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Independence, MO —
Teenagers are an enigma and their world can be insular and closed to us outsiders, also known as parents.
A post on teenagerposts.tumblr.com provides some insight into their lives and relationships, “‘GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!’” “You mean where my laptop, iPod and phone are? OK.”
Who are these people and where did our sweet little babies go? What lives do they lead? What do they do? Why don’t they tell us anything? Just released last week by the CDC, the 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey provides some interesting insight.
Youth, risk and behavior, what do you know? T or F?
• More teens have smoked marijuana than cigarettes.
• 10 percent have considered suicide.
• Alcohol is the most commonly used drug.
The CDC conducts a survey of teens (9th-12th graders) every two years to gain information about risk-taking and behavior. The 2011 findings have spurred lots of discussion. Some parents may be surprised. Most high school teachers will not.
The trends to health and less risky behavior are very encouraging. For example, in 1991 the percentage of teens who never wore a seat belt was 26 percent. Today it is 8 percent.
Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used drug among teens. Frightening for all of us is that 8 percent reported that they had, in the past 30 days, driven a car when drinking alcohol. Although this is down from 17 percent reported in 1997, we would all agree even 1 percent is too high.
In a finding that surprised many, more teens have tried marijuana than tobacco cigarettes. About 23 percent of teens reported that they had tried marijuana and 18 percent reported that they had tried cigarettes. This paralleled the findings in a University of Michigan study last year. Experts think that many teens see marijuana as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Trends show a steady decline in the number and percent of cigarette smokers and this is the first year that marijuana use has exceeded that of cigarettes.
In this electronic age, newer threats are emerging. One in six teens, 16 percent, report that during the past month, they had been electronically bullied either through email, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites or texting. Bullying has been around forever, but the lifelong effects and scars have only been publically discussed in recent years. A documentary, “Bully,” was released in theaters in March and can be viewed online at www.thebullyproject.com. It profiles the bullied, the bullies and the adults in their worlds to whom these kids look for protection and care, often in vain. The stories are heart wrenching. The national survey showed that nationwide 15.8 percent of teens had seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months and 12.8 percent had made a plan on how they would commit suicide; 7.8 percent of them attempted suicide. Whose teen? Yours? Do you know? For sure?
It is difficult to be the parent of a teen (let alone more than one!)
Humorist Dave Barry said, “To an adolescent, there is nothing in the world more embarrassing than a parent.” I have a friend who says, “Love your kids, but don’t trust them.”
Wisdom in all.
Go to www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs to learn more. Who knows, it may prompt a conversation with your teen. It certainly will help gain insight into the mysterious world of teenagers. Enter at your own risk, but enter nonetheless.
Answers: 1. T; 2. F – 16 percent; 3. T
Teenagers are an enigma and their world can be insular and closed to us outsiders, also known as parents.
A post on teenagerposts.tumblr.com provides some insight into their lives and relationships, “‘GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!’” “You mean where my laptop, iPod and phone are? OK.”
Who are these people and where did our sweet little babies go? What lives do they lead? What do they do? Why don’t they tell us anything? Just released last week by the CDC, the 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey provides some interesting insight.
Youth, risk and behavior, what do you know? T or F?
• More teens have smoked marijuana than cigarettes.
• 10 percent have considered suicide.
• Alcohol is the most commonly used drug.
The CDC conducts a survey of teens (9th-12th graders) every two years to gain information about risk-taking and behavior. The 2011 findings have spurred lots of discussion. Some parents may be surprised. Most high school teachers will not.
The trends to health and less risky behavior are very encouraging. For example, in 1991 the percentage of teens who never wore a seat belt was 26 percent. Today it is 8 percent.
Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used drug among teens. Frightening for all of us is that 8 percent reported that they had, in the past 30 days, driven a car when drinking alcohol. Although this is down from 17 percent reported in 1997, we would all agree even 1 percent is too high.
In a finding that surprised many, more teens have tried marijuana than tobacco cigarettes. About 23 percent of teens reported that they had tried marijuana and 18 percent reported that they had tried cigarettes. This paralleled the findings in a University of Michigan study last year. Experts think that many teens see marijuana as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Trends show a steady decline in the number and percent of cigarette smokers and this is the first year that marijuana use has exceeded that of cigarettes.
In this electronic age, newer threats are emerging. One in six teens, 16 percent, report that during the past month, they had been electronically bullied either through email, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites or texting. Bullying has been around forever, but the lifelong effects and scars have only been publically discussed in recent years. A documentary, “Bully,” was released in theaters in March and can be viewed online at www.thebullyproject.com. It profiles the bullied, the bullies and the adults in their worlds to whom these kids look for protection and care, often in vain. The stories are heart wrenching. The national survey showed that nationwide 15.8 percent of teens had seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months and 12.8 percent had made a plan on how they would commit suicide; 7.8 percent of them attempted suicide. Whose teen? Yours? Do you know? For sure?
It is difficult to be the parent of a teen (let alone more than one!)
Humorist Dave Barry said, “To an adolescent, there is nothing in the world more embarrassing than a parent.” I have a friend who says, “Love your kids, but don’t trust them.”
Wisdom in all.
Go to www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs to learn more. Who knows, it may prompt a conversation with your teen. It certainly will help gain insight into the mysterious world of teenagers. Enter at your own risk, but enter nonetheless.
Answers: 1. T; 2. F – 16 percent; 3. T
