Teens & Safety
This tag is used to pull content into the Teen Health Center, subcategory Safety.
How to Reduce the Possibility of Teen Addiction
How teen addiction begins At one time or another, most teens find themselves in situations that involve making difficult decisions regarding alcohol and drugs. The choices teens make can not only hav…
Reporting Behaviors of Concern
Yesterday we talked about specific behaviors of concern that may tell you that someone is sexually abusing or being abused. Now we’re going to talk about what to do if you see a behavior of concern …
Child Sexual Abuse – The Warning Signs
Adult sexual abusers groom children (and their parents) rather methodically. By paying attention to warning signs, adults can disrupt behaviors of concern to protect from child sexual abuse. Behaviors…
Choosing Safe Caregivers
In most cases of child sexual abuse, the abuser is alone with the child, has authority over the child, and takes advantage of the child’s trust. With this in mind, how can you choose safe authority …
Courageous Conversations – Speaking up for Children
When I started doing prevention education in the 1980’s, the focus was on empowering kids to say “No” should they find themselves in a vulnerable situation. At some point, however, it became cle…
What to Do If You Suspect a Concussion
Concussions pose a serious threat to the developing brains of children and adolescents. Unfortunately, there is no single sign or symptom that positively indicates that a concussion has occurred. The …
Concussion Symptoms
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or from a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly from one side to another. Children can …
Second Impact Syndrome
Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) is a serious brain condition that can occur when a second concussion is suffered before the effects of a previous concussion have healed. With SIS, acute and often fatal b…
The State of Head Trauma Among Student Athletes
Participating in sports can add an important dimension to a child’s life. In addition to boosting self-confidence and fostering a lifelong interest in physical fitness, lessons learned on the playin…
Starting the Digital Citizenship Conversation
The Oxford Dictionaries recently named “Selfie” their 2013 Word of the Year – proof that technology is shaking things up and that devices, apps, and services aren’t going anywhere fast. But ev…
Talking to Teens about Waiting
It’s not that talk, don’t worry. I mean waiting to post or share. We talk a lot about thinking before you post – don’t say something in the heat of the moment that you may regret later – but…
Understanding Teens, Privacy, and Online Identity
Today’s teens are easily the most private and reputation-focused of the age groups. Try getting a sixteen year old to explain their day as more than “fine” – it’s about as challenging as con…
Hooked On Cyber-Life: When Screen Time Replaces Family Time
Digital addiction. I always hear about how parents believe their kids or teens are addicted to the Internet and especially their cell phones. The word addiction is usually related to substance abuse, …
Being a Social Media Role Model and Mentor
I often talk about parents and their part in leading by example, both online and off. Children are very impressionable and will often mimic their parents’ habits—good and bad. Since online behavio…
There Is No Rewind Button on the Internet: Pause to Think Before You Post
What you share is as important as how you share it. Over sharing is an area that both kids and adults can be guilty of. It is important to understand what is appropriate and what crosses the line, dig…
Teen Online Reputation Building: Making the World-Wide-Web Your Friend
Building a positive online reputation (digital footprint) should be a requirement of owning a computer. Our kids, especially in high school need to think about teen online reputation building as par…
Smile, You Are On the World-Wide-Web
Yes, within seconds your life can go viral. A simple click of a mouse or tap of a keypad and your digital world is soaring through cyberspace. The Internet is one of the greatest educational tools yet…
Football, Heatstroke, and Head Injuries
The statistics are in, and happily there were no deaths from heatstroke among U.S. football players during the 2002 season (or so far in 2003), according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports…
Teen Alcohol Consumption Shockingly High
Even though the legal drinking age in the United States is 21, more than a quarter of all alcohol consumed here is drunk by people under the age of 20! Experts at Columbia University's National Center…
Do Graduated Driver’s Licenses Work?
Automobile collisions remain the leading cause of death among US teens. The youngest drivers are the most likely to crash, so a number of states have experimented with graduated driver licensing (GDL)…