Did You Know?
- Physical Health: Nationally, 58% of high school students played on at least one sports team either at school or run by a community group in 2011.
- Mental Health: Nationally, in 2011, 16% of high school students reported that they seriously considered attempting suicide, and 28% reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row.
- Substance Abuse: Nationally, in 2011, 39% of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the 30 days before the survey. Of these, 46% of female high school students and 35% of male high school students usually obtained that alcohol by someone giving it to them.
- Healthy Relationships:According to the High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 22% of female high school students and 11% of male high school students were bullied through e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, Web sites, or texting in 2011.
Research confirms what young people already know—what their parents have to say matters to teens. That’s why parents play a powerful role in helping adolescents make healthy decisions. The website below provides parents with the knowledge and skills needed to begin and maintain a two-way communication with adolescents about important and sometimes uncomfortable topics. If your child is clearly reaching out for help, get them help and be there for them in the best way you can.
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/resources-and-publications/info/parents/talking-with-teens.html
For more parent support and advice check out Dr. Benna Strober's blog
http://bennastrober.com/category/just-for-teens/