Teenager & Tween

Teens, Parents & Sex Moving from "The Talk" to True Dialogue

Nov 15, 2016

By:

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 25 percent drop in the U.S. teen birth rate from 2007 to 2011—good news because most Americans hope that young people will wait until maturity to begin a family. Providing teens with medically-accurate information and access...

No. 1 Reason Youth Turn to the Nat'l Runaway Safeline

Jun 25, 2013

By: Maureen Blaha

Robbie covers his ears because he’s tired of hearing his parents tear each other apart with their words. The looming divorce and his forever-changed life are weighing on him, so he picks up the phone and dials 1-800-RUNAWAY. Melissa received the news that her mom will say “I do” to husband No. 2,...

Why Teens Drink Alcohol

Feb 27, 2020

By: Deborah Gilboa, MD & Michael J. Bradley, EdD

Research estimates that by age 15, 35% of teens say that they have had at least one drink and by the age of 18, this increases to 65% of teens. Why are teenagers at such an early age exposed to alcohol and drinking situations? Parents can communicate with their teenagers by educating them on the...

Summertime Adolescent Drinking

Aug 02, 2016

By: Michael J. Bradley, EdD

Mom and Dad sat stunned on my office couch. They were great parents, appropriately involved in their 15-year-old son’s life, trying not to over control while also attempting to keep him safe, toeing that elusive parental “balance point” the experts love. Their son “Myles” also seemed great: good...

Teen Tobacco Use

Aug 01, 2016

By: Jean Kilbourne, EdD & Michael J. Bradley, EdD

In June of 2016, new studies were published by the CDC that estimated that teen cigarette smoking rates for high school students are the lowest they have been in the past 25 years. While cigarette smoking has decreased, teenagers are partaking in other risky activities, such as using e-cigarettes...

What Every Parent Needs to Know about Teen Pregnancy

Jul 26, 2016

By:

Since 2014, studies have shown that teen birth rates have been declining. Birth rates have fallen 11% for women between the ages of 15–17 years and 7% for women between the ages of 18–19 years, according to the CDC . To continue this steady decline of teen pregnancy, parents can maintain a open...

Body Image And The Media

Feb 03, 2016

By: Kids in the House

Global Youth Ambassador Marushka Mujic asks you to remember what it’s like to be an adolescent. Was it transformative, especially around your attitude toward your body during puberty? With the onset of that momentous occasion coming earlier for today’s children, body image is becoming a big issue...

Teen Binge Drinking

Aug 04, 2015

By: Deborah Gilboa, MD & Ralph S. Blackman

Although less common for adults, binge drinking happens more commonly during the teenage years and for a number of reasons. This pattern of drinking comes into play in the late high school to college years. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, binge drinking basically just means over...

Teen Alcoholism

Aug 04, 2015

By: Ralph S. Blackman & Dan Cronin, LISAC, CADAC, CAS, CCS &

First off, as parents, no one wants to admit that their own child may have an issue with alcohol. Parents feel as though their competency as a parent is challenged when their teen abuses substances but they should not take the behavior personally. After a parent discovers his or her child’s...

When You Discover Your Teen Has Been Drinking

Aug 04, 2015

By: Julie Foudy & Michael R. Fields, J.D. & Ralph S. Blackman

Many parents would like to assume that their child would never drink alcohol or even consider underage drinking. However, while most parents would say their kids are not drinking, most teens you ask would say that they are drinking. This incongruity shows that parents need to be prepared for...