www.troubledteenprograms.com
Navigation
Articles
Alcoholism Might Be Prevented Through Behavioral Correction |
| July 2009 |
Does your child have behavioral problems? Does your child have a problem with alcohol? According to recent studies, these questions may be interdependent. |
The Economy and Our Youth |
| February 2009 |
|
One does not have to be an economist to realize the condition of our economy is not ideal. People all over the United States are struggling to make ends me... |
Spending your budget on the things that will last. |
| January 2009 |
Just because the holidays are over, doesn't mean it has to be the end of family time. In fact, during this economic downturn spending time at home may bec... |
Teens and Sex |
| March 2008 |
Sex, drugs, and dating make teens feel older. Television, movies, records, and advertisements give teens the illusion that these behaviors are “normal... |
Seeing the Red Flags Before Tragedy Strikes |
| February 2008 |
Last week Stephen Kazmierczak entered Northern Illinois University and began a shooting rampage killing six, wounding 16, and killing himself. This devastati... |
Links
- 1on1Parenting.com
This is a great site for parenting helps and tips from a mother who has been there. - Parent Help Center
This is a great site for parents who are looking for advice and help with their families. - Teen Life Skills Center
TLC is a program located in Kidder Missouri that changes, reunites, and restores hope to families across the nation. TLC is a boarding school that gives parents with disrespectful teens an opportunity to take control. At TLC, we work from the inside out to bring about a lasting change and a lifetime of happiness.
Teen Troubles :: Articles
The articles in this section are here to give you more information on teenage troubles and what you can do to prevent them.
Teen drinking more dangerous than previously thought
Several studies released this year suggest teen drinking may cause more neurological damage than was previously thought. Contrary to the notion that the brain is fully developed by age 16 or 17, the new studies have found that significant development happens until the age of 21 and heavy drinking by teen-agers may inhibit that development.
The recent research suggests that teens who binge drink may do damage to their memory and learning abilities by severely hampering the development of the hippocampus. A survey by the Harvard School of Public Health has found that 44 percent of college students are binge drinkers and 74 percent say they binged in high school.
Alcohol Use and Delinquent Behaviors among Youths
Alcohol use by youths has been linked to delinquent behaviors, such as stealing, illicit drug use, and problems in school.1,2 Research also indicates that early drinkers are more likely than nondrinkers to engage in delinquent behaviors.2 The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks persons aged 12 or older to report their alcohol use in their lifetime, the past year, and the past 30 days, as well as binge drinking in the past 30 days. NSDUH defines binge alcohol use as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. Heavy alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days; all heavy alcohol users are also binge alcohol users.
Stopping Teenage Crime
Teenagers commit the largest portion of all violent crime in America. While the national rate of violent crime has leveled off and the nation's population of juveniles has fallen, violent crimes committed by juveniles have risen sharply.
Tips for Talking With Your Child About Drugs
Although such topics as the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs are emotionally charged, they are a natural and necessary part of communicating process you have with your child. Clearly, the best time for such a conversation about drugs is when your child brings up the topic. As hard as this may be to believe, some children actually do this. For most parents, however, it’s not this easy and it may become your responsibility to raise the subject. You’ll want to pick a time and a place that make it possible for you and your child to be comfortable and undisturbed.
Remember that the purpose of this encounter is communication, so listen to everything your child has to say. Observe his or her nonverbal cues – they will let you know how he or she feels about having this conversation. Listening means paying special attention to what is said, both verbally and non-verbally.
Communicating with your child about drug use should not be a one-time occurrence or a one-way process. Conversations about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs are not like inoculations that can protect children for all time. Talk with your children often as they grown from preschool to adulthood.
Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use
It is important to keep in mind that if a child shows any of the following symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that he or she is using drugs. The presence of some of these behaviors could be the product of adolescent stress. Others may be symptoms of depression or a host of other problems. Whatever the cause, they may warrant attention, especially if they persist or if they occur in a cluster. A mental health professional or a caring and concerned adult may help a youngster successfully overcome a crisis and develop more effective coping skills, often preventing further problems.
Both Peer and Parent Behaviors Affect Teen Gang Activity
A new study confirms that parental behavior can affect how likely teenagers are to join a gang or participate in gang delinquency.
But the study also reveals that the same behaviors that discourage gang activity in teens from one ethnic group might have no effect, or even encourage gang activity, in teens from a different ethnic group.
Runaway Teens
For parents, the shock of a teenage runaway is exacerbated by privacy laws that hamper efforts to find them. Rob Burgess reports.
When Simon Armstrong was 15, he was chased down the street he lived on by his school principal, vice principal and his class teacher.
They had been asked by his strict father and mother to physically retrieve him and return him to the school from which he'd played truant since the age of 12.
Preventing Runaways
How to Keep Your Teen From Becoming One of the Thousands That Run Away Each Year
By the end of this year, about 275,000 teens will have "run away" from home, according to the National Organization of Missing and Exploited Children. Thirty to 40 percent of these teens will become involved in some kind of "trouble" -- they will be mugged, robbed, beaten, molested, raped or even killed.
About Teen Suicide
When a teen commits suicide, everyone is affected. Family members, friends, teammates, neighbors, and sometimes even those who didn't know the teen well might experience feelings of grief, confusion, guilt — and the sense that if only they had done something differently, the suicide could have been prevented.
So it's important to understand the forces that can lead teens to suicide and to know how to help.
Some Things You Should Know About Preventing Teen Suicide
It is important to take the subject of suicide seriously. It doesn't seem right that a teen-ager - who has lived for such a short time - would choose to die. But adolescents who can't get over their depression sometimes do kill themselves.
Boys commit suicide more often than girls, but no one is immune. In one recent survey of high school students, 60 percent said they had thought about killing themselves. About 9 percent said they had tried at least once.
Why has the youth suicide rate gone so high in recent years?