Teen Trends - Monthly Newsletter from CWK

Eat Together More Often and Help Prevent Substance Abuse

Did you know that the more dinners you eat with your teens the less likely they are to use drugs, alcohol or smoke? That’s because of a combination of factors: teens admit that the most effective anti-drug and alcohol messages come from their parents. And, many teens find the best time to talk with their parents about important issues is during dinner.

Recent study results show that marijuana use is two to six times higher for 12- to 17-year-olds who have fewer than five family dinners per week. For teens who have less than two dinners per week, 50 percent report alcohol use and 25 percent admit to using marijuana.

As a parent, you might have more opportunities to make a difference than you think. A large majority of teens would rather have dinner with their families than eat alone; but, less than two-thirds report actually eating together five or more times each week.

Rate of Suicide among U.S. Girls Has Increased Substantially

There is no question that pre-adolescents and teens are in the midst of a highly challenging and transitional stage of their lives. What is alarming, however, is that the rate of suicide among girls between 10 and 24 years old has jumped dramatically.

Specifically, the suicide rate increased eight percent for all young people in that age range. But for 10 to 14 year old girls, the jump was an incredible 76 percent. The jump was 32 percent for girls aged 15 to 19. Boys accounted for three-quarters of all suicides, but the rate of increase was not nearly as dramatic as for girls.

The means by which girls took their own lives also changed. In 1990, guns were used more than half of the time; the new figures reveal that death by hanging and suffocation has become the most common method.

While the factors that result in suicide are multilayered and complex, there is concern that “black box warnings” placed on antidepressants (cautioning against side effects the drugs might have on teens) correspond to the time period of the increased suicide rate. Due to fear of those side effects, authorities have some concern that young people with legitimate psychological difficulties may not be getting medications that could help them.

There are steps you can take if your teen is having suicidal thoughts – and keep in mind that talking about suicide will not cause someone to take their own life.

Early Puberty Puts Girls at Risk

The age of menarche (a girl’s first menstruation) has dropped to an average of 12 years old among American girls. Emotional and social difficulties arise when girls develop more quickly physically than their emotional abilities to handle the stresses and responsibilities of being sexually mature.

Among these girls, recent reports associate early puberty with higher risks for depression, alcohol and substance abuse, early first sexual encounters and pregnancy.
 
This early maturity also puts them at increased risk for breast cancer. Statistics show that girls who begin menstruating at 16 have only half the risk for breast cancer later in life when compared with those whose first periods occurred earlier than the age of 12. (Over their lifetime, girls who go through puberty early are exposed to more estrogen than those who mature later – and estrogen helps most breast cancer cells thrive.)

The Power of “No”

Believe it or not, there’s great value in knowing how to say “no” to your teens. It’s not always easy, though, especially when you’re competing with glitzy, high-profile advertising campaigns promoting the latest and greatest jeans or video game. You’re also up against whatever your kids’ friends are getting and what they’re being allowed to do.

Parents often worry that their teens will turn against them if they tell them “no,” or that the kids will be damaged if they’re deprived of something they want. Plus, no one likes being the bad guy.

However, there are distinct benefits for teens who have to cope with not getting everything they want when they want it. They learn patience, how to deal with disappointment and the value of delayed gratification. They’re also better able to internalize rules and guidelines so they can control themselves when you’re not around. In fact, according to Madeline Levine, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating adolescents from affluent families, kids who have been “indulged (and) coddled …” have three times the national rate for emotional problems.

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