September 16, 2013
Featured Article
- Sports concussions linked to substance abuse, suicidal thoughts: research
Concussions are connected with substance abuse and suicidal thoughts in adolescents, new research presented at a St. Michael’s Hospital conference on sports-related brain injuries revealed Saturday.
Globe and Mail
September 15, 2013 - Majority Of Millennial Kids In U.S. Generous To Charities
Nearly 9 in 10 millennial kids in the U.S. gave to a charity at least once during two years the researchers asked about, the United Nations Foundation said Thursday. More than half of the kids gave in both years.
Health News Florida
September 13, 2013 - How to Make School Better for Boys
Start by acknowledging that boys are languishing while girls are succeeding.
As the United States moves toward a knowledge-based economy, school achievement has become the cornerstone of lifelong success. Women are adapting; men are not. Yet the education establishment and federal government are, with some notable exceptions, looking the other way.
The Atlantic, September 13, 2013 
Teens’ Antisocial Texts May Foretell Bad Behavior
Teens who text about bad behaviors such as drug use or fighting are more likely to actually engage in those behaviors as well, a new study finds.
US News
September 13, 2013- Strong Verbal Skills in Childhood May Raise Drinking Risk, Study Suggests
These expressive kids scored higher in ‘sensation-seeking,’ researchers found
Teens and young adults who had high levels of language development during childhood drink and get drunk more often than others their age, and the influence of friends may be a major factor, a new study suggests.
Medline Plus
September 12, 2013 - Adolescent Health Highlights: Use of illicit drugs
One of the risky behaviors most common among adolescents is using illicit drugs. Child Trends’ latest brief in its new Adolescent Health Highlights series is Use of Illicit Drugs. The brief summarizes the extent, types, and patterns of adolescent drug use; the effects of illicit drugs on adolescents’ health and well-being; and strategies to combat their use. One bit of good news: Half of adolescents report that they’ve used an illicit drug by 12th grade, but the proportion of 12th graders who report not having used cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit drugs in the past 30 days is up significantly.
Child Trends
September 12, 2013 - Young People May Respond Better to Upbeat Health Messages
Health and safety campaigns with positive messages might better persuade young people to avoid risky behaviors such as smoking and unprotected sex than campaigns that highlight health dangers, a new study suggests.
Medline Plus
September 11, 2013 
Watch for signs of depression in teenage boys
Thirty-eight thousand Americans take their own lives every year. Young men in their early 20s have the second-highest rate of suicide in the country, second only to men older than 65. Depression is the number one cause of all suicides. But it’s often overlooked and left untreated in young males. That’s because they tend to express their symptoms differently than other populations.
The Tribune
September 10, 2013- Testicle size ‘link to father role’
A link between the size of a father’s testicles and how active he is in bringing up his children has been suggested by scientists.
BBC News
September 9, 2013 - 5 percent of U.S. children, teens classified as ‘severely obese’
American Heart Association Scientific Statement
Statement Highlights:- About 5 percent of American children and teens are severely obese — putting them at high risk for premature heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Severe obesity is a newly defined class of risk, and effective treatment options for these children are limited.
American Heart Association
September 9, 2013 - Five-Fold Increase in ADHD Medication Use in Children and Adolescents
Use of stimulant medications to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents has increased significantly over the past several years. This trend toward increased use of prescription stimulants extends beyond ADHD to other types of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and teens as well, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to a study published in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
Science Daily
September 10, 2013 
‘Boys Have Deep Emotional Lives’
How parents, teachers, and schools can better understand young men: a conversation with Rosalind Wiseman about her new book, Masterminds and Wingmen.
The Atlantic
September 10, 2013- Adopted Teens More Likely to Attempt Suicide, Study Finds
Teenagers who were adopted may be at greater risk of a suicide attempt than kids raised by their biological parents, a new study suggests.
Newsday
September 9, 2013 - Obese Kids, Weight Loss, and Eating Disorders
Problems like anorexia may go undiagnosed or be disregarded, case studies show
“They lost way too much weight and became preoccupied with their eating,” Sim said. “Every thought and behavior really surrounded eating.”
WebMD
September 9, 2013 - Trail Life USA, The ‘Other’ Boy Scouts Of America
A new faith-based group for boys is taking shape, just three months after the Boy Scouts of America decided to change its membership policy to allow gay youth to join.
The group, dubbed Trail Life USA, calls itself a Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts. Its name was recently revealed at a hotel conference before a crowd of about 1,200 parents and scoutmasters, complete with a slick video with a dynamic score.
NPR
September 9, 2013 
Basic biology may explain higher death rates for boys
Researchers looking at U.S. national data on both boys and girls from infancy up to age 20 found boys more likely to experience a range of illnesses, and to die of them, than girls.
Chicago Tribune
September 4, 2013- Young Americans’ Prescription Med Abuse Still Down: Report
The rate of illegal use of prescription drugs by young American adults is lower than it was a few years ago, as are drinking rates among kids, a new federal government report reveals.
HealthFinder.gov
September 4, 2013 - Psychotic Symptoms Found to Be Strong Suicide Risk Factor in Teens
Researchers were surprised to find that the relationship between psychotic experiences—not just disorders—and suicidal behavior is very strong.
Psychiatry Online
September 4, 2013 - Harsh Verbal Discipline for Teens can Lead to Depression
Using data from nearly 1,002 parent families, researchers found that the kids subjected to harsh verbal discipline at age 13 were more prone to depression, more likely to act out at school, lie, steal and fight.
Medline Plus
September 4, 2013 - American Schools Are Failing Nonconformist Kids. Here’s How
In defense of the wild child
New Republic
September 2012 - E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012
More than 75 percent of youth users smoke conventional cigarettes too
Centers for Disease Control
September 5, 2013
International News
AUSTRALIA
- Raiders talk the talk with teen boys
We need to talk. Are you Ok? Let’s have a chat. For some reason those three simple sentences are among the hardest for men to say to one another, but Menslink and the Canberra Raiders are determined to change that.
ABC Canberra
September 6, 2013
CANADA
- Boys forgotten victims in human trafficking, says MP
Female victims of sex trafficking get most of the headlines, but boys are victims too, says anti-human trafficking crusader and Conservative MP Joy Smith.
Sun News
September 13, 2013
CHINA
- Insight: Boys losing the language game
It is tough being a boy in Hong Kong’s education system. Exam results indicate that they are faring much worse than girls in meeting the minimum requirements for university.
South China Morning Post
September 9, 2013
INDIA
- Teaching boys to think beyond stereotypes
Some NGOs working with the youth in Mumbai slums are now paying attention to adolescent boys, a demographic in the news for the wrong reasons
Wall Street Journal
September 9, 2013
IRELAND
- Girls continue to outperform boys in Junior Cert
In post-primary education, girls are more inclined to study at higher level in key subjects and are also more likely to get top grades.
Independent
September 13, 2013
UK
- Graphic images ‘don’t deter young smokers’
Picture warnings on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking make little impact on teenage smokers, a study suggests.
The UK introduced the images, which depict things such as diseased lungs and heart surgery, in 2008.
BBC
September 5, 2013