2010 National Teen Survey Results and Other Recent Mental Health Articles
2010 National Teen Survey Finds: More Than One Quarter of Public School Students Attend Gang- and Drug-Infected Schools
“Public Schools Much Likelier To Be Drug- And Gang-Infected Than Private And Religious Schools, 39 Percent Jump In Middle Schoolers Reporting Drugs Used, Kept, Sold On School Grounds
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Twenty-seven percent of public school students ages 12 to 17 say that their school is both gang- and drug-infected (drugs are used, kept or sold on school grounds), according to the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XV: Teens and Parents, the 15th annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University. This means that 5.7 million public school students attend schools which are both gang- and drug-infected.
Compared to teens attending gang- and drug-free schools, teens who attend schools infected with both gangs and drugs are:
- Five times likelier to use marijuana;
- Three times likelier to drink;
- Twelve times likelier to smoke;
- Three times likelier to be able to get marijuana within an hour or less and five times likelier to get it within a day or less; and
- Nearly five times likelier to have a friend/classmate who uses illegal drugs like acid, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin.”
Click here to read the rest of this press release with more startling survey results.
Cyberbullying, ‘Sexting’ Major Problems for Schoolkids
“FRIDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News)– Being bullied in cyberspace and “sexting” are major problems for school-age children, and parents need to be aware of this to protect them, says an expert.”
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Stress of Freshman Year Can Trigger Eating Disorders in Some Young People
“August 19, 2010 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – While the start of college is a positive, momentous event for many young people, it also can be an episode that pushes some into a dangerous battle with eating disorders, says University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor of Psychology Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., who fought her own battle against bulimia as a college student.”
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5 Warning Signs That Your Child May Be Developing an Eating Disorder
“Watching a child suffer with an eating disorder can be devastating for parents, especially if they’re told they’re to blame. The truth is, while no one fully understands what causes these illnesses, we do know that for children and teens with eating disorders, parents are usually a crucial part of the solution.”
Click here for the rest of this Psychology Today article.