How Opioids Work and What They do to Teenagers
We used this space to educate and inform community leaders, parents, and teenagers about how drugs affect teenage bodies. We’ve done the same for alcohol, as well. Now we want to break out and specifically discuss the greatest drug threat in America today: Opioids. You’ve most likely heard about opioids in the news, and sadly many of you probably know someone who has […]
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The Power of Youth Empowerment Programs in Communities
Youth empowerment programs can have an incredible impact on their communities as they support students, increase access to opportunity, and remove barriers to education and achievement. Ultimately, the goal of community programs for youth is to authentically engage and empower vulnerable children for a better future. Some programs advocate for healthy eating and physical […]
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Teen Mental Health: Self-Harm
From the outside looking in, self-harm can be a frightening and puzzling behavior – and one that’s difficult to understand. It may be surprising to learn that it’s not always driven by suicidal tendencies. In fact, teens that self-injure probably don’t intend to die but rather use it as a coping mechanism.[1] However, studies have […]
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Teens & Vaping: What You Need to Know
We’ve written before that most tobacco use begins in young adulthood, and about the risks of smoking at this young age. Studies indicate e-cigarette use presents an equally troubling trend that demands further research.
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Teens and Tween Mental Health: Suicide
The statistics are staggering. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19.
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What Alcohol Does to Teens
We’ve written before about how drugs affect teens bodies and their brains, and we continue our series here with how alcohol affects teens. A teenager’s brain is constantly being redesigned and restructured under the influence of massive hormonal changes. Add to this the influence of a drug like alcohol, and it can be a dangerous combination.
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Understanding Teen Online Behaviors to Set Safe, Smart Boundaries
With the explosion of Internet-connected and handheld devices in the last decade (the first iPhone debuted in 2007), children today have access to laptops, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, and more. With these devices come a new set of parenting challenges and responsibilities to keep kids safe not only from online peers and cyberbullying but also sexual predators and people seeking to do them harm online.
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Tween & Teen Mental Health: ADHD
We continue our series about adolescent mental health because understanding the nuances of ADHD and teen mental health can help educators make a meaningful difference in a child’s life.
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Domestic Violence & Children: The Effect on the Learning Environment
Over the last twenty years, researchers have increased our awareness and understanding of the impact of domestic violence on children and its effect on their physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social development.
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