4 Troubled Teens Blog

Johnson County, Kansas will be one of the testing grounds for a pilot program aimed at helping reduce recidivism rates among juvenile offenders. Called "Success Through Achieving Re-entry" or STAR, the program will focus on high-risk youth who have served six-months or more in a juvenile detention facility.

"A community re-entry officer from the department will work with the juveniles  male offenders ages 12 to 22  establishing a reintegration plan before they are released into the community... The program is a community effort. The reintegration plan will involve law enforcement, school resource officers, juvenile justice authorities, social workers and parents, guardians and other family members."

The county has set of goal of having 65 percent of juveniles complete the program successfully. Read more at TheOlatheNews.com.

Learn more about the difference between a Juvenile Delinquent and a Juvenile Offender and ways to help your child at AboutJuvenileDelinquents.com.

Labels: recidivism, delinquents, offenders

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From 1995 to 2005, the number of drug-treatment patients who sought help for prescription drug abuse increased by over 300 percent. This is one of the statistics that has prompted the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to initiate a $14 million campaign to raise awareness and educate parents about teenage prescription-drug abuse.

"The campaign began with television ads during this year's Super Bowl, and it will continue with broadcast, print, and online advertising, as well as community outreach and online research for parents."

In the latest study by Partnership for a Drug Free America, one in five teens admitted to abusing prescription painkillers, and one in five also admitted to abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers. Prescription drugs are more commonly abused by teenagers than cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine combined. Read more at DailyIowan.com.

Labels: awareness, treatment_programs, prescription_drug_abuse

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It what may be considered an unusual strategy, a school system in England has begun using a soap opera to teach teenagers about issues like gangs, drugs and pregnancy. The series, called "L8r", was developed by the Worcestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership.

"The DVD series, designed by young people in London, is backed up with chatrooms so teenagers in Worcestershire can debate the lives of the central characters... The series is designed to encourage youngsters to relate to the characters and see the impact decisions can have on their lives in the hope they will delay having sex."

The Partnership also offers free and confidential advice to both teens and parents. Read more at WorcesterNews.co.uk.

Labels: advice, consequences, teaching

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Lee County, in Southwest Florida, has released a list of "top 10 teens in trouble", in hopes of cutting down on juvenile crime in the area.

"In Lee County, the sheriff's office says six percent of criminals are responsible for close to half the crime. That is why the sheriff's office's new anti-crime unit constantly checks up on the teens on the new top ten list. The goal is to make sure they are staying out of trouble. But deputies say just letting the teens know they are being watched can also scare them away from breaking the law."

Teen are able to get off the list by improving their behavior and staying out of trouble. Read more at NBC-2.com.

Labels: juvenile crime, awareness, police

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Last September, the Idaho Meth Project surveyed more than 3000 junior and senior high school students to learn what the prevailing attitudes were about methamphetamine use.

"About 1 in 4 students said they believed meth could make them happy, and help them lose weight. Jose Deniz, CSI student says, 'I think that's exactly it. They're just not educated into exactly what it does to your body and how it deteriorates you. If they were to get some information or knowledge on it, they would probably think differently."

In response to the survey results, the Idaho Meth Project is conducting a radio and television campaign in hopes of educating teens on destructive meth use can be. Read more at KMVT.com.

Labels: prevention, education, attitudes

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The average teen hears 84 references to drugs, alcohol or tobacco every day just by listening to popular music, according to a study from the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.

Researchers went through the lyrics of the most popular songs of 2005 to find explicit references to drugs, alcohol or tobacco. About 77% of rap music had such mentions, followed by 36% in country music, and 14% of rock music. Because the average teen listens to 2.4 hours of music a day, the researchers were able to come up with the 84 references per day figure. This study appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Worried about the negative influences on your teenager? Learn how to be a positive role model and other free parenting tips at ByParents-ForParents.com.

Labels: media, music, influences

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In 2004, Ken Smith - president and CEO of Forest Hill - attended a program sponsored through St. Vincent's Center. It was there that he heard the tragic story of a family that had been devastated by child sexual abuse, and he decided that more needed to be done.

"Smith believed the problem needed high profile exposure to bring it to the forefront of society and that the first step to prevent child sexual abuse is public awareness. In order to bring the message to the public, a forum had to be found that would attract both children and adults."

Ken's brother and his son, Steve and Stevie, had very successful careers in sprint car-racing. Ken approached them about driving under the banner of the RAACE Foundation (Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere), and TEAM RAACE was born. The foundation also holds events throughout the year in an effort to continue raising awareness about child sexual abuse. Read more at RAACE.org.

Labels: awareness, abuse, advocay

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Attachment disorders can be cause by a myriad of things. Unmet needs in infancy, abuse, placement in foster care or some other form of severe trauma can cause a child to develop this disorder. In an effort to help parents, caregivers and professionals alike learn how to interact with children who have attachment disorders, the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth sponsored a three-hour seminar titled "Childhood Attachment and Attachment Disorders."

"While discussing healthy and unhealthy attachments, [Kevin] Wood [of Agape Child and Family Services] asked the audience to describe some of the characteristics of children they work with. Angry, apathetic, violent, self-destructive, defiant, emotionally unstable, bullying, thrill-seeking, attention-getting, defensive and uncooperative are a sampling."

Wood encouraged the audience that such behaviors can be improved. He also stressed the importance of talking about why the behavior, not the child, is wrong. Read more at JacksonSun.com.

Learn more about Attachment Disorders and schools that are geared to help children with Attachment Disorder and Adoption Issues at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: trauma, abuse, attachment_disorders

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A survey from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that one in four drivers ages 16 to 17 years old was involved in an automobile crash in 2006. Drivers ages 16 to 19 years old also had the highest number of driving fatalities.

Several factors contribute to the high accident rate among teenage drivers. Alcohol was one important risk: 28% of the teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were legally drunk. Other factors are lack of sleep, lack of supervision, driving after 9 PM, moving away from home, and having passengers in the automobile.

People ages 15 to 20 years old are only 8.4% of the population and 6.3% of all licensed drivers, yet they make up 13.6% of drivers involved in major automobile accidents.

Labels: safety, death, driving

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Though it's been around for about five years, the "party pact" is rarely used by parents in London and the surrounding communities. Police would like that to change.

"The party pact contract sets guidelines for a teen staying in the home [alone] and authorizes police to enter if they receive a complaint from neighbours. 'It's not like we'll be driving by consistently, but the parents and the teenager are aware that we can go in if we are needed,' [Constable John] Reurink said."

When used, the Party Pact is signed by parents who are going out of town and suspect that their teenage child might throw a party while they're away. It gives local police the authority to enter the home and press charges for drug or alcohol offenses. Read more at LFPress.ca.

Worried about what may happen at your house when you're away? If your child was at a private boarding school, then a teen house party would be one less thing to worry about. Visit BoardingSchoolsInfo.com for a comprehensive list of the best private boarding schools.

Labels: communication, responsibilty, agreements

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Mentoring has always been considered a face-to-face activity, but one program has allowed mentors to increase their level of involvement through a unique cyber-program.

"By setting up an online system, the men can check in with the students more frequently than they would be able to if they had to rely on face-to-face meetings..."

Mentors and youth still meet face-to-face, but not as often. The new program is also enabling the young participants to learn computer programs like PowerPoint and improve their resume writing skills. Read more at AZStarNet.com.

Private college prep boarding schools offer smaller class sizes and more personal attention. Find a school at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: mentoring, role_models, skills

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Although the rate of teen suicides is up, the actual number of teenagers who commit suicide remains small, according to Dr. Nancy Rappaport of Harvard Medical School.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 14 to 24. The rate for suicides was 6.7 per 100,000 in 2003 compared to 9.4 per 100,000 in 2007. The number of suicides tripled between the late 1960s to the late 1980s, but dropped 30% since the early 1990s. Many scientists believe that decrease was due to the use of anti-depressant drugs.

However, Dr. Rappaport, an expert on teen suicide, said there is no way to determine if teen suicides have increased because of "black box" warnings on drug labels mandated by the FDA in 2005.

The vast majority of teens who commit suicide are mentally ill. A 1987 study of 170 suicide victims found that 90% had mental disorders. Suicide is also associated with drug abuse. Teens most frequently commit suicide with guns, followed by drug overdoses and hangings.

If your child shows five of these symptoms, it is a good idea to take him to the doctor for an evaluation. Signs of suicidal ideation are excessive sleeping, irritability, depression, restlessness, lack of interest in friends and family, lack of interest in usual activities, loss of appetite, and a drop in school performance.

Your family doctor or therapist might recommend a residential treatment center for your teen. Island View is an adolescent treatment center that offers children a place to work through their emotions while earning school credits.

Labels: suicide, mental_health, residential_treatment_centers

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Teens and their mothers overestimate the rate of teen sexual activity, according to a Canadian study.

Over 1100 teens and their mothers participated in the survey, and estimated that by ages 17 to 18 years old, 66% had had sexual experience. The actual figure is 42% for boys and 47% for girls.

"Teens talk about sex. That does not mean that they do it," said lead researcher Dr. Jean-Ives Frappier of Montreal's Sainte Justine University Health Centre.

This study appears in Pediatrics and Child Health.

The Academy at Swift River is a therapeutic boarding school for teens who may benefit from a private boarding school setting. Visit SwiftRiver.com for more information.

Labels: sex, awareness, perceptions

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Anti-psychotic drugs do not control aggression in patients who have low IQs, even though such drugs have been used to do just that for over sixty years, according to a new study from Great Britain.

The new study is the first double-bind study that compares these drugs with placebos (sugar pills). Researchers divided 86 patients into two groups  one group took anti-psychotic drugs, and the other took placebos. Those who took the sugar pills actually showed less aggression than the ones who took the prescription drugs.

Psychiatrists and other physicians often prescribe drugs like Haldol and Risperdal to control tantrums and other behaviors in people with IQs below 70.

This study appears in the British science journal, The Lancet.

NorthStar Center offers adolescent drug treatment and a structured program to help teens and young adults in recovery.

Labels: aggression, treatment_programs, drug_use

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released hopeful results of a study on school violence. The report found that school-associated homicide rates decreased significantly from 1992 thru the 2006 school year.

"The report shows a decline in the rates of single-victim school-associated homicides, while multiple-victim homicide rates, which were much fewer in number, remained stable... 'The decline in episodes of school-associated violence is promising and encouraging,' said Dr. Ileana Arias, Director of the CDC's Injury Center."

The study also found that schools are still safe, with homicides accounting for less than 1% of the total number of homicides that occur within that age group.

Labels: violence, schools

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Though the holidays are officially over, many children and teenagers are still recovering from extended periods of time with family members. The holidays are hard for teenagers who come from extremely dysfunctional homes. They will likely to be looking to teachers, counselors, school administrators and other adult influencers for advice and guidance.

"For children who attempt to regulate problem drinking or to stop family fights, teach them that young people are not equipped to solve serious family problems. The more you can lighten the heavy responsibilities that these children carry, the more you may be able to help lessen the depression, despair or withdrawal that the child experiences."

It's also helpful to remind teens that the holiday images conveyed by advertising and marketing campaigns are unrealistic. Very few (if any) families have that picture perfect holiday celebration. Talk about this, and help the teen develop more realistic expectations for future family gatherings.

The Academy at Swift River is a private high school for teens in New England. If your teen would benefit from a structured, therapeutic boarding school environment, then the Academy at Swift River is a great choice.

Labels: depression, trauma, influences

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