The Secret Language of Girls on Instagram
According to Time, young girls are getting creative when it comes to using social media to assess as well as influence their own and other’s social status. If it worries you, though, here’s a good takeaway, “While girls may seem addicted to their online social lives, it’s not all bad — and they still prefer the company of an offline friend to any love they have to click for.” Read More
Body-Image Pressure Increasingly Affects Boys
It’s not just girls who are affected by the pressure to achieve the perfect body, face, and airbrushed look (although it is still predominantly girls and women who suffer negative self esteem as a result of the unrealistic portrayal of women in the media). Unfortunately, more and more boys suffer from negative body image—and eating disorders, too. According to The Atlantic, “A new study of a national sample of adolescent boys, published in the January issue of JAMA Pediatrics, reveals that nearly 18 percent of boys are highly concerned about their weight and physique.” Find tips and tools to help kids resist the pressure and maintain a healthy body image at Common Sense Media… Read More
<h1>What’s Trending</h1>
<h4>Heroin Deaths Up 39%</h4>
The CDC recently <a href=”http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p0114-drug-overdose.html” target=”_blank”>announced</a> that in 2013, deaths involving heroin <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/heroin-deaths-cdc_n_6459130.html” target=”_blank”>increased 39%</a> from 2012. While drug deaths related to prescription opioids have remained stable since 2012, the mortality rate associated with heroin increased for the third year in a row. “These troubling statistics illustrate a grim reality: that drug, and particularly opioid abuse, represents a growing public health crisis,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. And, as <a href=”http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2015/01/13/heroin-suspects-arrested-northern-westchester/21684723/” target=”_blank”>recent news</a> reports show, this is a problem that affects our local community. In response to the growing trend, in December 2013 Governor Cuomo <a href=”http://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-second-phase-combat-heroin-campaign” target=”_blank”>announced</a> renewed efforts to combat the problem and Rockland County’s District Attorney last year unveiled a <a href=”http://rocklandgov.com/departments/county-executive/press-releases/2014-press-releases/district-attorney-county-executive-unveil-community-action-plan-/” target=”_blank”>new prevention plan</a> including specialized training for prosecutors, local law enforcement and school districts on the dangers and warning signs of heroin use and overdose death, treatment options and support groups, resources and prevention opportunities.
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<h4>Bullying May Not Look Like Adults Think It Does</h4>
Bullying may not always look like adults expect it to. While it can be the skinny kid getting slammed into a locker, or the sensitive child being called names in the comments on an Instagram post, it can also be much more subtle, but no less pervasive. “Relational” bullying is carried out by those whom the target might consider friends—or people the target desperately wants to be friends with. The good news is that, although it can be easy for adults to miss relational bullying, it doesn’t have to be. There are many <a href=”http://store.samhsa.gov/apps/knowbullying/index.html” target=”_blank”>tools</a> to help parents <a href=”http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html” target=”_blank”>learn</a> about and <a href=”http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/parents/” target=”_blank”>address</a> bullying—whether their child is the target, the offender, or a little of both. (For schools, Wellcore’s 12-part character education program for 6th, 7th and 8th graders addresses relational bullying, cyberbullying, and more. Contact us to learn more about Wellcore’s curriculum.)
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