February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to talk to the youth in your life about healthy relationships and dating abuse. Adolescence is a time for exploring romantic feelings, but because teens have so little experience, they don’t really know what behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable in a dating relationship. Unfortunately, almost a third
Read moreTraditional romantic relationships among high school students are not very common nowadays. Today’s youth are opting for a no-label, low-commitment, casual, but often emotionally stressful arrangement called a “situationship.” While people’s definitions of situationships vary quite a bit, it typically refers to a romantic or sexual relationship that doesn’t have a label because it’s not a committed relationship. In fact,
Read moreSexual assault is any unwanted and forced sexual behavior that happens without a person’s consent. It can include any form of touching, and does not have to include intercourse. Anyone, regardless of gender, race, age, or socioeconomic standing, can become a victim of sexual assault, and it can happen between romantic partners, friends, family members, acquaintances or strangers. Sexual assault is very traumatizing,
Read moreResearch published last month in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science found that almost 1 in 4 teens, or 23.5% of children ages 13 through 18, used dating apps over a six-month period, which is more than past estimates. In the past, researchers have relied on self-reports from youth to determine the amount of usage, but this study tracked
Read moreA new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released this month suggests that parents are talking to their children about puberty too late. Among the findings: As humans, we all feel less nervous and handle things better when we know what to expect. That’s why it’s a great idea to begin speaking to younger kids (ages 7-9)
Read moreA deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that has been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) to appear real, but has been altered to replace a person’s face or body with someone else’s. While deepfakes are a problem worldwide in creating and spreading misinformation, today’s blog will discuss them in the context of an epidemic facing teen girls in the United
Read moreIf your child tells you that they are gender fluid, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ), you will likely feel a wide range of different emotions. It’s very normal for parents to feel stressed, confused, scared, or surprised, but no matter how you feel, don’t pull back from your child when you’re needed most! For many LGBTQ youth, breaking
Read moreMany parents don’t know when to begin discussing sex with their children. Some parents worry that if they bring up the topic, their child will be more likely to want to have sex or engage in sexual activities earlier. This is a myth; studies have shown that the opposite occurs. When parents are involved in their teenagers’ sexual education, teens
Read moreAdolescent culture has embraced sexting – the term for sending sexually explicit messages, photos, or videos via any digital device. It can include nudity, suggestive messages, or content simulating sex acts. Parents might feel that sexting is risky, dangerous and illegal, but for teenagers, consensual sexting is often fun and sexy. They might perceive sexting as part of flirting, building
Read moreOne goal of raising children is to help them become increasingly responsible and independent as they age, and one of those developmental milestones on the path to independence is dating. Many parents and educators tend to shy away from talking about dating with youth. While we don’t think twice about discussing other independent living skills, such as budgeting or cooking,
Read moreFebruary is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Unfortunately, almost a third of adolescents in the U.S. become victims of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. When teens hear “dating abuse,” they may think the term is limited to severe violence, such as rape or beatings. It’s up to the adults in their lives to let
Read moreAccording to the 2020 STD Surveillance Report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of gonorrhea rose 10% by the end of the year, and rates of syphilis were up 7%, and both these rates were up approximately 50% over 5 years. More than half of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported in 2020 were in people
Read moreHe, she, they… such small words, but they carry new meaning for Generation Z. Across the country, middle and high school students are talking to their parents in different ways about pronouns. Some teens might announce to their parents that they want to change their name and pronouns to reflect their gender identity. Even more teens are telling their parents
Read morePornography today is significantly different than in previous generations. Before the Internet, porn was generally limited to pictures in Playboy magazine and renting X-rated movies from the adult video store. Porn wasn’t easy to get, nor was it especially graphic. But with the advent of the digital age, today’s porn has become more common and easy to find on the
Read morePeer pressure is a common part of life for adolescents. Humans tend to compare themselves to each other and pressure kicks in. Sometimes that pressure can be good, such as trying to get straight A’s like Judy, and sometimes that pressure can be bad, such as trying to be as “cool” as Tim when he smokes. The majority of youth
Read moreWhen we imagine sexual assault, we tend to think of a stranger jumping out of a dark alley to attack an unsuspecting woman. However, that is rarely the case. Nearly 85% of all victims of sexual assault knew the person who raped or assaulted them. Therefore, if we want to keep teens safe, then we must teach them how to
Read moreThe month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, so we will be posting a series of blogs the next couple of weeks that deal with preventing sexual assault among our youth. Today’s blog will discuss sexual consent. Regardless of whether you hope that your teen will wait until marriage to engage in sexual activity or you believe
Read moreFebruary is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, which makes it a perfect time to promote safe, healthy relationships to youth. Teens should know that the term ‘dating violence’ does not refer to the occasional argument or bad mood, which are a normal part of any relationship. Rather, dating violence is when someone tries to control their significant
Read moreWith Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s a great time to think about your teen’s dating life. Dating is a true rite of passage in adolescence, and if you, as a parent, have the right attitude and message, dating can become a great teaching tool for your child. Dating helps young people learn to get along with others, communicate,
Read moreMany middle school students are involved in “romantic” relationships. While you might consider “dating” the process of going places with someone to get to know them better, youth today think dating is calling each other boyfriend/girlfriend and socializing online in a way that is often invisible to parents. Your tween could be dating and you might have no idea. BEFORE
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