May 27, 2014
News Clips
- Recommendations Updated for Child, Adolescent Drug Testing (PDF)
Drug testing is often used in children and adolescents but is invasive and can yield limited information, and results are easily misinterpreted, according to a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The report, published online May 26 in Pediatrics, provides guidance on the use of drug testing for pediatricians and other clinicians.
Medscape
May 26, 2014 - Gender Segregation in Education May Do More Harm Than Good
In all the districts, the programs were based on the premise that hardwired physiological and development differences between boys and girls required different teaching methods. Teachers in single-sex classes incorporated gender stereotypes about capabilities and interests into their lessons. These included ideas that girls were not interested in math and boys preferred non-fiction reading material.
care2.com
May 24, 2014 - NEW BOY SCOUTS LEADER: I WOULD HAVE ALLOWED GAY ADULTS IN SCOUTING
Robert Gates, the new president of the Boy Scouts of America and former secretary of defense, said Friday that he would have moved last year to allow openly gay adults in the organization — a step further than the Scouts ultimately took — but said he opposes any further attempts to address the policy now.
AlJazeera
May 24, 2014 - LA boys just say no to healthy foods
They found that nearly 32% of students in the cafeteria lines did not select fruit, and almost 40% did not select vegetables. Among those who did select a fruit or vegetable, 22% tossed the fruit and 31% rejected vegetables, without eating a single bite. Boys consistently tossed more fruit and vegetables away without tasting them than did girls.
Examiner.com
May 23, 2014 - NIDA releases updated tools to help parents talk to teens about marijuana
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has released an updated set of resources to help parents “sort out marijuana myths from science based facts,” according to a statement released May 20 by the National Institutes of Health.
Family Practice News
May 22, 2014 - Scientists seek to identify predictors of risky behaviors among teenagers
n fact, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among adolescents in the United States involve decisions to engage in risky behaviors, including tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, as well as sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Individual differences do exist, of course – and that’s in part what has the research team so intrigued. “We need to understand why a subset of adolescents are at risk for making the poor decisions that lead to drug addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, and other problematic health outcomes,” said Jungmeen Kim-Spoon, an associate professor of psychology at Virginia Tech and the other study leader. “Identifying the adolescents most at risk is a critical public health priority.”
Medical Xpress
May 22, 2014 - Pay Attention To Teen Health – PAHO/WHO
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is revealing that the health of today’s youth across the globe is being threatened by ten leading factors.
The Gleaner
May 21, 2014 - How Teen Social Life Affects Drug Abuse (And How Drug Abuse Affects Social Life)
A study published in the journal Psychopharmacologyshows a common denominator: when a teen’s social life turns south, drug abuse can follow. The opposite is also true, that drug abuse itself can destroy a teen’s otherwise successful social life.
psychcentral.com, May 20, 2014 - Bisexual male teens exhibit riskiest sexual behavior
Sexual health disparities emerge early in life and vary by sexual orientation and behaviors. Male teens who identify themselves as bisexual exhibit the riskiest sexual behaviors of all sexual orientations, according to study findings in the American Journal of Public Health.
Helio
May 20, 2014 - “Busy Boys, Little Ladies”: This Is What Single-Sex Education Is Really Like
Supporters of single-sex education in public schools claim that it’s meant to provide the best education to both boys and girls. Critics worry that it reinforces gender stereotypes and ignores individual differences or the general needs all kids have, regardless of gender. Now a new complaint by the ACLU of Florida against the state’s second largest school district suggests the critics were not only right, but may have underestimated how serious the problem is.
Slate.com
May 20, 2014 - Read, Kids, Read
I was crestfallen on Monday, when a new report by Common Sense Media came out. It showed that 30 years ago, only 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds said that they “hardly ever” or never read for pleasure. Today, 22 percent of 13-year-olds and 27 percent of 17-year-olds say that. Fewer than 20 percent of 17-year-olds now read for pleasure “almost every day.” Back in 1984, 31 percent did. What a marked and depressing change.
New York Times
May 12, 2014 - 4 Surprising Findings About Kids’ and Teens’ Reading, Plus What You Can Do to Help Kids Read More
Common Sense Media’s research report shows kids are reading less than ever. Discover the startling statistics — and what you can do to get your kids back into books.
Adolescents aren’t reading for fun much anymore, and their reading achievement hasn’t increased for over two decades. What’s more, large segments of the population — black and Latino (compared with white) kids, and boys (compared with girls) in general — are falling behind.
Common Sense Media
May 12, 2014 - Can reading make you smarter?
There is evidence that reading can increase levels of all three major categories of intelligence. I believe my discovery of Spider-Man and other comic books turned me into a straight-A student
The Guardian
January 23, 2014
Video
- War on Boys
What ever happened to letting “boys be boys?” Take these two cases: In one, a seven-year-old boy was sent home for nibbling a Pop Tart into a gun. In another, a teacher was so alarmed by a picture drawn by a student (of a sword fight), that the boy’s parents were summoned in for a conference. In short, boys in America’s schools are routinely punished for being active, competitive, and restless. In other words, boys can no longer be boys. Christina Hoff Sommers, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, explains how we can change this.
May 19, 2014
International News
AUSTRALIA
- Anorexia claiming boys as young as age 7, amid unhealthy obsession with body image
A TV presenter recently told of her six-year-old son doing sit-ups to try to get a “six-pack”, she said. “Boys are turning to exercise, proteins powders and substance abuse (steroids).’’
The Australian
May 27, 2014
FINLAND
- Suicide: One of top killers of young Finnish men
Three out of four adolescent suicides are committed by boys, with one of the main triggers being heartbreak brought on by the end of a romantic relationship.
According to a recently published report by the Finnish Safety Investigation Authority, mental health issues are at the heart of suicides by minors. Three out of four adolescent suicides are committed by boys, with one of the main triggers being heartbreak owing to the end of a romantic relationship. Adolescent boys find it more difficult to speak about their sorrows, and romantic break-ups negatively affect their self-confidence.
yle.fi
May 19, 2014
NIGERIA
- #BringBackOurGirls Misses the Real Story About What’s Happening to Nigeria’s Boys
Back in February, Boko Haram killed 59 schoolboys between the ages of 11 and 18. Last September, they killed 50 young men between 18 and 22 as they slept in their dorms. Last June, they killed 60 schoolboys between the ages of 10 and 16. Schools have been their targets for the last year, and the boys are not spared.
Policymic.com
May 21, 2014