Adolescent 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
Read moreAdolescence is that awkward time when children seem to suddenly switch from playing with toys to writing names of their crush with hearts in their notebook. It’s a difficult adjustment both for parents and for their teens, but it’s natural and an important part of their development. However, sometimes a tween or teen can get a little carried away to
Read moreInstagram is a free social media app that allows users to share photos and videos. It is extremely popular among adolescents with over 70% of teens using the app regularly. It is the second most popular social media site behind YouTube for teenaged users. As with all social media, there are positives and negatives associated with using Instagram, and our
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 moreExperts always advise parents of teenagers to talk to their children about sex in developmentally appropriate conversations throughout adolescence. Most parents focus their talks on sexual intercourse and do not specify other types of sexual activity, such as oral sex. Unfortunately, today’s teens believe oral sex is “safer” than vaginal sex, which is not true. Additionally, many don’t consider oral
Read moreIt is an emotional, overwhelming, and sometimes awkward time when your teenager starts dating. Many of us fear the time our child begins dating for a variety of reasons – it’s a big sign your child is growing up, it’s a time when your child desires someone else’s attention more than yours, and it opens a whole new area of
Read moreApril is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is a good excuse to use to talk to your teen – both boys and girls – about this important issue. Many parents make the mistake of only talking to their daughters about sexual assault. While it’s true that the majority of sexual assault victims are women and girls, many men and boys
Read moreThe digital age has changed many things in our culture, including the prevalence of pornography. Once a taboo, porn has become more common and easy to find on the Internet. In fact, in the United States, 79% of men, age 18-30, view porn at least monthly. Unfortunately, research shows that exposure to significant amounts of pornography causes people to think
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