A recent study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reported that one-third of teens who recently graduated from high school say they have ridden with a driver impaired by alcohol or drugs in the past year. Interestingly, these teens said they were more likely to ride with a marijuana-impaired driver than an alcohol-impaired driver. Experts believe
Read moreA study, published in the journal Pediatrics, shows that the rate of eye injuries tied to nonpowder guns – such as BB, pellet and paintball guns – in the United States skyrocketed 168.8% between 1990 and 2012. The study also discovered that among children who have sustained an eye injury from an air gun, 89% of them were unsupervised by
Read moreThe chances that your teen will be dared to do something risky is no longer limited to peer pressure at school and sleepovers. Any child with access to social media has likely already been exposed to stupid, gross, or dangerous dares that are trending online. Although they are called “social media challenges,” do not be fooled into thinking they are
Read moreThe school shooting in Florida yesterday is a terrible tragedy, and unfortunately, it is one that hits close to home for all teenagers. When tragic events occur, many parents feel uncertain about how best to talk to their children. Here are some ideas from experts: Stay Calm. Your child will mirror your reaction. If you sound anxious, your teen will
Read moreFor many people, February is labeled as the month of love because of Valentine’s Day. But it is also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. It’s disappointing that we need such an observance, but one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner! With these types of numbers,
Read moreLately, the news and media are reporting a great deal about sexual harassment, and you may be wondering what your teenager knows and understands about this subject. First of all, even if you think you have sheltered your teen from the reports – perhaps by not watching the news on TV – you should know that your teen has definitely
Read moreChristmas, Hanukah, New Year’s Eve, and more – the holidays are upon us, and with them come parties. On the positive side, parties for our teenagers can be fun, relaxing, and an important part of their social development. On the other hand, parties bring a lot of risk, including drug abuse, teen sex, and drunk driving. Our goal should be
Read moreGuns are a controversial topic of conversation in the United States, especially after the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. Regardless of your position on the Second Amendment, everyone can agree that we want to keep our children safe, and that requires all of us to know, use, and teach proper gun safety. This blog will detail what you should do
Read moreA little-known sex crime called “sextortion” is becoming more common, and teens are often the victims. Sextortion is when a perpetrator obtains a victim’s private and sensitive photos or videos and then threatens to release them publicly unless the victim meets their demands. Perpetrators tend to blackmail their victims into paying them money, sending sexual images or video, or performing
Read moreThere are many difficult subjects that we are supposed to talk to our youth about – sex, drugs, relationships, crime, depression, alcohol, violence, bullying, peer pressure, safety… well, you get the point. The problem is that all of these subjects can become awkward conversations that often earn eye-rolling and groans in teens. However, difficult conversations are important because they can
Read moreJune is National Safety Month! Injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages – and they are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers. But there are many things parents can do to help their teens stay safe and prevent injuries. Here are a few tips: Injury Prevention Protective Gear. When teens are active
Read moreKnowing whether to leave a teen home alone overnight is a struggle for many parents. Whether you have a business meeting out of town or you would like an anniversary getaway, it can feel stressful to figure out whether you should leave your child unsupervised overnight. We recommend you consider alternatives to leaving them alone. The best solution is to
Read moreJanuary is National Stalking Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to talk to your teen about stalking. A 2016 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine surveyed 1,236 randomly selected youth and found that 14% of girls and 13% of boys were victims of stalking. Additionally, the survey indicated that these teens were more likely to report symptoms
Read moreOctober is National Bullying Prevention Month. Many organizations, including Middle Earth, are working to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on all children. While this blog has covered many aspects of bullying in the past (see past topics on bullying), today’s article is focusing on an aspect of bullying that is not always discussed: the bystander. So
Read moreEvery parent of a teen has heard or will hear these words at some point in time: “But everyone else is doing it!” The pressure to fit in, or to do what others are doing, can be powerful and hard to resist, especially for teenagers. Peer pressure can influence teens in many ways. Sometimes it can be positive, such as
Read moreAs a parent of a teenager, you’re most likely walking a fine line between letting your teen have independence and monitoring their activities to ensure their safety. It’s hard to know where that line should be, and there are many differing opinions on the matter. Teens protest that they need more privacy, while the news tells you everything that could
Read moreIt is a rare teenager that has never been tempted to sneak out of the house. At some point, most teens are asked by their friends to meet up after curfew or to come out when they are grounded. Unfortunately, rarely does anything good happen when teenagers are hanging out in the middle of the night. To protect teens from
Read moreJust this past summer, Zach Anderson made headlines across the country. The 19-year-old boy from Indiana went on a dating app, called “Hot or Not,” hoping to meet a girl. After connecting with a girl who claimed she was 17 and chatting with her through the app, Anderson traveled from Indiana to Michigan to meet her. They had consensual sex.
Read moreSnapchat is a free mobile app that lets the user exchange photos, texts, and videos with friends. What differentiates Snapchat from other apps is that the image or message “disappears” in one to ten seconds. Of Snapchat users, 70% are female, and approximately 71% are under the age of 25. It is the third most popular social media platform behind
Read moreParents tend to worry about their children for a million reasons, ranging from whether they will fit in, be respectful, get good grades, and stay safe. Keeping our teens healthy is probably one of the top concerns that a parent has. To keep you up to date, here is a list of some of the biggest health risks today’s teens
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