The Dangers of Being a Teen in the New Millennium

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The Dangers of Being a Teen in the New
Millennium
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• Parents, this is not the childhood that you had

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Things parents didnt have to worry about 20
years ago

• Computers-video games and the internet
• Cyber Bullying
• Physical Bullying
• Dating Violence
• The Choking Game
• Drug and alcohol abuse at younger ages
• Teen Suicide

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• Watch
• Maybe you can learn something to make your teens
  life a little safer.

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Facts about Computer Usage

• Teens with home internet access spend, on
  average, one hour and 45 minutes every day
  online.

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Computer Usage

• Some students spend up to four or more hours.

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Computer Usage

• Compare those hours to the average of 28 minutes
  daily most children spend talking with their
  parents.

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Computer Usage

• Teens tend to do the majority of their
  communicating to others via the computer

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Computer Usage

• to people they know
• and to people they do not know.

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Computer Usage

• The single, most effective tool cited for keeping
  children safe on the computer
• the quality and quantity of
• time spent with their parents.

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Still concerned?

• Look into parental controls and filters
• Learn how to use the history feature on a
  computer (shows you where theyve been)

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Computer Usage

• Limit the amount of time
• Move the computer to a central location in the
  home

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Cyber Bullying

• This is a new term that is specific to how some
  people are being hurt by what is displayed
  publicly via the internet
• 32 percent of teenagers have experienced cyber
  bullying

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Examples of Cyber Bullying

• Posting rude things about someone
• 13 percent of teenagers claim that they have had
  rumors spread about them online

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Cyber Bullying

• Not informing someone who you really are online

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Cyber Bullying

• Changing an away message and designing it to
  hurt or scare someone
• 13 percent of teenagers have received a
  threatening or aggressive email

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Cyber Bullying

• Posting pictures without consent
• 6 percent of teenagers have had embarrassing
  photos of themselves posted online without
  consent

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Think about it---

• If you wouldnt say it to someones face, you
  shouldnt be writing it
• Talk to your teen about cyber bullying  

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Bullying

• Approximately half of middle school students
  reported that they were bullied in the past
  month.

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Bullying

• About 7 reported being bullied several times a
  week.  

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Bullying Facts

• School bullying has both immediate and long-term
  detrimental effects.

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Bullying Facts

• Victimization results in
• Higher rates of absenteeism

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Bullying Facts

• Significant negative affects to academic
  achievement

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Bullying Facts

• Increases in social isolation

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Bullying Facts

• Increases in internalization of problems,
  including depression and thoughts of suicide.

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NHMS Plan

• Lend a hand,
• Take a stand,
• STOP bullying.

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Bullying

• Tell your child to
• Tell a friend, Tell a teacher, Tell their
  parents, tell someone.

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Bullying

• Bullying hurts.
• period.

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Still concerned?

• If you see a reluctance on your child to attend
  school, ask why.

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Bullying

• Consider speaking with a school guidance
  counselor or administrator.

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Teen Dating Violence

• In dating violence, one partner tries to dominate
  the other through power and control.

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Teen Dating Violence

• Statistics show that one in three teenagers has
  experienced violence in a dating relationship.

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Teen Dating Violence

• Teen dating violence often goes undetected by
  parents because
• teenagers typically are inexperienced and dont
  know the appropriate behavior
• teenagers dont tell parents because they want
  independence from their parents.

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Teen Dating Violence

• Young men may believe they have the right to
  control their girlfriend.

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Teen Dating Violence

• Young women may believe their boyfriends
  possessiveness is romantic.

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Teen Dating Violence Fact

• Know that teen dating violence most often occurs
  in the home of one of the partners

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Teen Dating Violence

• Early warning signs of a possible abusive
  relationship
• Extreme jealousy
• Controlling behavior
• Demands isolation from family friends
• Blames others for their problems

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Still Concerned?

• Dating Safety
• Encourage your teen to double date
• Know the exact plans and let others know
• Teach your teen to be assertive
• Remind them to trust their instincts

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Teen Dating Violence

• The single, most effective tool cited for keeping
  children safe on their first dating ventures
• the quality and quantity of time
• spent with their parents.

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The Choking Game

• What is the Choking Game?

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The Choking Game

• Far from being a game, it is seeking a brief,
  euphoric high that players report when
  oxygen-carrying blood is cut off from the brain
  and then rushes back as ligatures around the neck
  are released.

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The Choking Game Facts

• Loss of consciousness occurs in a few seconds and
  cardiac arrest can follow.

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The Choking Game Facts

• Even if the player regains consciousness, brain
  damage can occur.

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The Choking Game Facts

• The single, most effective tool cited for keeping
  children safe from this dangerous practice is to
• talk to your children about the
• possible risks

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The Choking Game

• A parent, Beth Bixby, who lost her son three
  years ago to the Choking Game, said, I talked to
  my son about drugs, about strangers, about gunsI
  had never heard about this game

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The Choking Game

• if I had, I would have talked to him about it
  and maybe Joseph would still be here.

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The Choking Game

• Unaware of the risks - Kids think The Choking
  Game is 'safe andhave been heard saying "It's
  just passing out!  No one ever dies from passing
  out.                                  

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The Choking Game

•            Only 25 of parents know about The
  Choking Game -                                   
                        75 of CHILDREN do

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The Choking Game by any other name is still bad

• Other names cited for this game include
• 5 minutes of Heaven, Breath Play and The
  Tingling Game

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The Choking Game Facts

• Also called the Good Kids High, it occurs most
  often with well adjusted, high achieving students

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The Choking Game facts

• 9 to 14-years-old

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The Choking Game

• and most often, with boys.

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The Choking Game

• Be proactive---talk to your teens about this
  game.

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The Choking Game

• Tell them that EVERY time they do this, they are
  risking DEATH
• death of their brain cells or even themselves

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The Choking Game

• There were 381 teenagers in 2007 that thought
  they were playing a game, and instead, died.

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Drugs and Alcohol

• Not new to the parents list of worries, but like
  everything else, drugs and alcohol these days
  come in packages that we would never suspect,
  even under the kitchen sink.

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Drug Abuse

• Illicit teen drug use as of 2003.   8th grade
  -- 30.3   10th grade -- 44.9   12th grade
  -- 52.8

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Signs to investigate-

• Hiding use lying and covering up
• Sense that the person will "do anything" to use
  again regardless of consequences
• Loss of control or choice of use

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Signs to investigate-

• Additionally, money or valuables missing from a
  parents wallet or purse - two very significant
  signs of substance abuse that should not be
  overlooked.

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Signs to investigate-

• A shift in your child's normal patterns,
  behavior, or level of independence that cannot be
  attributed to the ordinary stresses of
  adolescence
• Pay particular attention to your child's
  appearance, speech, and behavior

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Huffing or Dusting

• Huffing or Dusting is when a person inhales
  compressed air from aerosol cans.

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Under the kitchen sink

• --air freshener
• --aerosol paint cans
• --compressed air to clean computers

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Huffing or Dusting

• Inhaling the chemicals can give a feeling of
  euphoria for a few minutes.

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Huffing or Dusting

• Huffing, in some cases can cause paralysis,
  slurred speech, a staggered walk, permanent brain
  damage, and even death.

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Huffing or Dusting

• It is estimated that as many as 150 American
  teens and young adults die each year from huffing.

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Safety

• Some products are now only sold to people
  18-years-old and older.
• Be informed, and then talk to your child about
  these dangers.

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Steroids

• Steroids are most often illegal drugs that are
  not tested by the FDA
• Man-made hormones that simulate the effects of
  testosterone, the male hormone

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Steroid Usage

• Indications of use include
• Aggressive behaviors
• Muscle gain in a short time
• Acne and oily skin

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Steroid Usage

• Used for enhanced athletic performance. Youth
  sports have never been so competitive.
• Used as a form of weight control, especially in
  girls.

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Steroid Usage

• A recent study found that
• 5.4 of all middle school students reported using
  steroids...
• 2.6 were males...
• 2.8 were females...

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Steroid Usage

• Even short-term use of Steroids can have serious
  physical and psychological side effects,
  including death.

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Steroid Usage

• Use caution when repeatedly critiquing yourself
  (they listen, and learn)
• Be informed, and watch for warning signs
• Talk to your children about the dangers.

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Alcohol Abuse

• Alcohol kills five times more teenagers than all
  other drugs

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Alcohol Abuse

• Seek help through your childs medical doctor,
  school counselor or other local resources.
• The best reaction is to have been proactive.
  Talk to your children about the dangers of
  substance abuse.

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Alcohol Abuse

• The average age when youth first try alcohol is
  11 years for boys and 13 years for girls.  The
  average age at which Americans begin drinking
  regularly is 15.9 years old.

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Whose risk is highest?

• Teens
• With a family history of substance abuse
• Who are depressed
• Who feel like they dont fit in, or are out of
  the mainstream

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Alcohol Abuse

• A recent study found significant associations
  between peer harassment of students in middle
  school and a variety of problem behaviors, such
  as alcohol abuse at the high school.

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Alcohol Abuse

• Symptoms of a drinking issue may include
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Bloodshot eyes
• Slurred or agitated speech
• Sudden or dramatic weight loss or gain
• Skin abrasions/bruises
• Neglected appearance/poor hygiene

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Alcohol Abuse

• Alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug
  among Americas teenagers

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Alcohol Abuse

• Four Ways to Keep Kids Substance-Free
• Supervise after-school activities.
• Show you care.
• Keep a routine.
• Talk, talk, talk about the dangers.

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Safety

• Education and honesty is the best way to help.

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Teen Suicide

• In the past 25 years, while the general incidence
  of suicide has decreased, the rate for those
  between 15 and 24 has tripled.

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Signs of depression

• Self-neglect
• Preoccupation with sad thoughts or death
• Loss of concentration
• Increase in physical complaints
• Sudden outbursts of temper
• Reckless or dangerous behavior

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Teen Suicide

• Some setting factors include a family history of
  depression, or substance abuse, or recent
  traumatic event.

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• Unfortunately, the taboos and stigma associated
  with depression often leave young people (and
  parents) in the dark about what is happening to
  them, and how to get help.

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• Talk to your children about depression,
  particularly if you see a change in your child.
• Seek out help from a professional, your childs
  doctor, school administrators and local community
  services.

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• Seeit is not what our childhood was however

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Preaching to the Choir

• You have already done one of the most valuable
  things a parent can do to keep you child safe
  during these adolescent years

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• You sent a clear message to your child that
  they matter to you

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• you came to their Parent/Teacher conference.

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• Keep up the good work!
• Your child may not say it, but they are thankful
  that you care. ?
• Who we are and what we become depends largely
  on those who love us.