TEEN CYBERBULLYING, A BACK – TO – SCHOOL TEEN BEHAVIOR PROBLEM

August 13, 2010. Back to school is a time when adults begin looking at school related issues. New to our technological world, is the issue of cyberbullying. According to Dr. James Hughes, CEO of Inspirations for Youth and Families, a teen residential program and boarding school for behavior problems, “teen cyberbulling is a behavioral issue that occurs when Teens bully other people through use of the internet, cell phones, and other media sources.” As defined by the researchers, cyberbullying includes aggressive, intentional, repeated acts against victims who cannot easily defend themselves. There are two kinds of cyberbullying, direct attacks (messages sent to your kids directly) and cyberbullying by proxy (using others to help cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice's knowledge). Because cyberbullying by proxy often gets adults involved in the harassment, it is much more dangerous.

Dr. Hughes states: “Cyberbulling is a teen behavior problem and an indicator of a more serious mental health issue. Teens involved in cyberbulling are often engaging in teen drug abuse, which can lead to an escalation of the bullying and physical harm to the victim.” Dr. Hughes and Inspirations teen residential program works with community organizations to bring cyberbullying to the frontline of “concerning teen behaviors”, along with teen drug use and teen drug abuse behaviors. According to Stop Cyberbullying, a non-profit web-based organization, there are several approaches in cyberbulling:

INSTANT MESSAGING
Teens may send hateful or threatening messages to other teens. While not said in real life, unkind or threatening messages are hurtful and very serious.

Teens send death threats using IM and text-messaging as well as photos/videos.Text wars or text attacks are when teens gang up on the victim, sending thousands of text-messages to the victims cell phone or other mobile device. The victim is then faced with a huge cell phone bill and angry parents.

BLOGS
Blogs are online journals. They are a fun way for teen to send messages for all of their friends to see. However, teens sometimes use these blogs to damage other teen’s reputations or invade their privacy.


WEBSITES
Children used to tease each other in the playground; now they do it on Web sites. Teens sometimes create Web sites that may insult or endanger another teen. They create pages specifically designed to insult another teen or group of people. Teens also post other people’s personal information and pictures, which put those people at a greater risk of being contacted or found.

PICTURES
Many of the newer cell phones allow teens to send pictures to each other. The teens receive the pictures directly on their phones, and may send it to everyone in their address books. There have been cases of teens sending mass e-mails to other users, that include nude or degrading pictures of other teens. Once an e-mail like this is sent, it is passed around to hundreds of other people within hours; there is no way of controlling where it goes.

Teens often take a picture of someone in a locker room, bathroom or dressing room and post it online or send it to others on cell phones. Teens can use graphics and photo-crop to alter an innocent picture into looking pornographic.


According to the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry and author Dr. Matthew Davis, an associate professor of pediatrics, internal medicine and public policy at the University of Michigan, children aged 10 to 17 years old were reportedly aggressive to another person on the interned, 4 percent were victims of online aggression, and 3 percent reported being an aggressor and a target. In cyberbullying, victims are at risk 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The widely publicized death of aMassachusetts teen who took her life after months of relentless cyberbullying, created national attention and highlighted this media-based crime.

As teenagers return to school, most schools and educational professionals are very concerned about alarming teen behaviors including teen drug abuse and teen cyberbullying. Dr. Hughes of Inspirations states: “If schools take a proactive position and create consequences, along with the support of law enforcement, teen behaviors will be considered serious and result in legal charges. Cyberbullying creates a paper trail and data trail, allowing for an easier trace of the cyber-perpetrator and cyervictim. Effective anti-bullying programs are ones that suggest that bystanders should get involved and report it to the school.


Written by: K. CorcoranSources: Inspirations for Youth and Families, LLC – Dr. James HughesStop Cyberbullying and Wired Kids Inc.

If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/


Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

TEENS BACK TO SCHOOL – DANGERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING AND MEDIA TECHNOLOGY

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - August 10, 2010 – “New omnibus research from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America shows that more than one-third of parents are concerned that TV (38 percent), computers (37 percent) and video games (33 percent) make it harder for them to communicate with their media-engrossed teens about risky behaviors, like drug and alcohol use. The survey of more than 1,200 parents also confirms that a quarter or more are worried that newer forms of media, including cell phone texting (27 percent) social networking sites, like Facebook (25 percent) and Twitter (19 percent) hinder effective parent/child communication about the dangers of teen substance abuse”, according to the Partnerships for a Drug-Free America website.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study of 2,000 teens released earlier this year, “the average amount of time young people (8-18 year olds) spend consuming entertainment media is up dramatically to almost eight hours per day – that’s at least 53 hours a week of immersion in some form of media. The research also noted that the more media teens consume, the less happy they tend to be and those who are most captivated by media reported their academic performance suffered. About half (47 percent) of heavy media users reported they usually get fair to poor grades, mostly C’s or lower, compared to about a quarter (23 percent) of light media users”, states the Partnership website.

“These recent findings present a clear picture of the opportunity for Teen Drug Abuse Risk Factors. Common behaviors found in teens who are abusing drugs includes isolation, social life withheld from parents thru password coded or invitation only websites (Facebook, MySpace) social sites or media (YouTube, Twitter,) and telephone texting, in addition to declining academic interest and declining grades, and an immersion in societal perceptions of drug use.”, says Karen Corcoran the Co-Founder of Inspirations For Youth And Families, a teen residential substance abuse treatment center.

Corcoran states: “This research reveals a need for parents to take a more active role in their teenager’s lives. Parents should be aware of how teens are spending their time online and remain aware of the impact all media consumption is having on their teens. Videos of teens using drugs, abusing cough medicine, and becoming intoxicated, are readily available on YouTube and other social networking websites. In many cases, reality television glorifies and sensationalizes drug addiction, teen pregnancy, and dysfunction in the family.” According to Corcoran, a mental health professional and parent of young adults, “It is difficult to gain knowledge of a teen’s social life and friends if communication, along with time spent between parent and adolescent was not previously established. Parents taking time to speak with their children while spending quality time together, are less likely to become isolated from their child-turned-teen and more likely to transition into the role of parental investigator.”

According to research, kids and teen’s cell phone ownership has increased sharply since 2004, from 39 percent to 66 percent in 2009, while ownership of iPods jumped drastically from 18 percent to 76 percent over the same time period. Karen Corcoran of Inspirations for Youth and Families, aka Inspirations Teen Rehab states: “Teen use of cellular telephones, which now includes internet accessibility, further distances the teenager from parental monitoring and protection.” Among kids and teens, cell phone ownership has increased since 2004, from 39 percent to 66 percent in 2009, while ownership of iPods increased from 18 percent to 76 percent over the same time period. Corcoran further states: “ If cell phones and ipods are not enough to create a growing concern regarding teen behaviors, early teenage access to vehicles will definitely initiate a concern regarding the separation that teen driving creates between the teenager and parent. When teenagers are given a car or any motorized transportation, it immediately creates a teen world withheld from the supervision of parents and family.” “Teen drug use, teen drug abuse, and other dangerous behaviors are just the beginning of a teenagers exposure to a world in which teens are unprepared to encounter, when the parent’s ability to monitor a teen is removed,” according to Karen Corcoran.

Inspirations for Youth and Families and their Inspirations Teen Rehab program knows all-to-well, the results of teen behavior and poor choices, associated with over exposure to media and the isolation of teen’s parents it creates. “Teens entering teen rehab, report an ability to withhold most of their daily activities and knowledge of their social life, from their parents and family members,” states Dr. James Hughes, Chief Executive Officer and child psychologist for Inspirations for Youth and Families. LLC.

Teenagers entering their freshman year of high school or returning to high school, presents an opportunity for parents to set new boundaries, begin conversations, and schedule parent and teen talk-time, in an effort to prevent the typical teen behavior issues and teen drug use and teen drug abuse concerns. Take time to talk with your teenager. Create family time. Communication with teens is the best prevention tool a parent can use.


Written by: Christopher Walsh

Reach out to us. If you teeen is presenting behavior and addiction problems help is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

BACK TO SCHOOL, TROUBLED TEENS

As we approach the time to return to school, it is prudent for all parents and educators of high school teenagers to recognized risk factors for teens, focusing on “troubled teens”, as the most at risk group of high school teenagers. Teens are a population of people, most at risk for drug use, abuse, and addiction. For troubled teens, the risk that teens will smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs increases sharply if they are highly stressed, frequently bored or have substantial amounts of spending money, according to The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VIII: Teens and Parents, an annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. This survey was the first of its kind for CASA.

Included in CASA's survey findings:
• High stress teens are twice as likely as low stress teens to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.
• Often bored teens are 50 percent likelier than not often bored teens to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.
• Teens with $25 or more a week in spending money are nearly twice as likely as teens with less to smoke, drink and use illegal drugs, and more than twice as likely to get drunk.
• Teens exhibiting two or three of these characteristics are at more than three times the risk of substance abuse as those exhibiting none of these characteristics.
• More than half the nation's 12-to-17 year olds (52 percent) are at greater risk of substance abuse because of high stress, frequent boredom, too much spending money, or some Teens who have a history of physical or sexual abuse, a learning disability or eating disorder, or teens suffering from serious depression or another mental health condition are also at a greater risk for teen drug abuse and teen addiction.

Five Ways Parents Can Reduce Troubled Teen Behaviors and At Risk Potential
• Identify mental health issues including attention deficit disorder, depression, oppositional defiance disorder, bipolar, ptsd, and other conditions commonly found in the teenage population.
• Identify the stress in your child's life and help them, offering individual therapy or boarding school, adolescent residential rehab, and alternative solutions.
• Understand when and why your children are bored, upset or triggered to engage in negative behaviors. Engage them in activities, suited for their personality and ability.
• Limit the amount of money your children have to spend and monitor how that money is spent.
• Know who your children's friends are and keep their friend’s and parent’s telephone numbers available for your use.
• Create a rewards-based chore and responsibility schedule. Reward good behavior and goal-oriented chores, tasks, and academics.
• Participate in your children's lives: attend their sports events, musical or theatrical accomplishments, oversee their homework and remain knowledgeable about their grades and academic performance, participate in activities together, and talk with them about drugs.

Written by: K. Corcoran
Source: Sources: CASA News Release About.com, Teens At Risk Updated December 24, 2007

If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention for your troubled teen you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Young Adults and Adults : 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

BACK TO SCHOOL TALK WITH YOUR TEENS

As Teens Head Back to School, Take Time to Talk. The back to school season is a time of new beginnings for teens, as it is for parents too. It can also be a time of new challenges for many young people dealing with added pressure from friends, especially when it involves teen drug and teen alcohol use. Back to school season is a time for parents to set new boundaries regarding social media websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, texting and cell phone usage, and internet passcodes. Parents should set time aside, on a regular basis, to meet with their teenager, discuss life issues and events, and remain a pillar of strength and influence, in their teen’s life.

Inspirationsyouth.com, provides a great website for information of teen behaviors, teen drug abuse, teen mental health issues, and high school education within a therapeutic environment. Inspirationsyouth.com is an online resource to help parents start an ongoing dialogue with their kids about avoiding risky behaviors. Parents can learn about what teens are seeing and learning from their increased exposure to media and talk with them about the importance of making positive, choices most of which will determine the direction of their future.

Waiting for the right time to speak with teenagers will result in waiting for too long. In addition to direct conversation with a teen, it is also helpful for parents to keep in touch via the current media and communication styles, including cell phone texting, emails, and twitter. It can be a fun way to keep the lines of communication open.

Reach out to us. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Drug Rehab for Girls

Inspirations Teen Rehab provides gender specific- teen girls drug abuse treatment and girl’s behavior therapy, in a nurturing and therapeutic environment. Inspirations Teen Girl’s Addiction Treatment Program provides opportunities for girls to share their experiences in gender specific therapeutic groups, where each girl can process female issues, experiences, and perceptions relative to each teen’s life. The number of teen girls using or abusing drugs and alcohol is equal to teen boy’s drug use and drug abuse. Girls are also smoking cigarettes as much as boys. Yet, the issues girls bring to teen therapy and teen drug abuse treatment are often different than as with teenage boys.

Inspirations Teen Rehab for Girls also provides gender specific High School Education. Inspirations provides teen girls education format, allowing for girls to focus more on their studies and less on distractions from teen boys. In providing gender specific education, Inspirations Teen Rehab for Girls has witnessed a decline of girls focus on appearance and perceptions of their appearance from boys. Although it is necessary for girls and boys to learn to interact appropriately with each other, Inspirations limits their involvement to specific activities, which are monitored and structured.

Inspirations Teen Rehab also provides tutoring, allowing individual teens to improve in academic areas in which the teen shows signs of struggle. Inspirations teen addicton treatment center also provides “Online” programs for additional program and academic opportunities, including SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) preparation and early college course classes.

Recent studies of adolescent girls and drug abuse, reveal that girls use and abuse drugs for different reasons than boys. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDP), a three-year study on women and young girls (ages 8–22) from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University revealed that girls and young women use substances for reasons different than boys and young men. The study also found that the signals and situations of higher risk are different and that girls and young women are more vulnerable to abuse and addiction: they get hooked faster and suffer the consequences sooner than boys and young men. (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, the Formative Years: Pathways to Substance Abuse Among Girls and Young Women Ages 8–22, February 2003)

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 42.9% of women ages 12 or older reported using an illicit drug at some point in their lives. Approximately 12.2% of females ages 12 and older reported past year use of an illicit drug and 6.3% reported past month use of an illicit drug. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). However, males and females had similar rates of past month nonmedical use (abuse) of psychotherapeutic drugs (2.6 and 2.4 percent, respectively), pain relievers (2.0 and 1.8 percent), tranquilizers (0.7 and 0.8 percent), stimulants (0.4 percent for both), methamphetamine (0.1 percent for both), and sedatives (0.1 percent for both). These statistics are located on the web: oas.samhsa.gov.

At Inspirations Teen Rehab, each teenage girl is provided the time and opportunity to grow in mind, body and spirit, focusing on goals and the psychological tools and life tools needed to reach her goals.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Massachusetts Adolescent Addiction Treatment Center

Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Massachusetts, Inspirations for Youth and Families, aka Inspirations Teen Rehab is a nationally recognized addiction treatment Center working with teens suffering from addictions and other destructive behaviors.

Inspirations Teen Rehab encourages Massachusetts’ teens to leave their everyday lifestyle by immersing themselves in a new and different environment during the addiction treatment process. Inspirations Teen Rehab is known for a unique approach to "Real Life" Teen Addiction Treatment and Recovery.

Drug Rehab for Massachusetts' Teens
Inspirations Teen Rehab, MA includes a mix of both inpatient and outpatient addiction programs, to meet our teens specific “Goals of Treatment” which are identified during their assessment with our Client Liaison Team. Intensive Outpatient Treatment incorporates the comprehensive addiction treatment program and "Real Life" approach to recovery in a flexible therapeutic schedule.
When our Massachusetts addiction treatment specialists makes a recommendation on individualized addiction treatment programs, we recognize that in most cases, an addiction or mood disorder isn’t the only issue. For example, a teen with depression may also be battling a co-occurring addiction such as alcoholism. Tackling multiple issues requires a more comprehensive strategy than tackling one issue alone, and will be accommodated in the suggested addiction treatment program.

Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During addiction treatment we will work with the teen to identify the factors that may have contributed to their addiction or disorder – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the teen's recovery process, and each program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the addiction treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Inspirations Teen Rehab provides Massachusetts Teens with the following services: Interventions, Mental Health Treatment, Dual Diagnosis Treatment, Eating Disorders Treatment and Court Ordered Rehabilitation.

Teen Drug Rehab Therapy Programs in Massachusetts Includes: Psychotherapy, Trauma Therapy, Co-Dependency Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Recreational Activities (Sober Fun), Relapse Prevention, Family and Group Therapies.

Interventions are necessary for individuals who are unable or unwilling to recognize the need for help. Interventionists assist families in confronting and guiding their loved one to recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction and the need for change. Credentialed and experienced Interventionists are available to assist teens and family members.

Inspirations Teen Rehab offers addiction treatment services for teens residing in Massachusetts. Our adolescent addiction treatment program is a simulated "home-life" environment, supervised by trained professionals, in which daily life experiences occur.

Sober Fun activities may include bowling, movies, beach outings and barbeques, AA and/or NA conventions and events. Premier activities are scheduled monthly, which may include snorkeling, fishing, excursions on a glass bottom boat, airboat tours, or a trip to the our local parks and beaches.

Teen Addiction Treatment - After Care
Inspirations Teen Rehab offers after care addiction treatment programs for Massachusetts teens to prepare each adolescent for a successful recovery. Our aftercare program includes a support system, AA or NA meetings and personal accountability. Intensive Outpatient or Outpatient Treatment may be recommended upon successful completion of the program.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Is Your Teen More Likely to Use Drugs/ Drink Alcohol?

There are factors that increase the risk of teens using drugs and/or drinking alcohol. Being aware of these factors can help parents prevent or reduce the risk for their teens. Knowing the common factors that pair with using drugs or alcohol, can help parents decide when it is time to have conversations and take action. According to timetoact.drugfree.org, there are five main categories of these indicators.

1. The Individual: The teen begins to drink or use drugs at an early age, they don’t think drugs are harmful, suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, suffers from depression, anxiety or conduct disorders, impulsive, rebellious.

2. Peers: The teen hangs out with other teens that are rebellious, drink/ use drugs, have positive views of drugs/alcohol, involved in gangs, began drinking/ drug use at an early age.

3. Family: family history of addiction or alcoholism, traumatic events such as abuse or divorce, small amount of parental supervision, no parental expectations on teens, inconsistent punishment, lack of parental concern for drug use, ongoing family conflict/arguing, parents who suffer from mental illness or depression.

4. School: the teen has always struggled with school, learning disability, on the remedial track in school, grades dropping, not doing homework, lack of motivation and commitment.

5. Community: easily accessible drugs and alcohol in the neighborhood, lack of community resources, low income community, music/tv portraying drug use and alcohol positively.

Having these factors present in or around your teen does not guarantee that your teen will use drugs, however the presence of one or more of these factors does increase the ability of your teen to interact with drugs and alcohol.

Inspirations for Youth and Families aka, Inspirations Teen Rehab is here to help your teen and your family through this difficult process.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com