What are the biggest threats to your health and safety? Learn the facts you need to know to stay safe physically and emotionally in this Teens ON Q special edition!

Body Image & Eating Disorders:
HELPFUL LINKS:
National Organization for Women -- Love Your Body: Children and Advertising
Fact Sheet
Girl Power!
Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention, Inc.
National Women's Health Information Center
Dove Real Beauty Campaign

Sexual Assault:
HELPFUL LINKS:
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)
PAAR 24-hour free & confidential hotline: 1-866-END-RAPE (1-866-363-7273)
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Teens & Smoking:
HELPFUL LINKS:
American Lung Association Q&A for Teens

Top Five Health Threats to Teens:

1. Accidental Injury
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons "The Young Athlete"

Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Injuries Among Children and Adolescents"

Montes, Luis. "Studies Find that Summertime is Peak Season for Deadly Injuries" Health and Wellness Resource Center May 1, 2001

National Injury Prevention Foundation "Think First! For Teens"

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development "The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health"

2. Drunk Driving and Teen Alcoholism
Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet"

Dudley, William. Alcohol: An Opposing Viewpoints Guide

Greenfield, Shelly F. "Alcohol Use among Teens and Young Adults" Alcohol Use and Abuse (Harvard Special Health Report). Annual 2007 p28.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health "Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented?"

SADD "Prom, Graduation Season and the SADD Pledge" SADD Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly. April 17, 2006 v18 i16 p5(1).

3. Obesity
Berkowitz, R. I. et. al."Effects of Drug Treatment for Obesity in Adolescence" Annals of Internal Medicine 18 July 2006 Volume 145 Issue 2 Page I-16

Dillon, Eric. Obesity

Garn, Stanley. "Obesity." The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. Jerome Kagan, Executive Editor; Susan B. Gall, Managing Editor. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1998.

HealthDay. "More Teens Are Undergoing Obesity Surgery" Tuesday, March 6, 2007

MacNeil, Jane Salodof. "Pediatric Standards Scale Down Teen Obesity; 2.1 Million Missed Diagnoses." Family Practice News. June 15, 2004 v34 i12 p65(1).

National Center for Health Statistics "Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2002"

4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
George, Alison. "Going All the Way: Do Teenagers Need More Sex Education, or Less" New Scientist. March 5, 2005 v185 i2489 p44(5).

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation "It's Your Sex Life" [.pdf]

Hyde, Margaret O. and Elizabeth H. Forsyth. Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens

Ponton, Lynn. The Sex Lives of Teenagers: Revealing the Secret World of Adolescent Boys and Girls

Woods, Samuel G. Everything you need to know about STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).

5. Smoking
American Cancer Association "Child and Teen Tobacco Use"

Baillie, Lynne et al; "Smoking Decisions from a Teen Perspective: A Narrative Study." Mar/Apr2005, Vol. 29 Issue 2, p99-106, 8p

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
"The Path to Smoking Addiction Starts at Very Young Ages" [.pdf]

Friedman, Laurie S. Smoking

Williams, Mary E. Teen Smoking

Four Stress Issues for Teens
(The general stress category covers most of the topics)

1. General Stress
Carlson, Richard. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times

Choi, Heeseung; Meininger, Janet C.; Roberts, Robert E. "Ethnic Differences in Adolescents' Mental Distress, Social Stress, Aand Resources". Adolescence, Summer 2006, Vol. 41 Issue 162, p263-283, 21p; (AN 22251594)

Fox, Annie and Ruth Kirschner. Too Stressed to Think?: A Teen Guide to Staying Sane When Life Makes You Crazy

Gregson, Susan R. "What Causes Stress?" Stress Management; 2000, p12, 10p, 3c

Hyman, Bruce M. and Cherry Pedrick. Anxiety Disorders

"Teens and Stress", Current Health 2, 0163156X, Feb2000, Vol. 26, Issue 6

2. College / Career / Academics
Jones, Marilee and Kenneth R. Ginsburg. Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond

Lombardi, Klate Stone. "High Anxiety Of Getting Into College" New York Times (NY) April 8, 2007

Melman, Shari; Little, Steven G.; Akin-Little, K. Angeleque. "Adolescent Overscheduling: The Relationship Between Levels of Participation in Scheduled Activities and Self-Reported Clinical Symptomology". High School Journal, Feb/Mar2007, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p18-30, 13p; (AN 24253534)

3. Family and Parent Issues / Social and Peer Issues
Lyness, D'Arcy. "When Parents Fight"

McGraw, Jay. Closing the Gap: A Strategy for Bringing Parents and Teens Together

Rosenthal, Beth Spenciner. Exposure to Community Violence in Adolescence: Trauma Symptoms Adolescence, 00018449, Summer2000, Vol. 35, Issue 138

Saewyc, Elizabeth M. et. al. "Hazards of Stigma: The Sexual and Physical Abuse of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adolescents in the United States and Canada." Child Welfare, Mar/Apr2006, Vol. 85 Issue 2, p195-213, 19p

4. Traumas
National Child Traumatic Stress Network "Understanding Child Traumatic Stress"

National Institute of Mental Health "Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters"

Five Issues for Which Teens Face Negative Peer Pressure

1. Cigarette Smoking
2. Truancy
3. Alcohol and Drug Use
4. Sexual Activity
5. Shoplifting or Vandalism

Other Resources for Negative Peer Pressure

Bourne, Hallie. "Peer Pressure." The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998.

Feller, Robyn M. Everything You Need to Know about Peer Pressure. Rosen Publishing Group: New York, 1997.

Lyness, D'Arcy. "Peer Pressure." TeensHealth. 2006. Neimers Foundation. 11 April 2007.

Five Common Reasons Teens have Low Self-Esteem
(and ways to tell if a teen is suffering)

Kelly, John with Brian J. Karem. Warning Signs: a Guidebook for Parents. LifeLine Press: Washington, D.C. 2002. pp. 33-42

1. Peer Pressure, sexual and non-sexual: teens who do not conform to their peers perceptions of "normal" are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem.
2. Lack of attention: teens who do not get enough attention from parents, teachers or peers feel left-out and alone, which leads to low self-esteem.
3. Physical attributes: a teen who looks different in some way often has low self-esteem, either as a result of being teased by peers or because of comparing himself to other teens or media representations.
4. Sexuality: teens who are questioning their sexuality or have their sexuality questioned by peers often suffer from low self-esteem.
5. Being the "new kid," or in a new situation: Moving to a new town, changing schools or otherwise leaving their "comfort zone" will often lower self-esteem among teens.

Signs of Low Self-Esteem

Greydanus, Donald E., M.D., F.A.A.P. and Philip Bashe. The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Caring for your Teenager. Bantam Books: New York, 2003. p. 71

1. Avoids tasks or challenges, out of a fear of failure
2. Gives up in games or tasks at the first hint of frustration
3. Cheats or lies when losing at a game or sport
4. Exhibits regressive behavior: acting silly or babyish
5. Is often bossy or inflexible, to compensate for feelings of inadequacy
6. Rationalizes own mistakes and shortcoming by blaming others, making excuses or downplaying the importance of events
7. Attributes his successes in life to luck or fate, not to his own effort and abilities
8. A decline in school grades or a lack of interest in his usual activities.
9. Withdraws socially, losing friends or having less contact with them.
10. Experiences mercurial mood swings, marked by sadness, crying, angry outbursts, frustration or quiet detachment.
11. Tends to be highly self-critical and given to remarks such as, "I can't do anything right," "Nobody likes me," or, "I'm just stupid."
12. Has difficulty accepting either praise or criticism.
13. Is excessively concerned and actuely sensitive about what others think of him.
14. Is either overly helpful around the house or not helpful at all.

Other resources about teen self-esteem:

Homier, Barbara P., M.D. "How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem?" TeensHealth. 2006. Nemours Foundation. 10 April 2007.

Leychuck, Caroline M., Jane Kelly Kosek and Michele Drohan. "Self-Esteem." Healthy Living. Farmington Hills, Mich.: UXL, 2000

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