4 Troubled Teens Blog

When Ashley was 18 years old, she was raped by her high school boyfriend. Now, over a decade later, the emotional scars haven't completely healed. She has begun speaking to teens and parents, hoping to raise awareness about teen dating violence.

"According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, 13 percent of teenage girls in relationships say they've been physically abused. Only 33 percent of teenagers in abusive relationships ask for help, and less than 25 percent say they've talked about dating violence with their parents."

That's why Ashley has become a public speaker. She hopes that if she talks first, young girls who are in unhealthy relationships will feel the freedom to start talking, too. Source: KBTX

Labels: violence, dating, abuse

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Mothers are less likely to have their daughters under age 13 receive the new vaccine against human papillomavirus, even though doctors recommend it for girls at 11 or 12 years old, according to a national study from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Over 85% of the 10,521 mothers in the study thought the vaccine was a good idea for 16- to 17-year-old girls, but only 48% intended to have their 9- to 12-year-olds vaccinated.

The vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

This study was presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

Labels: sexually_transmitted_diseases, girls, vaccine

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Charlotte Mills of Modesto, California, spends her days talking to kids who are caught up in drugs, gangs, and violence. She's not a cop or a court-appointed attorney; she's more like a "life coach" for at-risk teens.

"The key, she said, is to show them alternatives to lives of violence and crime. She helps them work toward their high school diplomas. She helps them find jobs. As novel as it might seem, Mills takes them on field trips: to colleges, to museums, to tourist spots... In other words, she tries to give them a taste of what other kids experience - those who aren't hanging out in parks, flashing colors and dodging bullets."

The program is a collaborative effort between Stanislaus County Juvenile Probation and the Center for Human Services where Mills is an employee. Jerry Powers, probation chief for Stanislaus County, believes programs like this are vital, and far less expensive than the cost of keeping someone in jail. Source: Modesto Bee

Labels: violence, at_risk, gangs

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Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offered the first-ever Drug Facts Chat Day. Teens were invited to submit anonymous questions about anything related to drugs and alcohol. The questions were received and answered by some of the top substance abuse experts in the nation.

"[Q] What are the long term effects of smoking pot [A] There are many long-term effects of smoking marijuana. The use of marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional and behavioral changes, and, contrary to popular belief, it can be addictive. Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, can harm the lungs. The use of marijuana can impair short-term memory, verbal skills, and judgment, and also distort perception..."

Other questions included, "Why is marijuana a gateway drug?," "Have most teens used marijuana in their life?," and "Can you die from weed?" Source: U.S. News and World Report

Labels: marijuana, substance_abuse, questions

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Representative Edna Brown (D., Toledo) recently introduced a bill to the Ohio House of Representatives which expands the protection offered to teens that are or have been in an abusive dating relationship. House Bill 247 was approved on Wednesday and is now headed to the Senate for consideration.

"Ms. Brown's bill... expands the list of allegations that could allow an alleged victim to seek protection to include felonious assault, aggravated assault, menacing, aggravated menacing, menacing by stalking, or a sexually oriented offense or its equivalent within a dating relationship."

The bill also allows foster parents to request protection orders on behalf of a teen that is in their care. Source: Toledo Blade

Labels: violence, dating, legislation

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A White House report being released today says teens that use marijuana regularly are at risk not only of developing a dependency but of developing a mental illness. The report summarizes information from several studies on marijuana use among teenagers.

"...using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers..."

Marijuana use among teens has decreased by 25% since 2001, which is encouraging. But the millions of kids who are still using need to know the dangers associated with it. Source: NBC25, Michigan

Labels: marijuana, substance_abuse, dependeny

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Recent studies have found that teen pregnancy is at its lowest point in 30 years. Though that's an encouraging statistic, it doesn't tell the whole story.

"Teen moms are the only ones with a visible marker of their sexual activity, said Cynthia Hudson, coordinator of the Knox Adolescent Pregnancy Initiative for the Knox County Health Department. 'But even more teens are becoming sexually active a lot sooner and contracting sexually transmitted diseases,' Hudson said."

For teen moms, life changes radically. The focus of their lives has to shift from themselves and their futures to the lives of their children. College plans often change, and many never attend college at all. Source: Knox News

Labels: sex, pregnancy, statistics

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A recent study found that more than two million U.S. teenagers had a serious case of depression in the past year, with nearly three times more girls than boys having a serious depressive episode.

"They defined a major depressive episode as two weeks or longer of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms such as problems with sleep, energy, concentration or self-image."

More than 67,000 young people responded to questions about mood and depression. Results of the study showed that 12.7 percent of girls and 4.6 percent of boys were affected by depression in the past year. Source: Reuters

Learn more at About Teen Depression.

Labels: depression, teen_issues, studies

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Teens and babies may develop specific fears because of "genetic programming," according to two new studies from the University of Minnesota and the Virginia Commonwealth University.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth found that teens often develop fears of blood and injury, whereas the Minnesota team discovered that babies are "hard-wired" to be afraid of spiders. These studies used twins, so that scientists could determine whether heredity or environment caused fears to develop at certain ages. It is already known that separated identical twins develop similar phobias.

Dr. Kenneth Kendler believes that humans may be programmed for certain fears at certain ages because of our evolutionary history. For example, young adults often develop fears of strangers, which may be based upon long-ago risks of being attacked by members of a foreign tribe.

These studies appear in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that for every child ages 10-14 who commits suicide, 100 to 200 others attempt to kill themselves. The statistic is alarming; as alarming as the fact that suicide is the third leading cause of death in this age group.

"For a long time we've talked about the crucial hours between school dismissal and parents getting home from work - those minutes and hours when latch key kids are home alone. This time and place is the most common for suicides..."

Sudden changes in mood or habits are often signs that something is seriously wrong with a young person. If he isn't able to properly cope with what he's feeling, he may view suicide as his only way out. It's important for parents to know the warning signs, but equally important that they help their kids learn how to express their thoughts and emotions in healthy ways. Source: Salem (Ohio) News

Labels: suicide, risky_behaviors, coping_skills

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Health experts are urging parents, teachers and others to be alert to signs of self-injurious behavior in adolescents, which is become more frequent.

"There are no exact numbers for this largely hidden problem, but anonymous surveys among college students suggest that 17 percent of them have self-injured, and experts estimate that self-injury is practiced by 15 percent of the general adolescent population."

Self-injury is rarely driven by thoughts of suicide, but rather by deep emotional responses that the teen doesn't know how to process. Self-injurious behavior includes carving or cutting the skin, ripping or pulling skin or hair, head banging needle sticking, pinching and biting. Source: International Herald Tribune.

Labels: risky_behaviors, self-harm, self_injury

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When Jade Vanacore started teaching music therapy at a school for troubled boys, she never imagined it would end at a recording studio. But as the boys began to open up and share their own poems and lyrics, the focus of her classes shifted.

"She encouraged each of the boys to write songs about their past experiences. She also brought a number of beats, or instrumental hip-hop songs, so the boys could start putting their words to music."

With the help of South Beach's Collins Studio, Vanacore treated the boys to a day in the studio where they were able to record their songs. Producer Corey Hill said a lot of the boys had potential as lyricists and rappers, if they "work hard and stay out of trouble." Source: Miami Herald

Labels: music, dreams, hope

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Teens that injure themselves, take life-endangering risks, or have explosive personalities are more likely to commit suicide, two psychiatrists warn parents.

Speaking at a conference on suicide this week, Dr. Barbara Stanley said that self-mutilation in any form can be a warning sign, whether it's a girl burning herself with a cigarette or a boy who carves a friend's initials in his arm.

"Once you start to hurt yourself," she said, "it is a closer step to do the next type of hurting."

She said that recklessness, such as walking on a steep rooftop, also could be a sign of suicide ideation.

Dr. Eric Fombonne, director of the McGill University Department of Psychiatry, said teens that are "easily irritated and explosive" need to be monitored, too.

Teen suicides are increasing, especially among girls aged 10 to 14 years old. Girls attempt suicide two to four times more often than boys; however, boys complete suicides five times as often as girls. Suicide attempts peak between 16 and 18 years old.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide, depression

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A new study of clinically depressed teens found that while many respond well in the beginning to drug treatments alone, they might need cognitive-behavioral therapy later to sustain their improvements and prevent recurrences.

Dr. Paul Rohde of the Oregon Research Institute studied 242 teens that had been treated for depression. One group had drugs alone, the second group had cognitive therapy alone, and the third group had a combination of the two.

After three months, the combination group had the best result, with a 71% response, compared to 68% of the drug-alone group and 42% of the therapy group. However, six months later, 97% of the teens in the therapy-alone group were maintaining their improvements, compared to 89% in the combination group and 74% of those who only took drugs.

Dr. Rohde and others believe that teens may respond to drugs initially and then hit a plateau, so that after a while, they benefit from psychotherapy.

This study was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Labels: depression, treatment_programs, therapy

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Organizations in Douglas County, Ore., estimate there are approximately 300 to 500 homeless teens in the county. Some teens live in cars, tents, or boxes on the street, while others move from one friend's house to another, spending the night on couches and floors.

"Whether the number is closer to the higher or lower estimate, these are kids who still have a chance to turn their lives around. While some may be determined to run away from the rules of their homes, others may be leaving homes where there is physical abuse, alcoholism or drug abuse."

In response to, and out of concern for, the plight of homeless teens, a drop-in center has been opened in Roseburg. A $122,000 grant from the state has enabled an existing facility to start building showers, a small kitchen, an interview room and more - specifically for homeless teenagers. Though building of the center is well on its way, an additional $35,000 is still needed. Source: Oregon News Review

Labels: homelessness, runaways, shelters

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Amy Smith felt relief and hope when her son Ryan was diagnosed as bipolar. She was elated to have found out what was wrong and begin finding ways to help him. Then, just three days later, her relief turned to despair when Ryan died of a drug overdose.

"Smith believes that chemical addictions develop more from prescription and over-the-counter drugs than the illegal stuff the pusher is dispensing on the street corner."

Ryan died, not from cocaine or heroin, but from a lethal mix of a narcotic painkiller and prescription pills used for treating panic disorder. Smith hopes that her son's tragic story will once again bring into the spotlight the often-talked-about, but also often-ignored dangers of prescription drug abuse. Source: Gainesville Times

Not sure what's going on with your teenager? The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment can help. The Institute provides comprehensive tests to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and treatment program.

Labels: prescription_drug_abuse, bi-polar, overdose

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A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that one in four young women 14 to 19 years old has a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Now, doctors are warning parents that some STDs do not have symptoms and can go undetected.

The most common female STD can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. The warts look like small, flesh-colored bumps or have a cauliflower appearance. Some may grow into large clusters.

Chlamydia, the second most common STD, usually has no symptoms. However, some females will feel a burning sensation during urination and experience abnormal vaginal discharges. If left untreated, girls will develop symptoms of nausea, lower back and lower abdominal pain, fever, pain during intercourse, and bleeding between periods.

Dr. Louis Tesoro of the Princeton HealthCare System recommends that all teenage girls get annual screenings and vaccinations for STDs.

Labels: sex, girls, sexually transmitted_diseases

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Over 90% of 700 teens in a study by Pew Institute communicate with peers online by text messaging, instant chat, and so forth. However, the majority (60%) told researchers they do not consider online communication "real writing."

"There is clearly a big gap in the minds of teenagers between 'real' writing they do for school and the texts they compose for their friends," said the co-author of the Pew report, Amanda Lenhart.

Over 85% of the teens said they believe good writing is essential to their future success.

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