began.</div><br /><div><br />“(I) was starting to have body-image issues and looking in the mirror sideways and just pinching my skin seeing if there was fat there,” she says.</div><br /><div><br />A few years later, she was 5-feet-2 and weighed 78 pounds.</div><br /><div><br />“Literally, it becomes [a part of] every thought … in your head,” she says. “You can’t think about anything else. You can’t concentrate on anything. You can’t even hold a conversation with somebody because you are thinking about the last meal that you ate or what you should be doing to work out or how you’re going to be able to throw up without anybody knowing.”</div><br /><div><br />According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of girls under the age of 12 hospitalized for eating disorders has more than doubled since 1999.</div><br /><div><br />“I don’t know if they’re actually developing them younger or if it’s that parents are having a greater awareness of what’s going on with their children,” says Brigette Bellott, Ph.D., a psychologist and eating disorder specialist.</div><br /><div><br />What’s going on, typically, is depression, children obsessed with eating or overly anxious about their weight and their appearance.</div><br /><div><br />“Things to watch,” says Bellott, “what do they believe about their own body? I mean I would ask that: “What do you think about your body, how do you feel about it?”<br />Experts say it’s crucial for parents to catch the first signs of an eating disorder because the fatality rate for anorexic women is 10 to 15 percent.</div><br /><div><br />“Some of them [die] through malnourishment, some through suicide,” says Mary Weber-Young, L.P.C. “It is the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.”</div><br /><div><br />Shay wasn’t diagnosed until she was 14. It took five difficult years of treatment before she had fully recovered.<br />“It was an addiction,” she admits. “It was an obsession.”<br /><a id="references" name="par"></a><br /><strong>Tips for Parents</strong><br />The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) describes an eating disorder as “an obsession with food and weight.” The two main eating disorders are anorexia nervosa (an obsession with being thin) and bulimia (eating a lot of food at once and then throwing up or using laxatives; also known as ‘binging and purging’). Who has eating disorders? According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders:<br />Eight million or more people in the US have an eating disorder. </div><br /><div><br />Ninety percent are women<br />Victims may be rich or poor<br />Eating disorders usually start in the teens<br />Eighty-six percent of victims report onset by age 20<br />Eating disorders may begin as early as age 8<br />Seventy-seven percent report duration of one to 15 years<br />Six percent of serious cases end in death </div><br /><div><br />It’s not always easy for parents to determine if their daughter or son is suffering from an eating disorder. But the AAFP does list the following warning signs for anorexia and bulimia:</div><br /><div><br />Unnatural concern about body weight (even if the person is not overweight)<br />Obsession with calories, fat grams and food<br />Use of any medicines to keep from gaining weight (diet pills, laxatives, water pills)<br />The more serious warning signs can be more difficult to notice because people with eating disorders often try to hide the symptoms:<br />Throwing up after meals<br />Refusing to eat or lying about how much was eaten<br />Fainting<br />Over-exercising<br />Not having periods<br />Increased anxiety about weight<br />Calluses or scars on the knuckle (from forced throwing up)<br />Denying that there is anything wrong </div><br /><div><br />If left untreated, people with eating disorders can suffer some health problems, including disorders of the stomach, heart and kidneys; irregular periods or no periods at all; fine hair all over the body, including the face; dry scaly skin; dental problems (from throwing up stomach acid); dehydration.</div><br /><div><br />Eating disorders can be treated. The first step is getting back to a normal weight, or at least to the lower limits of the normal weight range, according to Dr. Rex Forehand, a psychologist at the Institute for behavioral Research at the University of Georgia. But more needs to be done, Dr. Forehand says. “Attitudes and beliefs about body weight and eating patterns must also be changed. A comprehensive intervention may be necessary.”</div><br /><div><br />Treatment may require hospitalization. The physician may recommend a dietician. For both anorexics and bulimics, family and individual counseling may be helpful.<br /><a id="references" name="ref"></a><br /><strong>References</strong><br />Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality<br />American Academy of Family Physicians<br />National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-78961723604141717682009-04-14T07:54:00.001-07:002009-04-14T07:55:44.313-07:00Sue Scheff: Teenagers Getting Tattoo's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oWIZQ9eyMcca36abiGr836WcxXjl9wSAPlMEQ_0vEPOnIezcb2fYA8zzQ9UsBa5x4R10sF8R1k_25KBXCny3DpavBE7PsDwIrPOKhoxbBHCzoEisBFzR7dAfdY782zVftOT5jfi9oWU/s1600-h/teentattoos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324560729906782786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 103px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oWIZQ9eyMcca36abiGr836WcxXjl9wSAPlMEQ_0vEPOnIezcb2fYA8zzQ9UsBa5x4R10sF8R1k_25KBXCny3DpavBE7PsDwIrPOKhoxbBHCzoEisBFzR7dAfdY782zVftOT5jfi9oWU/s200/teentattoos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://teenshealth.org/">TeensHealth</a></div><br /><div><br />It seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it's not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to Celtic designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos. Maybe you've thought about getting one. But before you head down to the nearest tattoo shop and roll up your sleeve, there are a few things you need to know.</div><br /><div><br /><strong>WHAT IS A TATTOO?</strong></div><br /><div><br />A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that's filled with ink. It's made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area, usually creating some sort of design. What makes tattoos so long-lasting is they're so deep — the ink isn't injected into the epidermis (the top layer of skin that you continue to produce and shed throughout your lifetime). Instead, the ink is injected into the dermis, which is the second, deeper layer of skin. Dermis cells are very stable, so the tattoo is practically permanent.</div><br /><div><br />Tattoos used to be done manually — that is, the tattoo artist would puncture the skin with a needle and inject the ink by hand. Though this process is still used in some parts of the world, most tattoo shops use a tattoo machine these days. A tattoo machine is a handheld electric instrument that uses a tube and needle system. On one end is a sterilized needle, which is attached to tubes that contain ink. A foot switch is used to turn on the machine, which moves the needle in and out while driving the ink about 1/8 inch (about 3 millimeters) into your skin.Most tattoo artists know how deep to drive the needle into your skin, but not going deep enough will produce a ragged tattoo, and going too deep can cause bleeding and intense pain. Getting a tattoo can take several hours, depending on the size and design chosen.</div><br /><div><br />Read entire article: <a href="http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_art/safe_tattooing.html">http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_art/safe_tattooing.html</a></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-22709264356071673522009-04-05T10:51:00.000-07:002009-04-05T10:53:19.863-07:00Sue Scheff: Cell Phones, Teens and Fatalities<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGTn9gQuQ88iQwJMuExpGaR1vDDF4zvLW1JZmPmBK-5DHTys7zHZ88NtzPXZVtSD1LFl4gyZokzNWkz3HR7BPYLWgQtIHRG8GmImGVwuzMO5w99KF3tFTO40GMtv5Uuv5UV_zBISEmkk/s1600-h/celldrive.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321266741410840338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 50px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGTn9gQuQ88iQwJMuExpGaR1vDDF4zvLW1JZmPmBK-5DHTys7zHZ88NtzPXZVtSD1LFl4gyZokzNWkz3HR7BPYLWgQtIHRG8GmImGVwuzMO5w99KF3tFTO40GMtv5Uuv5UV_zBISEmkk/s200/celldrive.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></div><br /><div><br />“Three days later I woke up out of a coma, just for my husband to tell me that Ryan wasn’t gonna make it.”<br />– Lisa Duffner, mother</div><br /><div><br />Ryan Duffner’s second birthday was memorable for the Lisa and Rorry Duffner. There were balloons, a cake and wishes for many more, but, unfortunately, it was Ryan’s last birthday. Two months later Ryan and Lisa, while on their daily walk, were hit by a car. The driver was a sixteen-year-old who was dialing her cell phone. The impact threw Ryan thirty feet and Lisa sixty feet. Lisa was knocked unconscious.</div><br /><div><br />“Three days later I woke up out of a coma, just for my husband to tell me that Ryan wasn’t going to make it,” Lisa says, while fighting back tears. </div><br /><div><br />Duffner was in such critical condition that doctors wouldn’t allow her to hold her son in the moments before his death. </div><br /><div><br />“Not to say goodbye to my own baby—that was hard,” she says.</div><br /><div><br />A study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimates that 6 percent of crashes are due to cell phones, resulting in 2,600 deaths and 12,000 serious injuries per year.</div><br /><div><br />Seventeen-year-old Edgar admits that talking on the phone is often distracting. “When I’m dialing a number or something like that, I’ve caught myself kind of drifting off,” he says.<br />Edgar uses the cell phone while driving, in spite of his mom’s strict rules. “She’s always freaking out telling me, ‘Don’t be using your cell phone while you’re driving. ‘” Pull over if you have to,’” he says.</div><br /><div><br />Though Lisa Duffner thinks that cell phones are necessary, she doesn’t have much patience for people that can’t take the time to pull over and make the call. “My biggest thing is just to pull over to make your phone call. Are you so self-important that you endanger everybody else’s lives?” she says.</div><br /><div><br />Experts say that looking at a detailed phone bill is a way of checking up on kids’ phone usage. “You can look at that, and you can tell if they’re spending a lot of time on the phone coming from school to home. Then obviously they’re doing it,” says Captain Tommy Brown, Department of Public Safety.</div><br /><div><br />But for teenagers, seeing the effects of what can happen, like the death of a two-year-old, may be the strongest tool for convincing them to hang up and drive.<br />Ryan’s absence reminds Duffner every day of the dangers of driving-while-distracted. “He was just that happy-go-lucky, jump-off-of-everything, friendly little kid. He just loved life.”<br /><a id="references" name="par"></a><br /><strong>Tips for Parents</strong></div><br /><div><br />It is very likely that your teenager will pick up the majority of his/her driving habits from watching you. According to a survey by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), nearly two-thirds of teenagers polled say their parents talk on the cell phone while driving, almost half say their parents speed, and just under one-third say their parents don’t wear seatbelts. The following statistics, therefore, shouldn’t be very surprising:<br />Sixty-two percent of high school drivers say they talk on a cell phone while driving, and approximately half of high school teens who do not yet drive (52 percent) and middle school students (47 percent) expect they will engage in this behavior when they begin driving.<br />Sixty-seven percent of high school drivers say they speed. </div><br /><div><br />Thirty-three percent of high school drivers say they do not wear their seatbelt while driving.<br />Cell phones have been transformed from status symbols into everyday accessories. In fact, cell phones are so prevalent among teenagers that a recent study found that they viewed talking on the phone nearly the same as talking to someone face-to-face. And with the latest studies showing that at least 56 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, the issue of cell phone usage is more pertinent than ever.</div><br /><div><br />If you believe your teen should have a cell phone, it is important to lay down a few ground rules. The National Institute on Media and the Family suggests the following guidelines for setting limits on your teen’s cell phone use:<br />Choose a plan that puts some reasonable limits on your teen’s phone time. Make sure he or she knows what the limits are so he or she can do some budgeting. </div><br /><div><br />Let your teen know that the two of you will be reviewing the bill together so you will have some idea of how the phone is being used. </div><br /><div><br />If use exceeds the plan limits, the charges can mount very quickly. Make sure your teen has some consequences, financial or otherwise, if limits are exceeded. </div><br /><div><br />Teach your child about the dangers of using the cell phone while driving and the distractions it can cause. </div><br /><div><br />Find out what the school’s policies are regarding cell phone use and let your teen know that you will completely support the school’s standards. </div><br /><div><br />Agree on some cell phone etiquette. For example, no phone calling during meals or when it is bothersome or rude to other people. </div><br /><div><br />Conversely, let your teen know that any “phone bullying” or cheating via text messaging will not be tolerated. </div><br /><div><br />Let your teen know that his or her use of the cell phone is contingent on following the ground rules. No compliance, no phone.<br /><a id="references" name="ref"></a><br />References<br />Harvard Center for Risk Analysis<br />Liberty Mutual<br />Rutgers University<br />Students Against Destructive Decisions- SADD </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-79271458163335842722009-03-23T08:33:00.000-07:002009-03-23T08:34:52.954-07:00Sue Scheff: Troubled Teens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rR_Sh7ZIKo0JEeyRry9GW1-_JSP7s2nVzu4ZIwr9ZbX0gST9sbTnP1V5zposgSiUg7n6qJJMflKwix0PXbBhVdHZhgH9R1dJiLwDE-UHuP7IVk9UF_2gLMavxGs2Ztwmdhgze0xdLwE/s1600-h/teentrouble.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316407005221787090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rR_Sh7ZIKo0JEeyRry9GW1-_JSP7s2nVzu4ZIwr9ZbX0gST9sbTnP1V5zposgSiUg7n6qJJMflKwix0PXbBhVdHZhgH9R1dJiLwDE-UHuP7IVk9UF_2gLMavxGs2Ztwmdhgze0xdLwE/s200/teentrouble.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It stems back to "children need to have their self-esteem built up to make good decisions." Today most families are either single parent or both parents are working full time. This is not the fault of the teen, nor is it the fault of the parents. It is today's world and we must try to find the middle. Troubled teens, rebellious teens, angry teens, problem teens, difficult teens, depressed teens; unfortunately are part of the society of adolescents today.</div><br /><div><br />Communication is always the first to go when people get busy. We have seen this over and over again. We have also experienced it and feel that our children shut us out; this can lead to difficult teens and teens with problems. Although we are tired and exhausted, along with the stress of today's life, we need to stop and take a moment for our kids. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Talk and LISTEN to them. Ask lots of questions, get to know their friends and their friend’s parents, take part in their interests, be supportive if they are having a hard time, even if you can't understand it; be there for them. </div><br /><div><br />This all sounds so easy and so simple, but take it from parents that have walked this path, it is not easy. When a parent works a full day, has stress from the job along with household chores, not to mention the bills, it is hard to find that moment. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We are all guilty of neglect at one time or another after all, we are only human and can only do so much. We feel the exhaustion mounting watching our teens grow more out of control, yet we are too tired to address it. Out of control teens can completely disrupt a family and cause marriages to break up as well as emotional breakdowns.We know many feel it is just a stage, and with some, it may be. However most times it does escalate to where we are today. Researching for help; PURE is here for you, as we have been where you are today. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Do you have a difficult teen, struggling teen, defiant teen, out of control teen, rebellious teen, angry teen, depressed teen? Do you feel hopeless, at your wits end? Visit <a href="http://www.helpyourteens.com/">http://www.helpyourteens.com/</a>. </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-33795120626880842302009-03-15T06:51:00.001-07:002009-03-15T06:52:38.166-07:00Sue Scheff: Parents Learn More About Teen Medicine Abuse<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUwPLq0f20XMN9O8CBn_L_U2naiwVNW3UmR1s22lbdd5wFrhOKapdFoKX-6oOcD8VwSMonGBZ0t3eCNAPQx0l5nJdZ0VFTUZLLNY8PPefSrQwoNsF0_QZgyqJSyMuqndjOnL-sVLG-v0/s1600-h/parentsagainstmedabuse.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313411919505739570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUwPLq0f20XMN9O8CBn_L_U2naiwVNW3UmR1s22lbdd5wFrhOKapdFoKX-6oOcD8VwSMonGBZ0t3eCNAPQx0l5nJdZ0VFTUZLLNY8PPefSrQwoNsF0_QZgyqJSyMuqndjOnL-sVLG-v0/s200/parentsagainstmedabuse.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/">StopMedicineAbuse</a></div><br /><div><br />Welcome to the <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/">Five Moms</a>: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Campaign</div><br /><div><br />Learn about teen cough medicine abuse.Share information about abuse.</div><br /><div><br />First launched in May 2007, the <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/">Five Moms </a>Campaign has reached over 24 million parents with these basic messages to parents about preventing teen cough medicine abuse.</div><br /><div><br />When the campaign launched, teen cough medicine abuse was on the increase. Now, nationwide statistics point to a slight decrease. That’s great news, but more work has to be done to eliminate this type of substance abuse behavior among teens.</div><br /><div><br />CHPA brought together five moms—a pediatric nurse practitioner, an accountant, a D.A.R.E. officer, an educator, and an author—from different backgrounds and from all over the country to encourage parents to get involved in stopping cough <a href="http://suescheffblog.com/2009/03/sue-scheff-stop-medicine-abuse/">medicine abuse</a>. And now Five Moms is part of the StopMedicineAbuse.org effort.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://ga6.org/five_moms/join_fivemoms.html">Join the campaign</a>. Membership is free and entitles you to the monthly e-newsletter and occasional e-mail updates. (Read our <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/privacy-policy/">privacy policy</a>.)</div><br /><div><br />Tell your friends about teen cough <a href="http://suescheffblog.com/2009/03/sue-scheff-parents-take-a-moment-to-learn-more-about-teens-and-medicine-abuse/">medicine abuse</a>. You can use the <a href="http://ga6.org/five_moms/tellafriend_step1.html">English</a> or <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/?page_id=1001&lang=es">Spanish</a> tell-a-friend feature.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/page/learn/">Learn more about the issue</a>, <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/page/talk/">how to talk with your teens</a> about drug abuse, and <a href="http://fivemoms.stopmedicineabuse.org/page/protect/">how to protect them from different online threats</a>.</div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-21076238058689851282009-03-07T04:38:00.001-08:002009-03-07T04:39:46.760-08:00Sue Scheff: Which Battles Should you Pick with your Teens?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJHF6DxrJ1k4mZw4FmPTwJX6ahswUV5Chccfdwx71RM4aStfBuCysxDkmBkQEtM9Eft8UhkuUGgFdtTP-kglzfYS_DOBQqNGA-Kg1GmPOR3rxiY_htdYzdGNp4enzdGkR8yZ_lMWVjSg/s1600-h/battletopick.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310424458145610114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJHF6DxrJ1k4mZw4FmPTwJX6ahswUV5Chccfdwx71RM4aStfBuCysxDkmBkQEtM9Eft8UhkuUGgFdtTP-kglzfYS_DOBQqNGA-Kg1GmPOR3rxiY_htdYzdGNp4enzdGkR8yZ_lMWVjSg/s200/battletopick.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Doesn’t this sound familiar? I always remember when my kids were teens my friend would say to me, you have to pick and choose your battles - some issues are just not worth the battle. Years later, Connect with Kids offers some great parenting tips on doing exactly that!<br /><br />Source: <strong><a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></strong><br /><br />“I love shocking [people], because I’m something somebody will remember.”<br /><br />– Sara Jackson, 16 years old<br /><br />Teenagers are freedom seekers, risk-takers and rule breakers. Pushing limits is just what teenagers do. “I love the rush. I love the freedom,” says 17-year-old Alan Oliver.<br /><br />Sixteen-year-old Sara Jackson agrees that breaking rules and taking chances is a rush. “It’s something I take great pride in. I love shocking [people], because I’m something somebody will remember.”<br /><br />When kids become teens, they start breaking away, trying new things and taking chances. For Sara, that means wearing funky clothes and crazy hairdos. People, especially adults, notice Sara’s wild style.<br /><br />“They come up to me and say you’re looking kind of crazy today. What’s going on with the whole style thing?” she says.<br /><br />But some kids find other, more dangerous ways to show their independence. They take risks. Dan O’brien got involved in drugs and alcohol. “I mean, every time I drank, I drank to get drunk,” he says.<br /><br />Ed Drury, age 17, gets his rush from speeding. Standing around with friends at his favorite Friday night hangout, Ed admits why he likes to come here. “There’s always a lot of racing, a lot of speeding.”<br /><br />Experts confirm what most of us already know. Teenagers oftentimes don’t think about the consequences of their actions. Says Dr. Nancy Macgarrah: “It’s this whole sense of invulnerability tied with the lack of maturity. “<br /><br />Since we know teenagers are going to take chances, experts say it’s wise to be strict on the issues that reallymatter.<br /><br />“You know, it’s not so much … is your hair orange or purple or do you have two earrings or three earrings. I mean, those aren’t life-ending decisions, but whether you wear seatbelts or not, whether you drink and drive or not, you know whether you drive 20 miles over the speed limit. And those all can be life-ending decisions,” Dr. Macgarrah says.<br /><br />For kids like Sara, dressing funky, doing wild things with their hair and just being a little different all satisfy the need for independence.<br /><br />“When I spike my hair, it makes me feel good about myself. I like it. It’s something different. It lets people know what kind of person I am,” Sara says.<br /><br /><br />Tips for Parents<br />The most difficult challenges many parents face, according to the American Psychological Association, come during their children’s teenage years. Teenagers, dealing with a complex world and hormonal changes, may feel that no one can understand their feelings, least of all their parents. Teens and parents alike may be left feeling angry, frustrated and confused. The APA says methods of discipline that worked well in earlier years no longer seem to be effective. As a result, the teen years are “ripe” for producing conflict in the family. Typical areas of conflict may include:<br /><br />Disputes over curfew<br />Choice of friends<br />Spending time with family instead of friends<br />School and work performance<br />Cars and driving privileges<br />Dating and sexuality<br />Clothing, hair styles and makeup<br />Self-destructive behaviors, such as smoking, drinking and using drugs<br />The teen years are tough, but most families seem to be successful at helping their children accomplish their developmental goals: reducing dependence on parents while becoming increasingly responsible and independent. However, the APA does list some warning signs that things are not going well and that the family may want to seek outside help:<br /><br />Aggressive behavior or violence by the teen<br />Drug or alcohol abuse<br />Promiscuity<br />School truancy<br />Brushes with the law or runaway behavior<br />Parents resorting to hitting or other violence in an attempt to maintain discipline<br />There are different styles and approaches to parenting. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, research shows that effective parents raise well-adjusted children who are more self-reliant, self-controlled and positively curious than children raised by parents who are punitive, overly strict (authoritarian) or permissive. Effective parents demonstrate the following behaviors:<br /><br />Believe that both the child and the parents have certain rights and that the needs of both are important<br />Rule out the use physical force to discipline the child<br />Set clear rules and explain why these rules are important<br />Reason with the child and consider the child’s point of view even though they may not agree with it<br />Tips for effective discipline:<br /><br />Trust your child to do the right thing within the limits of your child’s age and stage of development.<br />Make sure what you ask for is reasonable.<br />Speak to your child as you would want to be spoken to if someone were reprimanding you. Don’t resort to name-calling, yelling or other disrespectful behavior.<br />Be clear about what you mean. Be firm and specific.<br />Model positive behavior. “Do as I say, not as I do” seldom works.<br />Allow for negotiation and flexibility, which can help build your child’s social skills.<br />Let your child experience the consequences of his or her behavior.<br />Whenever possible, consequences should be delivered immediately, should relate to the rule broken and be short enough in duration that you can move on again to emphasize the positives.<br />Consequences should be fair and appropriate to the situation and the child’s age.<br /><br />References<br />American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry<br />American Psychological Association<br />Temple University </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-18484779005529298452009-02-20T10:38:00.000-08:002009-02-20T10:39:43.348-08:00Sue Scheff - Parent Resources in Florida<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSxNpDrfYFKAmwJF9K3IrgquWRoqPH6wacE_ObJVnDzRat8o0LEAJJ6k7I2AVNLTjLBF3Z2Q2Z-fixy8Vu0BZLlPCdWSDm4zJ-BQqyvxJFg9wEuomRkao0NnFGhjNN5brtSQqJy2pBeg/s1600-h/ihelp.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304950988989491362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 40px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSxNpDrfYFKAmwJF9K3IrgquWRoqPH6wacE_ObJVnDzRat8o0LEAJJ6k7I2AVNLTjLBF3Z2Q2Z-fixy8Vu0BZLlPCdWSDm4zJ-BQqyvxJFg9wEuomRkao0NnFGhjNN5brtSQqJy2pBeg/s200/ihelp.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After speaking with a mother in Northern Florida, she introduced me to another valuable <a href="http://ihelpparents.com/">website</a> of information for other parents. <a href="http://helpyourteens.com/">Parents’ Universal Resource Experts </a>is based on parents helping parents and this is another example of it. </div><br /><div><br />Source: <a href="http://www.ihelpparents.com/">http://www.ihelpparents.com/</a></div><br /><div><br />What you as a parent will need to change unwanted child behavior?</div><br /><div><br />1. A commitment: We can’t keep you from giving up on your child. Only you can stay committed to parenting.</div><br /><div><br />2. A plan: Without a plan you will not succeed.</div><br /><div><br />3. Support: Without someone to stand with you, to encourage you and to guide you, you will fail. Changing unwanted, defiant child behavior is just too difficult to go it alone.</div><br /><div><br />If you have these three necessary requirements, we are ready to help you. We can show you what to do and how to do it, but we can’t do it for you. That’s the parent’s job. We have lots of success in helping parents change unwanted child behavior from 7 to 17. </div><br /><div><br />We can help every parent develop a plan. The parenting plan we facilitate is the nation’s best parenting program. It’s call the Parent Project, <a href="http://www.parentproject.com/">http://www.parentproject.com/</a>, and they are already in 32 states. This program has been around for 20 years. It’s not on trial. Whether this parenting plan works is totally based on your ability to execute the Parent Project parenting plan.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.ihelpparents.com/index.html">Learn more here.</a></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-66933674309829013752009-02-11T15:51:00.001-08:002009-02-11T15:52:41.968-08:00Sue Scheff: Rise of Prescription Drug Abuse<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FT7CAdKDdif0V1mBhvAgQaYBE8NtjQpHu8vocNxzBAMV6WK1Lsh4a8-sblZfyDP64IPIoc51JSgQtSPxJ8-k_qviV8YCtKaJgJPjmnip6Op2dHzy91zne-gCdHRMbZLx4tB3ntJRKQ/s1600-h/pharm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301691643557290130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 50px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FT7CAdKDdif0V1mBhvAgQaYBE8NtjQpHu8vocNxzBAMV6WK1Lsh4a8-sblZfyDP64IPIoc51JSgQtSPxJ8-k_qviV8YCtKaJgJPjmnip6Op2dHzy91zne-gCdHRMbZLx4tB3ntJRKQ/s200/pharm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></div><div> </div><div>“I was a bum, I had slept outside, I mean all the stuff that you hear … and I always pictured a drug addict to be somebody that sleeps under a bridge … and it happened before I even knew it.”<br /><br />– Andrew Theriot, 21 years old<br /><br />Andrew Theriot first tried the prescription painkiller OxyContin when he was 17. Within a month, he turned into someone nobody liked. Andrew says, “My friends, nobody trusted me. My family pretty much told me to get out after a long period of time … I would steal things.”<br /><br />Experts say OxyContin gives an instant feeling of euphoria. Sue Rusche, President of the anti-drug group National Families in Action, says, “I think we have to be honest about drugs. I think we have to tell kids that the reason people use drugs is that drugs make you feel great … at first. And you gotta have that ‘at first’ part.”<br /><br />Next comes addiction. Andrew spent every minute looking for drugs. He says, “I would wake up every day and I would just be miserable. And the only thing I would look forward to that day would be getting high.”<br /><br />Addiction brought misery, and so did withdrawal when Andrew was in rehab. He says, “You get sick, you get the cold sweats, throwing up, stomach problems, you can’t eat. I mean I was down to 125 pounds.”<br /><br />Andrew is now in college. He’s been drug free for two years, and has some advice to parents. “I mean, don’t be enablers. Don’t bail them out of jail. Don’t pay their fines. Don’t give them money. You know, if they want money, get a job. Don’t be the cause of them killing themselves.”<br /><br /><strong>Tips for Parents </strong></div><strong><div><br /></strong></div>OxyContin is a controlled-release pain reliever that can drive away pain for up to 12 hours when used properly. When used improperly, however, OxyContin is a highly addictive opioid closely related to morphine. As individuals abuse the drug, the effects lessen over time, leading to higher dosage use.<br /><br />Consider the following:<br /><br />The supply of OxyContin is soaring. Sales of OxyContin, first marketed in 1996, hit $1.2 billion in 2003.<br />The FDA reports that OxyContin may have played a role in 464 deaths across the country in 2000 to 2001.<br />In 2000, 43 percent of those who ended up in hospital emergency rooms from drug overdoses – nearly 500,000 people – were there because of misusing or abusing prescription drugs.<br />In seven cities in 2000 (Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.) 626 people died from overdose of painkillers and tranquilizers. By 2001, such deaths had increased in Miami and Chicago by 20 percent.<br />From 1998 to 2000, the number of people entering an emergency room because of misusing or abusing oxycodone (OxyContin) rose 108 percent. The rates are intensifying … from mid-2000 to mid-2001, oxycodone went up in emergency room visits 44 percent.<br />OxyContin is typically abused in one of three ways …<br /><br />By removing the outer coating and chewing the tablet.<br />By dissolving the tablet in water and injecting the fluid intravenously.<br />By crushing the tablet and snorting the powder.<br />Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration puts its seal of approval on prescription drugs, many teens mistakenly believe that using these drugs – even if they are not prescribed to them – is safe. However, this practice can, in fact, lead to addiction and severe side effects. How can you determine if your teen is abusing drugs? The American Academy of Child & Adolescent <div> </div><div>Psychiatry suggests looking for the following warning signs and symptoms in your teen:<br /><br />Physical: Fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes and a lasting cough </div><div><br />Emotional: Personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression and a general lack of interest </div><div><br />Familial: Starting arguments, breaking rules or withdrawing from the family </div><div><br />School-related: Decreased interest, negative attitude, drop in grades, many absences, truancy and discipline problems </div><div><br />Social: having new friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities, problems with the law, and changes to less conventional styles in dress and music<br />If you believe your teen has a problem with drug abuse, you can take several steps to get the help he or she needs. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests contacting your health-care provider so that he or she can perform an adequate medical evaluation in order to match the right treatment or intervention program with your teen. You can also contact a support group in your community dedicated to helping families coping with addiction.<br /><br />Substance abuse can be an overwhelming issue with which to deal, but it doesn’t have to be. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America offers the following strategies to put into practice so that your teen can reap the rewards of a healthy, drug-free life:<br /><br />Be your teen’s greatest fan. Compliment him or her on all of his or her efforts, strength of character and individuality. </div><div><br />Encourage your teen to get involved in adult-supervised after-school activities. Ask him or her what types of activities he or she is interested in and contact the school principal or guidance counselor to find out what activities are available. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find out which activities your teen is best suited for, but it’s worth the effort – feeling competent makes children much less likely to use drugs. </div><div><br />Help your teen develop tools he can use to get out of drug-related situations. Let him or her know he or she can use you as an excuse: “My mom would kill me if I smoked marijuana!” </div><div><br />Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents. Set appointments for yourself to call them and check-in to make sure they share your views on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Steer your teen away from any friends who use drugs. </div><div><br />Call teens’ parents if their home is to be used for a party. Make sure that the party will be drug-free and supervised by adults. </div><div><br />Set curfews and enforce them. Let your teen know the consequences of breaking curfew.<br />Set a no-use rule for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. </div><div><br />Sit down for dinner with your teen at least once a week. Use the time to talk – don’t eat in front of the television. </div><div><br />Get – and stay – involved in your teen’s life. </div><div><br />References<br />American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry<br />American Academy of Family Physicians<br />Partnership for a Drug-Free America<br />National Institute on Drug Abuse<br />U.S. Food & Drug Administration </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-76607467516338743612009-01-31T07:34:00.000-08:002009-01-31T07:37:07.394-08:00Sue Scheff: Do you know what your kids are putting online?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPNK1FwAC9EPmw7KvIUyCrP6oUSfMSrdETyiXRegek2Pcx0zmqNu8rLnWfCRhQ8Ced-Sk3r8Ab-wE0x5c-2Tv9Y6jkknCCeMeRMY4fjOK5TzOnSjZ3JC8Lr090SjLvaXBw8EZzzlMsG8/s1600-h/teencomputer2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297482118239310994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUPNK1FwAC9EPmw7KvIUyCrP6oUSfMSrdETyiXRegek2Pcx0zmqNu8rLnWfCRhQ8Ced-Sk3r8Ab-wE0x5c-2Tv9Y6jkknCCeMeRMY4fjOK5TzOnSjZ3JC8Lr090SjLvaXBw8EZzzlMsG8/s320/teencomputer2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is a very interesting article that will make parents think when safety trumps privacy - do you suspect your teen or tween is posting disturbing photos or communicating with questionable others? As a parent is is our responsibility to help keep our kids safe online. Having open lines of communication can help tremendously and helping them to understand the consequences of unflattering posts is critical.</div><br /><div><br /><strong>We will spy on your teen’s website for you</strong></div><br /><div><br />More and more worried parents are resorting to using data-tracking services to keep up with what their teenagers are doing on the internet, writes Siobhan Cronin</div><br /><div><br />Source: <a href="http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/we-will-spy-on-your-teens-website-for-you-1614388.html">Independent.ie</a></div><br /><div><br />Irish parents are the best in <a title="Europe" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Europe">Europe</a> at monitoring their kids on the internet. However, their kids are the least likely of all European children to turn to mum or dad for advice when something happens to them online.</div><br /><div><br />These were the results of a recent survey by the <a title="European Commission" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/European+Commission">European Commission</a> into internet supervision by parents.</div><br /><div><br />While our parents might be good at keeping tabs on their kids, cyber bullying is still on the increase, sometimes with tragic results.</div><br /><div><br />Cork girl <a title="Leanne Wolfe" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Leanne+Wolfe">Leanne Wolfe</a>’s horrific tales of bullying were revealed in her diary, days after her death by suicide last year.</div><br /><div><br />Her sister later told of the nasty text messages and vicious internet entries which led Leanne to take her own life.</div><br /><div><br />It is real-life stories like Leanne’s which have led thousands of American parents — and now a few hundred Irish ones — to resort to using a service that will keep tabs on what their children are reading, and uploading, on the web.</div><br /><div><br />But it’s not just bullying that worries parents. Unfettered access to the web for our kids has also meant open access to them from anyone who is ‘roaming’ around in cyberspace.</div><br /><div><br />This has led some parents to take the ultimate action — spying on their own children.</div><br /><div><br />The founder of Reputation Defender, <a title="Michael Fertik" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Michael+Fertik">Michael Fertik</a>, has been called to justify his online service: “Would you like to know your 16-year-old daughter is putting pictures of herself wearing only a bra on the web? Yes. People are not born with good judgment and it rarely develops by 15,” he says.</div><br /><div><br />But another defence of Fertik’s service is, he claims, the prevalence of web bullying.<br />“When we were at school, we wrote mean notes to each other but you threw the piece of paper out the next day — now it’s on the internet wall forever,” he says.<br />Fertik’s solution, MyChild, scours the internet for all references to your child — by name, photography, screen name, or social network profiles.</div><br /><div><br />For about €9.95 per month, the ‘online spy’ will send you a report of what your child has posted on the worldwide web.</div><br /><div><br />Its approach is unashamedly tapping into parents’ paranoia: “Worried about bullies? Concerned that your teens’ friends and peers are posting inappropriate materials online,” the site asks.<br />Fertik, who says he has a “few hundred” Irish customers already, says his company grew out of a need to protect online privacy.</div><br /><div><br />“Young people do the same things that they always did,” he points out. But now it’s on a wall on a web page. The internet is like a tattoo parlour.”</div><br /><div><br />The firm, which started in his apartment in <a title="Kentucky" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Kentucky">Kentucky</a>, and now employs 65 staff servicing 35 countries, brought in revenues of $5.5m (€4.3m) this year.</div><br /><div><br />He insists there is no “hacking” involved. His staff go through legitimate channels, but are simply better trained in the ways of teenage internet usage than most parents.</div><br /><div><br />“We always encourage the parent to get the password — we don’t want to be spying on kids,” he adds.</div><br /><div><br />One of the things that often causes concern among parents is the practice of their own lives being discussed on a website. “These things have always been discussed by children, but now it’s up there for everyone to see. Things like: ‘My parents are fighting’ or ‘I think they are going to get a divorce’.”</div><br /><div><br />In pre-web days, we all had very intimate conversations with our peers about our home lives — either in person, or on the phone. Now it’s all on the internet, Fertik notes.</div><br /><div><br />Once the offending material is identified, Reputation Defender can delete it, on the instructions of the parent, whether it involves comments, photographs or videos posted on social-networking sites, or on chat rooms or forums.<br />The service has become so popular that the company now offers packages to adults to manage search engine results, ‘reputation’ for career purposes, and general ‘privacy’ — so that you can stop sites selling your personal information to others.</div><br /><div><br />But that very privacy is the reason that children’s rights organisations around the world have come out strongly against the practice.</div><br /><div><br /><a title="Michael McLoughlin" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Michael+McLoughlin">Michael McLoughlin</a> of Youthwork <a title="Ireland" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Ireland">Ireland</a>, which provides support and youth services for over 40,000 young people, says that while there may be some justification of the service for younger teens, this could become somewhat blurred when dealing with children of 16 or 17 years of age.<br />“At that stage in their lives they should really know what they are doing themselves,” he says. Youthwork Ireland is currently preparing guidelines for youth workers dealing with online bullying. “We try to tool them up on social networking, and try to improve the safety aspects.”<br />The <a title="Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Irish+Society+for+the+Prevention+of+Cruelty+to+Children">ISPCC</a> agrees that children need to be made aware of the risks of online networking. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>However, <a title="Margie Roe" href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Margie+Roe">National Childline Manager Margie Roe</a> says that while parents need to respect privacy and maintain trust, they also need to police their children if they think they might be in any danger.</div><br /><div><br />“If a parent is concerned about their child, they have a right to protect them,” she says.<br />“They need to be careful they don’t damage the trust between them and their child, but if they feel their behaviour is in anyway unusual, or their child is disappearing a lot, then it could be justified.”</div><br /><div><br />This would be particularly relevant if parents are concerned their children might be making plans to hook up with people they have only met online, says Margie.</div><br /><div><br />Michael Fertik is adamant that he is not doing anything ethically wrong.</div><br /><div><br />“If a kid is 18 or older, we won’t do it. Parents who are signing up for this feel they don’t know how to keep up with their kids and they don’t understand <a title="Facebook Inc." href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Facebook+Inc.">Facebook</a> or <a title="Bebo Inc." href="http://suescheffblog.com/topics/Bebo+Inc.">Bebo</a>.”</div><br /><div><br />He says the children themselves have mastered the art of ‘multiple’ personalities, in order to make discovery of their sites more difficult, but Reputation Defender is on their case.</div><br /><div><br />However, even Fertik’s own ’solution’ can be subject to unsavoury interference. The system flags a query when the last name of the parent does not match the child’s, prompting further requests from the applicant, before they are given information on the child’s use of the web.<br />Fertik’s attitude appears to be that online surveillance is now a necessary evil in our modern world.</div><br /><div><br />“There is no medical privacy for kids, no legal privacy. We are not suggesting they shouldn’t be allowed use the internet, but it’s like driving a car — you want to make sure they know how to drive first.</div><br /><div><br />“We are not spying on someone else’s kid. It’s a new day, the internet brings new threats, and we need new armour.”</div><br /><div><br />- Siobhan Cronin</div><br /><div></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-43517553335296502082009-01-21T08:25:00.001-08:002009-01-21T08:27:23.177-08:00Parents Universal Resource Experts - Sue Scheff - Parenting Defiant Teens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5-KS9rwhk0u5J6zgNbBcEF1sUCHWZw8dN25LyBvAxIeDCoPp_q111URS6s0XazeXiwjBCjFaWqYjpkUNxd9imFm_57J_yn5l2yr2EU_dNKsxXtDl5lXDXXiaUr4vmfsDOxSAkGb2azg/s1600-h/shoulder.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293784149778714514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5-KS9rwhk0u5J6zgNbBcEF1sUCHWZw8dN25LyBvAxIeDCoPp_q111URS6s0XazeXiwjBCjFaWqYjpkUNxd9imFm_57J_yn5l2yr2EU_dNKsxXtDl5lXDXXiaUr4vmfsDOxSAkGb2azg/s320/shoulder.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Is your teen pushing your buttons?<br />Not sure how to handle it? </div><div><br />We're here to help you make the most of your relationship, stay ahead of the game and find common ground with your teenager. <a href="http://www.shouldertoshoulderminnesota.org/">Shoulder to Shoulder </a>is dedicated to making your job easier by connecting parents and caregivers and sharing the insights of those who have been there before. From written resources and a Blog for parents of teens to relevant research and parenting tips, we hope you find our resources useful as you navigate the teen years with your child.</div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-28451185138296898622009-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:002009-01-12T11:32:09.046-08:00Sue Scheff - Teen Bullying<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtScEE8emfSGppBlmzO6abq7C8fQbueDvLqomf-Vbfs8c0dgqciIkU4eEOgtuNgIb1auH5512-owAKR7h5jDAUrwuxJfmNq2n26kQq-1i3jJZFH0dN5yvCmZ5HE5L6ZuT6LlC3ZfZQ4-A/s1600-h/stopbully.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290492224273366930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtScEE8emfSGppBlmzO6abq7C8fQbueDvLqomf-Vbfs8c0dgqciIkU4eEOgtuNgIb1auH5512-owAKR7h5jDAUrwuxJfmNq2n26kQq-1i3jJZFH0dN5yvCmZ5HE5L6ZuT6LlC3ZfZQ4-A/s200/stopbully.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><strong>Source: <a href="http://loveourchildrenusa.org/">Love Our Children USA</a></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong><a href="http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/StompOutBullying/index.php">The Issue of Bullying</a></strong></div><div></div><br /><br /><div>Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students of all races and classes. 1 out of 4 kids is bullied and 42% of kids have been bullied while online. Child and teen Bullying and Cyberbullying are at an all-time high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the kids on its receiving end, but the parents, teachers and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get. Love Our Children USA is working aggressively to prevent these issues and to help the kids and teens affected by it. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>What Is Bullying?</strong></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Bullying is when someone hurts or scares another person repeatedly and is never appropriate. The innocent one being bullied feels alone, depressed and scared and feels they have nowhere to turn.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Read more: <a href="http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/StompOutBullying/index.php">http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/StompOutBullying/index.php</a> </div></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-74141774834096977932009-01-06T13:08:00.001-08:002009-01-06T13:09:50.606-08:00Sue Scheff - ADHD and ODD: Parenting Your Defiant Child<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaYyIPfYEZ-Jl153BQEGESRjeT4oX0SPVjT9TNTM6rd_aGMN4P1j5ky7DGVDReUzeMYWSkTNbhTq7wwO2wbXbMScgpJ78Sm03w3U1QScfk-hbHvd6pFBo8UMP3h7Ew3A5fy_WdhMQjNA/s1600-h/ADDODD.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288290662536184258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaYyIPfYEZ-Jl153BQEGESRjeT4oX0SPVjT9TNTM6rd_aGMN4P1j5ky7DGVDReUzeMYWSkTNbhTq7wwO2wbXbMScgpJ78Sm03w3U1QScfk-hbHvd6pFBo8UMP3h7Ew3A5fy_WdhMQjNA/s200/ADDODD.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://additudemag.com/">ADDitude Magazine</a></div><br /><div><br />ADHD behavior issues often partner with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) -- making discipline a challenge. Try these strategies for parents of ADD kids.</div><br /><div><br />Every parent of a child with attention deficit disorder knows what it's like to deal with <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-behavior-discipline.html" target="_self">ADHD behavior problems</a> -- sometimes a child lashes out or refuses to comply with even the most benign request. But about half of all parents who have children with live with severe behavior problems and <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/topic/parenting-adhd-children/behavior-discipline.html">discipline challenges</a> on an almost daily basis. </div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/879.html">Read Entire Article Here.</a></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-13694859268855465512009-01-02T12:33:00.001-08:002009-01-02T12:35:09.567-08:00Sue Scheff - Where Do Teen Turn for Medical Advice<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05YdYypZNun6pzLun5f4MVoRHN6WoWAGccSMxaSkgN5Jvbk4R9mNhQ2HI06mM8gtnGJOYCcTMZtvhj0BB8NY1-H2tvUTKokZA2S6-BZfa3hPRY1IAKiip1FyRReGyoYPYe-cUP-O7rDM/s1600-h/teenmedicaladvice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286797393588320098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 50px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05YdYypZNun6pzLun5f4MVoRHN6WoWAGccSMxaSkgN5Jvbk4R9mNhQ2HI06mM8gtnGJOYCcTMZtvhj0BB8NY1-H2tvUTKokZA2S6-BZfa3hPRY1IAKiip1FyRReGyoYPYe-cUP-O7rDM/s200/teenmedicaladvice.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>“I had irritation in my special ‘no-no’ place. And that was a question that I wasn’t going to ask my mom.”<br /><br />– Sheaele, Age 17<br /><br />So where do teenagers like Sheaele turn when they want a health question answered? Sometimes friends, sometimes teachers… and according to a new survey, nearly half of teens are now going to the Internet to look for medical information.<br /><br />“If it was a personal problem that I didn’t feel comfortable talking to anybody about, I would probably just look it up online,” says 18-year-old Joe.<br /><br />But the information teens find on web sites may not always be accurate. Experts say to help a child avoid bad information, parents should do their own search of teen-friendly medical web sites.<br /><br />Check them out. Then suggest the ones you like to your teen.<br /><br />“Internet sites that do that, just give clear health information … I think that would be probably a good idea,” says Dr. Dawn Swaby-Ellis, a pediatrician.<br /><br />But experts have an even better idea for parents: Find a real-life doctor their teen can trust.<br /><br />“The best guarantee for growing up a healthy, secure, communicative adolescent is for that adolescent to have a constant relationship with a health practitioner over time,” says Dr. Swaby-Ellis.<br /><br />Because while a doctor can promise teens the privacy they want, unlike the Internet, a doctor can also alert parents in the case of a serious health issue.<br /><br />“If there’s anything at all that we hear, during an interview with a child alone that sounds like they’re in trouble,” says Swaby-Ellis, then we’ll certainly let (the parent) know.”<br /><br />Tips for Parents<br />Previous studies have found that over 60 million Americans use the Internet for health and medical information. Teens make up a sizeable portion of this number; the Project estimates 45% of all children under the age of 18 have Internet access.<br /><br />Health-related web sites that targeted teens are appearing on the Internet. Sites such as:<br /><br /><br />iEmily.com<br />Zaphealth<br />THINK (Teenage Health Interactive Network)<br />Teen Growth<br />These sites are like interactive magazines written specifically for teens. Headlines from a recent ZapHealth page include: “My Friend's Acne” and “Guilt about Drinking.” Other topics on the site include “getting the dirt on important issues like kissing, piercing and buying condoms.”<br /><br />In addition to articles, these web sites offer:<br /><br /><br />Information and advice on general, sexual and emotional health<br />Information on fitness and sports<br />Family issues<br />Chat rooms where teens can talk with others with similar concerns<br />Bulletin boards where teens can post questions and receive answers from health care professionals<br />Links to other resources<br /><br />It’s easy, quick and convenient. An added appeal of these sites is that teens can get information anonymously, without having to talk to anyone. The Pew Project says that 16% of web health seekers do so to get information about a sensitive health topic that is difficult to talk about.<br /><br />Although a teen can get answers to some questions on these sites, the sites caution teens that they are not a substitute for regular healthcare; teens should see their healthcare providers as needed.<br /><br />ZapHealth also urges children under 18 to talk with their parents or guardians about any health or emotional issues.<br /><br /><br />References<br />The Pew Internet and American Life Project<br />ZapHealth </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-53088200192604736812008-12-10T10:20:00.000-08:002008-12-10T10:22:18.087-08:00Sue Scheff Teen Court<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3YUIghClMzepN76GufHSA7gNArD2400mavfi_tGAPxlq4Doxh9yilw416fh0Y2aaOE5ixkJCqeD_AMPGShDajM-tc2MuTtuDSmcKftRELP3Lm5tTGhMInzW9rE6hvI5Yw1e4-1r1UMI/s1600-h/teencourt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278228254223980290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3YUIghClMzepN76GufHSA7gNArD2400mavfi_tGAPxlq4Doxh9yilw416fh0Y2aaOE5ixkJCqeD_AMPGShDajM-tc2MuTtuDSmcKftRELP3Lm5tTGhMInzW9rE6hvI5Yw1e4-1r1UMI/s320/teencourt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <strong><a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></strong></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>“[I]t feels like at times you have more … power in the school system and more of a chance to make a decision for others and help make decisions.”<br /><br />– Anthony Mayson, 14 years old<br /><br />“Can you all please stand and raise your right hand,” the bailiff says as he administers the oath to the eight jurors about to hear a case.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in another room, the “attorneys” prepare their cases for the prosecution and the defense while the judge prepares to enter the courtroom.<br /><br />There’s only one unusual thing about everyone involved in this court proceeding: All of the participants are high school students. However, the cases they handle are real.<br /><br />Eight years ago, about 80 youth court programs existed across the country. Today, that number has increased to more than a thousand.<br /><br />Fourteen-year-old Anthony Mayson says participating in the teen court gives him – and the other students involved – a real feeling of empowerment.<br /><br />“It feels good. And it feels like at times you have more … power in the school system and more of a chance to make a decision for others and help make decisions,” Anthony says. “[It gives you a chance to] not only be a younger person but be able to be at the same level as an adult.”<br /><br />Most teen courts handle minor discipline problems ranging from insubordination to first-offense truancy. Teen courts do have power. The sentences are limited to written apologies or hours of community service, but the indictment, the defense, the prosecution and the verdict are handled entirely by the students.<br /><br />John De Caro, a teen court coordinator, says the youth court helps demystify the legal process for teens and makes them feel like they’re part of the system.<br /><br />“[It helps break] down the barrier between the “us” and “them” that usually exists,” De Caro says. “And this way, it’s sort of in their own hands and they feel as though they have an actual stake in the system.”<br /><br />Experts say that parents should encourage their children to participate in a teen court in their community or in their school. If the community doesn’t have a youth court, families should help start one in order to provide their children with the opportunity to learn about responsibility and the consequences of risky behavior.<br /><br />“It’s no longer something that they just view on television or hear about on the news; it’s actually [something] that they can get a feel for themselves,” says faculty adviser Charlotte Brown.<br /><br /><strong>Tips for Parents</strong> </div><div><br />Teen courts are real elements of the judicial system that are run by and for young people. In a teen court, all or most of the major players in the courtroom are teens: the lawyers, bailiffs, defendants, jurors, prosecutor, defense attorney and even the judge. A teen court either sets the sentence for teens who have pleaded guilty or tries the case of teens who – with parental approval – have agreed to its jurisdiction.<br /><br />How many teen courts are there in the United States? What began as just a handful of programs in the 1960s has risen to over 1,000 teen courts in operation, according to the U.S. Justice Department.<br /><br />The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) says that teen courts are generally used for younger juveniles (ages 10 to 15), those with no prior arrest records and those charged with less serious violations, including the following:<br /><br />Shoplifting<br />Vandalism<br />Illegal alcohol possession<br />Criminal or malicious mischief<br />Disorderly conduct<br />Traffic violations<br />The OJJDP says that teen courts impose the following types of sentences:<br /><br />Paying restitution (monetary or in kind)<br />Attending educational classes<br />Writing apology letters<br />Writing essays<br />Serving jury duty on subsequent cases </div><div><br />According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), while these courts may vary in composition, responsibilities and operation from town to town, their goal remains the same: to provide teens with an opportunity to take an active role in addressing the problem of juvenile crime within their communities.<br /><br />Teen courts take advantage of two of the most powerful forces in the life of an adolescent – the desire for peer approval and the reaction to peer pressure. Teens sometimes respond better to their peers than to adult authority figures. Youth courts can be a potentially effective alternative to traditional juvenile courts staffed with paid professionals, such as lawyers, judges and probation officers.<br /><br />The U.S. Justice Department says that teen courts offer at least four potential benefits:<br /><br />Accountability: Teen courts may help to ensure that young offenders are held accountable for their illegal behavior, even when their offenses are relatively minor and would not likely result in sanctions from the traditional juvenile justice system. </div><div><br />Timeliness: An effective teen court can move young offenders from arrest to sanctions within a matter of days instead of months that may pass with traditional juvenile courts. </div><div><br />Cost savings: Teen courts usually depend heavily on youth and adult volunteers, with relatively little cost to the community. The average annual cost for operating a teen court is $32,822, according to the National Youth Court Center.<br />Community cohesion: A well-structured and expansive teen court program can affect the entire community by increasing public appreciation of the legal system, enhancing community-court relationships, encouraging greater respect for the law among teens and promoting volunteerism among both adults and teens. </div><div><br />References<br />National Crime Prevention Council<br />U.S. Department of Justice </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-78965368708988627462008-12-04T13:57:00.001-08:002008-12-04T13:58:15.223-08:00Sue Scheff: Drug Free America<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxefQXN7VHzDDCuy9wMMnobA7T5LLEYrQQt9uwo16V45btrIsErRfWhAWLYjX9obYCJgi99dXd1uPlE87okSrbfq0QSZ7LB2oTrJfwg7CchWm8GVdtKhWrXsOyjltgitJQoDIjeE9BNik/s1600-h/drugfreeamerica.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276057479957516578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxefQXN7VHzDDCuy9wMMnobA7T5LLEYrQQt9uwo16V45btrIsErRfWhAWLYjX9obYCJgi99dXd1uPlE87okSrbfq0QSZ7LB2oTrJfwg7CchWm8GVdtKhWrXsOyjltgitJQoDIjeE9BNik/s320/drugfreeamerica.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Parenting today has become more challenging than ever. Social Networking is expanding a new area of concern for parents - and today more than ever, parents need to be informed and keep updated about substance abuse, teen drug use, huffing, drinking, inhalant use and other harmful habits. Peer pressure, the need to fit in - combined with kids suffering with low self esteem can lead to negative behavior.<br /><br />Stay informed - visit <a href="http://www.drugfree.org/">http://www.drugfree.org/</a> to keep yourself educated.<br /><br />The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit organization that unites parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children. Best known for its research-based national public education programs, the Partnership motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs and alcohol, and to find help and treatment for family and friends in trouble. The centerpiece of this effort is an online resource center at drugfree.org, featuring interactive tools that translate the latest science and research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand tips and tools. Research conducted by AP and MTV recently showed that kids see their parents as heroes— at drugfree.org, parents can connect with each other, tap into expert advice for children of all ages, and find the support they want and need in their role as hero to their kids. The Partnership depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and other contributors. The Partnership thanks SAG/AFTRA, the advertising industry and our media partners for their ongoing generosity. </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-18658818970821564842008-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:002008-12-01T11:16:13.147-08:00Sue Scheff: Parenting Tips with ADHD KidsSource: <a href="http://additudemag.com/">ADDitude Magazine</a><br /><br /><strong>ADHD Parenting Tips: Be Positive and Calm</strong><br /><br />What does my style of parenting look like? Let’s say your nine-year-old refuses to comply with a simple request, like “Please pick up your toys.” Don’t repeat your request. Don’t yell or threaten a time-out. Instead, respond with action — firm, calm, quiet, and dramatic.<br /><br />For instance, you might begin placing the toys into a container. If the child asks what you’re doing, you can say that the toys will remain in your possession until she pays you a small sum or performs certain chores. Your floor will be free of clutter — and your child will be more likely to comply next time.<br /><br />Read entire article: <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1879.html">http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1879.html</a>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-47330572773651241062008-11-17T09:17:00.001-08:002008-11-17T09:19:01.815-08:00Sue Scheff: Counseling Cuts Down on Youth Drinking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttYdzl8mHMC3fQJgs1zjYzulr-kLRGnAV2FJPSXH66e6MsBE5VlGjULFhuOclX38Bn6-AGzdTv_EajlIE1ojqBCbutsnWIXX7XSulxxeGHOT5_VLmDnLwY_IHLFOtv3FaPURHp9zZm_Y/s1600-h/youthdrink.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269676961643590002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 50px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttYdzl8mHMC3fQJgs1zjYzulr-kLRGnAV2FJPSXH66e6MsBE5VlGjULFhuOclX38Bn6-AGzdTv_EajlIE1ojqBCbutsnWIXX7XSulxxeGHOT5_VLmDnLwY_IHLFOtv3FaPURHp9zZm_Y/s320/youthdrink.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>Source:<a href="http://connectwithkids.com/"> Connect with Kids</a></strong></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>“If it comes from me, I’m the objective observer. I’m interested in the child, and I try to let them know that. I want what’s best for them, but yet it’s not Mom or Dad saying that.”<br /><br /></strong>– Rhonda Jeffries, M.D., Pediatrician<br /><br />It’s a troubling fact of life: some kids drink.<br /><br />“Especially the older they get,” says Dr. Rhonda Jeffries, a pediatrician. “And by senior year, 50 percent or more of kids are drinking. And in fact, by 12th grade, usually 80 percent of the kids have tried alcohol.”<br /><br />But can a doctor persuade kids not to drink? Kids seem to think so.<br /><br />“I think coming from somebody besides, maybe, just the parents for some people it will help,” says 18-year-old Andrew Scott, a high school senior.<br /><br />Lars Thrasher, 17, agrees. “I would think it would be more helpful from a doctor,” he says.<br /><br />And Christine Terrell, calls doctors advice on drinking and other potentially touchy subjects “extremely beneficial.”<br /><br />According to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, when a physician spends just a few minutes talking to kids about the dangers of alcohol, those kids are 50 percent less likely to drink.<br /><br />Dr. Jeffries says: “If it comes from me, I’m the objective observer. I’m interested in the child, and I try to let them know that. I want what’s best for them, but yet it’s not Mom or Dad saying that.”<br /><br />The study reports when kids talked with their doctor, they had 55 percent fewer traffic accidents, 42 percent less emergency room visits and fewer arrests for underage drinking. It seems that when doctors warn kids about alcohol, they listen.<br /><br />Christine Terrell explains: “They’re not invested in you as their child. They’re invested in you for your health, for your interests, for your sake. And I would definitely listen to a doctor, and I have listened to doctors who have talked to me about subjects like that.”<br /><br />The study suggests it’s a good idea to ask your doctor to talk with your children about alcohol. Of course, experts add, parents should bring up the subject as well. “They need to be open to discussion and to bringing these issues up with their kids,” says Dr. Jeffries. “And I think that parents who are in touch with their kids and connected to them are really helpful in getting their children though adolescence without negative effects.”<br /><br />LaShauna Pellman, 17, sums it up best. “If my parents tell me something,” she says, “then I listen to them even more.”<br /><br /><strong>Tips for Parents </strong></div><strong><div><br /></strong></div>Alcohol-related fatalities are a leading cause of death among young adults in the United States. In the United States, 70.8 percent of all deaths among persons aged 10 to 24 result from only four causes – motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide.<br /><br />Should your family doctor take just a few moments to counsel your child about the risks of alcohol, there is great potential for positive outcome. Just a few minutes of a doctor's counseling helped young adults reduce their high-risk drinking and the number of traffic crashes, emergency room visits, and arrests for substance or liquor violations, says a study in the Annals of Family Medicine. Consider the following:<br /><br />Underage drinking causes over $53 billion in criminal, social and health problems.<br />Alcohol is a leading factor in the three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds: <div> </div><div>automobile crashes, homicide and suicide. </div><div><br />Primary-care doctors should make it a priority to counsel young adults about high-risk drinking. Young adults, ages 18 to 30, who received counseling about reducing their use of alcohol:<br /><br />Experienced a 40 to 50 percent decrease in alcohol use.<br />Reported 42 percent fewer visits to the emergency room.<br />Were involved in 55 percent fewer motor vehicle crashes. </div><div><br />The ways a parent can influence his or her teen’s drinking habits is complex. A universal method regarding what works best in preventing underage drinking may not exist. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that a parent’s attitude toward drinking influences a child's behavior in various ways. One controversial finding was that teens who drank with their parents were less likely than others to have binged or used alcohol at all in recent weeks. Others, of course, argue passionately that parents who drink with their underage children are not only breaking the law but encouraging dangerous behavior that can lead to life-long consequences.<br /><br />The Journal study also found that strict parenting can curb kids' drinking. Teens who said they feared they would have their privileges taken away if they got caught drinking were half as likely to drink as those who thought their parents would not punish them. In addition, consider the following:<br /><br />The average girl takes her first sip of alcohol at age 13. The average boy takes his first sip of alcohol at age 11. </div><div><br />Teenagers who said their parents or their friends' parents had provided alcohol for a party during the past year were twice as likely as their peers to have used alcohol or binged during the previous month. </div><div><br />Nearly 75 percent of teens surveyed said they had never used alcohol. </div><div><br />About 25 percent of teens in the study said they'd been at party in the past year where parents supplied alcohol. </div><div><br />Fourteen percent of teens surveyed said they were with their parents the last time they drank. </div><div><br />References<br />The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<br />Focus Adolescent Services<br />Health Day<br />National Youth Violence Prevention Center<br />Reuters<br />U.S. Department of Health and Human Services<br />University of California, Irvine </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-23462616205248292962008-11-09T05:45:00.000-08:002008-11-09T05:46:46.877-08:00Sue Scheff: Teen Depression<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0HPFsGRaO116fJuu6VDofmUSQ6ExxOxUX8o4ugRSNAGL_G87EHg_gETlZB97NdxF-8DOapRNB3Vi-H-eSLVIZhf1wAJcgCEli98WV13OdXWJDiMCUCuuX83uU3my8x_h3MyHp4x__ks/s1600-h/relentlesshopebook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266653487779794498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0HPFsGRaO116fJuu6VDofmUSQ6ExxOxUX8o4ugRSNAGL_G87EHg_gETlZB97NdxF-8DOapRNB3Vi-H-eSLVIZhf1wAJcgCEli98WV13OdXWJDiMCUCuuX83uU3my8x_h3MyHp4x__ks/s320/relentlesshopebook.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A Relentless Hope - Surviving The Storm of Teen Depression - author, Gary E. Nelson, recently was interviewed on a New Mexico News Station.<br />Watch today - and learn more about teen depression.<br /><a href="http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/health/health_krqe_albuquerque_dr_nelson_teen_depression_20081103">http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/health/health_krqe_albuquerque_dr_nelson_teen_depression_20081103</a></div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-8445459312557551892008-10-30T10:07:00.000-07:002008-10-30T10:09:00.734-07:00Sue Scheff - Mistreated Depression<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfJIFXtnRWsvlkGCcMe-MEkh1GbT_-Ok4YoSfIwfNjcOa69ciLXUfmpBs4cPxbsiyRl22ZQ7aplyrJrt4NsxKBdsitBcjjrjobipMqwOO_SRWIEgSk4B9v0olmZ4moWxtNluaj7Yvkj8/s1600-h/teendepression.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262995101344828530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 107px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 83px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfJIFXtnRWsvlkGCcMe-MEkh1GbT_-Ok4YoSfIwfNjcOa69ciLXUfmpBs4cPxbsiyRl22ZQ7aplyrJrt4NsxKBdsitBcjjrjobipMqwOO_SRWIEgSk4B9v0olmZ4moWxtNluaj7Yvkj8/s320/teendepression.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Source: <a href="http://connectwithkids.com/">Connect with Kids</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>“Basically, psychiatrists are pretty busy. They don’t want to spend a lot of time with people. They want to get people in and out, maybe two or three an hour. … It pays better to do that than spending an hour doing psychotherapy.”<br /><br />– David Gore, Ph.D., clinical psychologist<br /><br />Fifteen-year-old Sarah McMenamin suffers from depression. It started a year ago with the death of her father.<br /><br />“I was just like, ‘I just want to die,’” she says, describing her feeling before seeing a therapist. “I would never kill myself, but I just wish I was dead, I just wish I was never going to wake up.”<br /><br />For depressed teens, experts at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry say what can help is medicine – combined with talk therapy.<br /><br />“I think the therapist helped me,” explains Sarah, “’cause it was talking, you know, I got it out. I didn’t bottle everything up.”<br /><br />“The advantage to getting some therapy along with medication is that you get to the root of the problem,” explains Dr. David Gore, clinical psychologist. “You get to see why you’re feeling that way. And if you start understanding why you’re feeling that way, chances are pretty good you’ll stop feeling that way.”<br /><br />But according to a new study from Thomson-Reuters, more teens than ever are getting medication without psychotherapy. Why? Gore has an answer.<br /><br />“Basically, psychiatrists are pretty busy,” Dr. Gore says. “They don’t want to spend a lot of time with people. They want to get people in and out, maybe two or three an hour. … It pays better to do that than spending an hour doing psychotherapy.”<br /><br />Three months ago, Sarah started seeing a new doctor.<br /><br />“Right away he put me on Zoloft,” she says. “He didn’t even know me for an hour and he put me on it.”<br /><br />But psychologists say medicine alone just won’t work as well.<br /><br />“You take your pill, you’ll get some immediate relief,” explains Dr. Gore, “but the problem’s going to crop up again in two months or four months or six months. You’ve got to get to the root of the problem.”<br /><br />Sarah will resume talk therapy again in a few months. She says she is looking forward to it.<br /><br />“You get it out on the table and you know your feelings’” she says, “and you go in thinking it’s one thing and you come out finding out it’s like 10 different things and you’re like, ‘Wow.’”<br /><br /><strong>Tips for Parents</strong><br />All teens experience ups and downs. Every day poses a new test of their emotional stability – fighting with a friend, feeling peer pressure to “fit in” with a particular crowd or experiencing anxiety over a failed quiz – all of which can lead to normal feelings of sadness or grief. These feelings are usually brief and subside with time, unlike depression, which is more than feeling blue, sad or down in the dumps once in a while.<br /><br />According to the Nemours Foundation, depression is a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months or even longer. It also interferes with a person’s ability to participate in normal activities. Often, depression in teens is overlooked because parents and teachers feel that unhappiness or “moodiness” is typical in young people. They blame hormones or other factors for teens’ feelings of sadness or grief, which leaves many teens undiagnosed and untreated for their illness.<br /><br />The Mayo Clinic reports that sometimes a stressful life event triggers depression. Other times, it seems to occur spontaneously, with no identifiable specific cause. However, certain risk factors may be associated with developing the disorder. Johns Hopkins University cites the following risk factors for becoming depressed:<br /><br />Children under stress who have experienced loss or who suffer attention, learning or conduct disorders are more susceptible to depression. </div><br /><div><br />Girls are more likely than boys to develop depression. </div><br /><div><br />Youth, particularly younger children, who develop depression are likely to have a family history of the disorder. </div><br /><div><br />If you suspect that your teen is clinically depressed, it is important to evaluate his or her symptoms and signs as soon as possible. The National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association cites the following warning signs indicating that your teen may suffer from depression:<br /><br />Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells<br />Significant changes in appetite and sleep patterns<br />Irritability, anger, worry, agitation or anxiety<br />Pessimism or indifference<br />Loss of energy or persistent lethargy<br />Feelings of guilt and worthlessness<br />Inability to concentrate and indecisiveness<br />Inability to take pleasure in former interests or social withdrawal<br />Unexplained aches and pains<br />Recurring thoughts of death or suicide </div><br /><div><br />It is important to acknowledge that teens may experiment with drugs or alcohol or become sexually promiscuous to avoid feelings of depression. According to the National Mental Health Association, teens may also express their depression through other hostile, aggressive, risk-taking behaviors. These behaviors will only lead to new problems, deeper levels of depression and destroyed relationships with friends and family, as well as difficulties with law enforcement or school officials.<br /><br />The development of newer antidepressant medications and mood-stabilizing drugs in the last 20 years has revolutionized the treatment of depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, medication can relieve the symptoms of depression, and it has become the first line of treatment for most types of the disorder. Psychotherapy may also help teens cope with ongoing problems that trigger or contribute to their depression. A combination of medications and a brief course of psychotherapy are usually effective if a teen suffers from mild to moderate depression. For severely depressed teens, initial treatment usually includes medications. Once they improve, psychotherapy can be more effective.<br /><br />Immediate treatment of your teen’s depression is crucial. Adolescents and children suffering from depression may turn to suicide if they do not receive proper treatment. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Americans aged 10-24. The National Association of School Psychologists suggests looking for the following warning signs that may indicate your depressed teen if contemplating suicide:<br /><br />Suicide notes: Notes or journal entries are a very real sign of danger and should be taken seriously. </div><br /><div><br />Threats: Threats may be direct statements (“I want to die.” “I am going to kill myself”) or, unfortunately, indirect comments (“The world would be better without me.” “Nobody will miss me anyway”). Among teens, indirect clues could be offered through joking or through comments in school assignments, particularly creative writing or artwork. </div><br /><div><br />Previous attempts: If your child or teen has attempted suicide in the past, a greater likelihood that he or she will try again exists. Be very observant of any friends who have tried suicide before. </div><br /><div><br />Depression (helplessness/hopelessness): When symptoms of depression include strong thoughts of helplessness and hopelessness, your teen is possibly at greater risk for suicide. Watch out for behaviors or comments that indicate your teen is feeling overwhelmed by sadness or pessimistic views of his or her future. </div><br /><div><br />“Masked” depression: Sometimes risk-taking behaviors can include acts of aggression, gunplay and alcohol or substance abuse. While your teen does not act “depressed,” his or her behavior suggests that he or she is not concerned about his or her own safety. </div><br /><div><br />Final arrangements: This behavior may take many forms. In adolescents, it might be giving away prized possessions, such as jewelry, clothing, journals or pictures. </div><br /><div><br />Efforts to hurt himself or herself: Self-injury behaviors are warning signs for young children as well as teens. Common self-destructive behaviors include running into traffic, jumping from heights and scratching, cutting or marking his or her body. </div><br /><div><br />Changes in physical habits and appearance: Changes include inability to sleep or sleeping all the time, sudden weight gain or loss and disinterest in appearance or hygiene. </div><br /><div><br />Sudden changes in personality, friends or behaviors: Changes can include withdrawing from friends and family, skipping school or classes, loss of involvement in activities that were once important and avoiding friends. </div><br /><div><br />Plan/method/access: A suicidal child or adolescent may show an increased interest in guns and other weapons, may seem to have increased access to guns, pills, etc., and/or may talk about or hint at a suicide plan. The greater the planning, the greater the potential for suicide.<br />Death and suicidal themes: These themes might appear in classroom drawings, work samples, journals or homework. </div><br /><div><br />If you suspect suicide, it is important to contact a medical professional immediately. A counselor or psychologist can also help offer additional support.<br /><br />References<br />American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry<br />American Foundation for Suicidal Prevention<br />Johns Hopkins University<br />Mayo Clinic<br />National Association of School Psychologists<br />National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association<br />National Institute of Mental Health<br />National Mental Health Association<br />Nemours Foundation<br />Thomson-Reuters </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-18781570091609691542008-10-13T12:04:00.001-07:002008-10-13T12:05:14.323-07:00Sue Scheff: Better ADHD School Behavior<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzXmlxkmnQeaZbo93EWIoELkQNFnGnzUa6emQaphkxiN1iRuv4xlVNhNuahnyV5a1Uw6KceKK0-qHSGjh9wy41cdpWqHIroOF9WC85eG6NKtfUijjWMuBnXGoe7qOOEKXMcmpZvvtXys/s1600-h/ADHDinterrupt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256716485510995106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzXmlxkmnQeaZbo93EWIoELkQNFnGnzUa6emQaphkxiN1iRuv4xlVNhNuahnyV5a1Uw6KceKK0-qHSGjh9wy41cdpWqHIroOF9WC85eG6NKtfUijjWMuBnXGoe7qOOEKXMcmpZvvtXys/s320/ADHDinterrupt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>How teachers and parents can inspire better ADHD school behavior with help from these impulse-controlling exercises for children with attention-deficit.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>by <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/authorID/22.html">ADDitude Editors</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The problem: The student with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1973.html">interrupts the teacher and classmates</a> by calling out answers or commenting while others are speaking.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The reason: Children with ADHD have difficulty controlling their impulses. Scientists believe that a problem with <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/784.html" target="_self">dopamine</a>, a brain chemical, causes them to respond immediately and reflexively to their environment — whether the stimulus is a question, an idea, or a treat. That’s why they often seem to act or talk before thinking, and <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-school-behavior.html">ADHD school behavior</a> suffers as a result.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The obstacles: Children with ADHD may not be aware that they are interrupting. Even if they are, they have difficulty understanding that their behavior is disturbing or disruptive to others.Simply telling them their behavior is wrong doesn’t help. Even though they know this, their impulsivity overrides their self-control. Many ADHD children can’t understand nonverbal reprimands, like frowning, either.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Read entire article here: <a href="http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1977.html">http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1977.html</a> </div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-69885968961026312612008-10-05T14:34:00.001-07:002008-10-05T14:34:53.906-07:00Sue Scheff: Teen Truancy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP_W5GJoErA2R0h98vmxmRGVsxOOFEMma3DzJ7xTUaBsSMWxs9BVQn0xEq-yYRzaE9F_Ch-xJ2O06wtuk3BTbB8fGC2xFjRfureTutOBIDJWtsCncr4rYDofozfObPhOTIv21guvOq1U/s1600-h/teentruancy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253786371912668018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP_W5GJoErA2R0h98vmxmRGVsxOOFEMma3DzJ7xTUaBsSMWxs9BVQn0xEq-yYRzaE9F_Ch-xJ2O06wtuk3BTbB8fGC2xFjRfureTutOBIDJWtsCncr4rYDofozfObPhOTIv21guvOq1U/s320/teentruancy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Truancy is a term used to describe any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. Children in America today lose over five million days of their education each year through truancy. Often times they do this without the knowledge of their parents or school officials. In common usage the term typically refers to absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to a medical condition. It may also refer to students who attend school but do not go to classes. Because of this confusion many schools have their own definitions, and as such the exact meaning of the term itself will differ from school to school and district to district. In order to avoid or diminish confusion, many schools explicitly define the term and their particular usage thereof in the school's handbook of policies and procedures. In many instances truancy is the term referring to an absence associated with the most brazen student irresponsibility and results in the greatest consequences.</div><br /><div><br />Many educators view truancy as something much more far reaching than the immediate consequence that missed schooling has on a student's education. Truancy may indicate more deeply embedded problems with the student, the education they are receiving, or both. Because of its traditional association with juvenile delinquency, truancy in some schools may result in an ineligibility to graduate or to receive credit for class attended, until the time lost to truancy is made up through a combination of detention, fines, or summer school. This can be especially troubling for a child, as failing school can lead to social impairment if the child is held back, economic impact if the child drops out or cannot continue his or her education, and emotional impact as the cycle of failure diminishes the adolescent's self-esteem.</div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7511769193603337210.post-70572654582210618392008-09-25T07:01:00.000-07:002008-09-25T07:03:18.136-07:00Sue Scheff: Addictions and Inhalants<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRC3oDf8X1rPTaK8-j79vWKK3KNflF85Aq_vH8EoM0Z-qvZ6sX3MdcQnKOSxNxgbz8WWKRTzkHOZ_F1cHNLwQkd1zwZvLjK2DiW92cxLLb4G-uNb3XB9HYamhyphenhyphenXCGXOwU7XuRLkAt-nI/s1600-h/inhalant2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249959067132728098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRC3oDf8X1rPTaK8-j79vWKK3KNflF85Aq_vH8EoM0Z-qvZ6sX3MdcQnKOSxNxgbz8WWKRTzkHOZ_F1cHNLwQkd1zwZvLjK2DiW92cxLLb4G-uNb3XB9HYamhyphenhyphenXCGXOwU7XuRLkAt-nI/s320/inhalant2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />From the <a href="http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/drugrehab/books-on-addiction/carlton-erickson/13092008">Sunshine Coast’s Health Center Blog:</a></div><br /><div><br />Daniel Jordan raises some interesting questions in his summary of an addictions presentation byDr. Carlton Erickson, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology, and director of the Addiction Science & Research Center in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin.</div><br /><div><br />What are your perspectives or thoughts on his following two points? </div><br /><div><br />1. Inhalants and Addiction:“Dr. Erickson calls the likelihood that a person will become dependent on a drug its “dependence liability.” Some drugs have a dependence liability while others do not.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The criteria for dependence liability is how it acts on the mesolimbic dopamine system. Caffeine, antidepressants, and newer anti-seizure medications do not have dependence liability. However, some drugs do and the following chart shows that a certain percentage of people (depending on the drug) will become dependent *:</div><br /><div><br />Drug / Percentage of People Who Become DependentNicotine - 32%, Heroin - 23%, Cocaine - 17%, Alcohol - 15%, Stimulants - 11%, Cannabis - 9%, Sedatives - 9%, Psychedelics - 5%, Inhalants - 4%.</div><br /><div><br />Source: Anthony, J.C., Warner, L.A., & Kessler, R.C., (1994). Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: Basic findings from the national comorbidity survey. Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2, 244-268.”</div><br /><div><br />2. Use the term “Abuse” in Inhalant Abuse:“I was particularly fascinated by Dr. Erickson’s claim that many of the words, or terminology, that the general public and the treatment field use to describe drinking and drugging are leading to continued prejudice and discrimination in North American culture. This stigmatizing, Dr. Erickson argues, is a big part of why governments are not providing adequate funding for addiction research, prevention, and education</div><br /><div><br />“Abuse” is a Perjorative Term and Should be Retired. In his book, The Science of Addiction, Dr. Erickson calls the term “abuse” the number 1 myth that prevails in the treatment field or in the minds of the public. The word abuse * is an inappropriate term for several reasons, such as:</div><br /><div><br />the term being used, for centuries, as a morally sinful act such as child abuse, sexual abuse, spousal abuse<br />the implication that alcohol, an object, is being abused by someone just like a child is being abused by someone (a preferred term in Europe is misuse) </div><br /><div><br />the use of the term substance abuse does not distinguish between voluntary use (”misuse”) and uncontrolled use (”dependence”) similar to the generalized use of the term “addiction” </div><br /><div><br />“By continuing to refer to people as drug, alcohol, or substance abusers, according to Bill White *, “misstates the nature of their condition and calls for their social rejection, sequestration, and punishment.”</div><br /><div><br />Visit <a href="http://www.inhalant.org/">http://www.inhalant.org/</a> for more information.</div>Sue Scheffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280699369282151042noreply@blogger.com