When kids are transitioning into middle school, they need their parents more than ever. Grade school is relatively easy, but in middle school kids are faced with cliques and increased social pressure to fit in.

"Parents can help pave the way to teenagerhood by maintaining communications with their children, being warm and nurturing, and knowing where their kids are and who their friends are..."

Studies have shown that girls who have a warm, nurturing mom were less likely to have problems in middle school and that good, consistent communication helped middle school students manage their fears and reduce their social aggression toward other students. Source: U.S. News

Labels: parental_involvement, schools, social_pressures

The Tri-County Youth Services Bureau in Maryland held its second "Youthquake" - an event aimed at helping teens discover healthy alternatives to drugs and alcohol. The event featured games, workshops, art, and music.

"The kids that attended Saturday's program at the La Plata Campus of the College of Southern Maryland came from different situations. While some are known to skip school regularly, others are go-getters who took the opportunity to attend the various workshops."

Most of the students signed up for Youthquake through their schools, and many learned that there are people out there who are ready and able to help teenagers. They also learned the importance of protecting their identity online, and setting healthy priorities. Source: Southern Maryland News.

Labels: education, prevention, schools

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: schools, violence

Should schools provide computer access to social network websites like Facebook and MySpace? Despite the results of a recent study that says such websites can be educational, child advocacy groups and some educators believe it's better to keep them out of schools.

An online survey of 1,277 students ages 9 to 17 years old found that 69% use social network sites to talk about education or homework online.

Some educators and child advocacy groups point out that this study was done by the National School Board Administration, which is partially sponsored by the owners of MySpace and Facebook. The report from the Administration said "social networking sites are deeply embedded in the lifestyles of teens," and recommended that teachers find ways "to harness their educational value."

Labels: myspace, schools, social_networking

About one million British children are taking "psychometric" tests to allow their teachers to create psychological profiles for each child.

The tests measure self-worth, work ethic, regard for teachers, and the child's likelihood of truancy. Children answer true or false to statements like "I am lonely at school," "I would rather be somewhere else than school," etc.

Dr. Glen Williams and his colleagues developed the tests as a way to predict behaviors such as academic success or conduct disorders. Proper use of test results may help boost attendance, achievement, attitudes and aspirations.

Critics of psychometric testing say they may replace personal relationships between children and their teachers. They also point out that they label children at early ages, and that not enough safeguards are in place to protect children's privacy.

Teens struggling with emotional and behavioral issues can find help at private schools that offer therapy and counseling. Visit TherapeuticBoardingSchool.com to find a therapeutic boarding school for your teenager today.

Labels: psychiatric_illness, schools, testing

When officials at King Middle School in Portland, Maine, announced this week that they would provide free birth control pills and condoms to children as young as eleven years old, many Americans reacted with criticism.

"I think it makes people nervous to think middle school students are having sex," Michael McCarthy, principal of King Middle School, said in defense of the decision. "Frankly, it makes me nervous. But there's a small population out there that needs protection."

According to data from the School of Public Health at Columbia University, only 4 to 5% of children under 12 have had sex. By age 14, that figure is 18 to 29 percent, with more boys being sexually active than girls. However, a 2005 report from the Pacific Institute for Research and Education found that only 8% of children ages 12 to 16 years old reported having sex.

If your middle school aged daughter is heading down the wrong path don't delay in getting her the help she needs. Visit BoardingSchoolsforGirls.com to find an all girls school for her today.

Labels: birth_control, schools, sex

Denise Brown is the executive director of the nonprofit program designed for girls ages 16 and older who are either failing school or have dropped out. Called "Intense Mentoring", the program pairs young women with mentors who help them improve their academic performance.

"The girls are required to re-enroll in school. Mentors stay in touch with them through weekly phone calls, e-mail or instant messages... The mentors and students meet twice a month to hear speakers discuss domestic violence, birth control, crime prevention and other topics."

One student, Chanise Turner, had a miscarriage at 17 and felt she had nothing to live for. Brown connected her to mentor Marie Kalis and Turner is now enrolled in an alternative high school and plans to attend law school after she graduates.

Boarding schools for girls can also offer ways for troubled girls to get back on track emotionally and academically.

Labels: girls, mentoring, schools

Though teen pregnancy is on the decline, there are still many young girls and boys who need help balancing the responsibilities of high school and parenting. The HELP Center of Athens, Texas offers a program called PEP (Pregnancy, Education and Parenting) where young people can find the guidance they need.

"According to the center, the PEP program is a dropout prevention program for pregnant and parenting teens... The program offers help during the academic year to anyone enrolled in a Henderson County school and actively attending."

Teen parents meet twice a month with a PEP counselor where they can discuss parenting, career goals and hopes for the future. The center also provides daycare so the parents can continue attending school. Read more at AthensReview.com.

Are you dealing with a bratty kid? Turn-About Ranch was featured on the UK version of Brat Camp and can help you and your family.

Labels: prevention, schools, teen_pregnancy

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice (Florida) has given a $100,000 grant to the Jewish Family & Children's Services of Sarasota-Manatee. The additional money will fund an expansion of its Brief Strategic Family Therapy Program to all the schools in southern Sarasota County.

"The program targets middle and high school aged youth exposed to problems including domestic violence, bullying, rebellion, peer pressure and early substance abuse."

The program includes hour-long counseling sessions once a week for 15 weeks. Read more at Sun-Herald.com.

Labels: family, schools, therapy

The Hip-hop Project, a documentary about a unique New York City program that uses rap to help troubled teens transform their lives, opens in theatres today. The focus of the documentary is Chris Rolle, aka Kazi, who was a student of the program.

"'The whole curriculum was based on the arts,' Rolle says. 'So if you were studying American history, you did it through playwriting... We created a play, but to create the play we had to get the information. So we didn't even realize we were learning American history because we were focused on doing this thing that we actually liked.'"

A few years after Rolle graduated, and his former teacher Scott Rosenberg created the program Hip-hop Project, which is used not only to educate, but to help the teens heal and overcome the obstacles of their lives. The program culminates with the recording and release of a CD. Read more at Chron.com.

Other obstacles teens have to overcome can include teen drug use and abuse. Learn about how teens can find help for teen drug abuse at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: arts, role_models, schools

High Schools in Southern Illinois have a different kind of lifesaver. It's not a candy; it's a person - typically a high school student - who's been uniquely trained as a peer-support person for other high school students.

"The LifeSavers Training Corporation trains selected high school students to be caring, compassionate, confidential listeners for their peers in specialized ways that can help troubled students figure out their own best solutions before teenage stresses and problems turn into a crisis."

The LifeSavers program was developed 20 years ago and currently has programs in twenty-four South Illinois high schools. LifeSaver students not only listen and support their peers, but they also initiate positive activities like drug prevention programs.

Read more at TheSouthern.com.

Labels: peers, schools, support

Research from the University of Illinois indicates that the environment of a school has a small but significant effect on aggression among teenagers.

Janet Reis and her colleagues examined information from 111,662 middle school students to determine what factors predict school violence. An individual's personal traits and peer interactions have the most direct effect on whether a student becomes violent. However, the culture at a school can slightly decrease or increase aggressive tendencies. Schools that fostered student participation had less violence.

This study appears in the current issue of Youth & Society.

Labels: influences, peers, schools

Calls from the Milwaukee school district to police have become a daily occurrence. Over 127 MPS employees reported being physically assaulted in the first semester of the school year.

"The violence is worst at a handful of schools, and is caused by a small percentage of the district's 90,000 students. But their actions are taking a tool on staff, teachers, taxpayers and students who want to learn."

The district has received an additional $1 million in funding which will, in part, cover the cost of a school policing pilot program. Read more at JSOnline.com.

Labels: police, schools, violence

A pilot study by the University of Michigan suggests that young people with emotional problems could benefit from "talk therapy" in a school setting.

The researchers provided individual therapy to 45 students, and group therapy to 60 others. The sessions took place at two middle schools and one high school in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Using standardized measuring tools, the researchers found that the students who underwent therapy learned to recognize and partly overcome mild depression, anxiety and anger problems. By the end of the study, students reported fewer angry feelings toward their teachers and improvements in problem-solving ability. The depressed students experienced elevated mood levels and better cognitive skills.

"Many studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy can help young people with mood and anger issues, but this is the first time that an adapted form of this evidence-based therapy has been shown to work in a school setting," said author David Neal, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School's Department of Psychiatry.

Other studies found that teenagers will not seek out therapy in community centers, even if their teachers or doctors refer them.

Neal and others presented the findings at April 12, 2007 Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Private boarding schools that combine academics and therapy can help troubled teens who have lost their way. Learn more about therapeutic boarding schools at TeenBoardingSchools.com.

Labels: depression, schools, therapy