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GIRLS' SCHOOLS
TEACH DOLLARS AND CENTS
(January 2003) According to the National
Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS), a growing number of all-girls
schools nationwide have declared financial literacy an educational
priority, essential to real gender equality. So far, experts say, the
financial literacy movement is confined to private girls' schools,
which see their mission as producing strong independent women and are
not constrained by the curriculum requirements in public schools. Jane
Gross reports for the New York Times, "At girls' schools,
we throw around the word `empowerment,' " said Sister Kathleen
Fagan, Marymount's headmistress. "Well, this is what
it's all about. Money is not evil. With money comes power and opportunity.
We even understand that in the nunnery." NCGS, in its 12th year,
reports their membership has doubled, and enrollment has increased
by 23% since 1991 in a core sample of NCGS schools. “NCGS advocates
for girls as they “build their confidence, competency and compassion,
according to Meg Milne Moulton and Whitney Ransome, Executive
Directors of NCGS. The American Association of University Women is
soon to join the crusade, by devising a financial literacy curriculum.
Web sites are proliferating, including www.independentmeans.com and
www.mapping-your-future.org, along with how-to books for girls, like "Girl
Wise: How to be Confident, Capable, Cool and in Control," by Julia
DeVillers (Prima Publishing, 2002).
PATHS TO RESILIENCE
DESCRIBED IN NEW BOOK
(January/February 2003) Science & Spirit,
summarized the “paths to resilience” described in Emmy E. Werner & Ruth
S. Smith’s book, Journeys from Childhood to Midlife: Risk, Resilience,
and Recovery, (Cornell University Press, 2001). “A chain of factors,
linked across time, is related to resilience and the ability to triumph
over adversity. These factors include: Autonomy and social maturity;
scholastic competence; self-efficacy; temperament; health status; maternal
competence - such as the mother’s age, education, and positive interactions
with her child; sources of emotional support - such as extended family,
peers, mentors, siblings, teachers, friends, coworkers, ministers and
mental health professionals, and spouses; and the number of stressful
life events over time. According to Emmy Werner’s research, the protective
factors that foster resilience show up early in life. “Even so, turning
points in later decades showed that opportunities could open up at
any time and lead to change…Among the most potent forces for positive
change later in life were: continuing education; educational and vocational
skills, often acquired in the armed forces; marriage to a stable partner;
conversion to a religion that demanded participation in a “community
of faith”, recovery from a life-threatening illness or accident and
psychotherapy (to a much lesser extent than the above factors).”
FOSTER CARE FOR
TROUBLED PARENTS
(February 17, 2003)
The Time Magazine,
Vol. 161, No. 7, story: “Sharing Family Values” describes troubled
parents who are getting a second chance as a result of foster care
for them, along with their kids. The story describes “keeping at-risk
families together in a supervised setting and providing an around-the-clock
role model for problem parents, as a little-known alternative to traditional
foster care, called “shared family care.” This program is available
in scattered counties in 10 states, including California, Wisconsin and Texas.
STUDY-INCREASED
HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR CANNABIS SMOKERS
(February 26, 2003) The
Herald, published in Glasgow Scotland, reports research
indicating cannabis smokers are suffering more serious lung and respiration
problems at a younger age than tobacco smokers. The new syndrome is
called "vanishing lung syndrome," where the air sacs in the
lung are being displaced by big cysts, cutting the lung's function
by up to a third.
TWO BILLS PROPOSED TO
CURB DANGERS OF CLUB DRUGS
(February 28, 2003) The Community
Anti-Drug Coalition of America, Alexandria, Virginia, 800-54-CADCA,
requested that our field let lawmakers know that we support two proposed
bills designed to protect children from the dangers of club drugs.
The two bills, S.226, the "Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation
Act," and a companion bill, H.R. 718, the "Reduce
Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act of 2003" were introduced
to expand the current "crack house" statute. They prohibit
an individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, managing, controlling,
renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place
for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled
substance, and for other purposes. CADCA also stated: “DEA investigations
indicate that club drugs (Ecstasy, Methamphetamine, LSD, Rohypnol/Roofies,
GHB, and Ketamine/Special K) are blatantly distributed at raves, often
with the knowledge of rave promoters. Ecstasy damages neurons in the
brain which contain serotonin, the chemical responsible for mood, sleeping
and eating habits, thinking processes, aggressive behavior, sexual
function, and sensitivity to pain. According to the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, this can lead to long-term brain damage that is
still evident 6 to 7 years after Ecstasy use. These bills would not
stifle particular types of music, expression, or legitimate raves -
they are simply efforts to protect America's youth from the dangerous
effects of club drug use. Consult CADCA’s website for more specific
information.
NEW STUDY: DEPRESSED
PATIENTS SHOULD SEEK “INTERNET SUPPORT GROUPS FOR DEPRESSION”
(March 2003) Volume 9, Number 2 of Journal Watch Psychiatry,
published by the same publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine,
reported a study conducted by Cable News Network showing about
54% of Americans were using the Internet by September 2001,
many for health-related issues. These investigators then used the Internet
to recruit and survey 103 depressed individuals who participated in
Internet support groups. Initial findings show more frequent users
reported greater improvements, and it was suggested that clinicians
may wish to encourage depressed patients to search online for “Internet
support groups for depression.” Two sites mentioned in the study were
www.Drkoop.com and www.delphiforum.com.
HARVARD STUDY:
COCAINE AFFECTS IMMUNE SYSTEM
(March 2003) The Community
Anti-Drug Coalition of America, Alexandria, Virginia, 800-54-CADCA,
reports researchers from Harvard Medical School have found that
cocaine has a hampering effect on the body’s immune system. One reason
being cited is that the drug restricts production of interleukin-6,
a body protein that triggers immune responses. Volunteers who were
injected with cocaine saw their interleukin-6 rise only one-third as
much as those volunteers who were injected with a placebo. The 30 volunteers
had all used cocaine on their own before the study was conducted. Doctors
say this study may explain why cocaine users seem to get sick so often.
More research is needed to show whether sniffed cocaine has the same
effect as the injected drug, study researchers say. The study appears
in the February Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
PFIZER IN TALKS
ON SETTLING NEURONTIN INQUIRY
(March 12, 2003) The Wall
Street Journal reports Pfizer Inc. is in talks with federal
prosecutors to settle allegations that the world's largest drugmaker
illegally promoted its epilepsy drug Neurontin for uses not approved
by the government. The newspaper said discussions were continuing but
the framework for a deal has not been agreed. The federal investigation,
and a parallel action by 47 states and the District of Columbia,
were prompted by a lawsuit filed by a former employee of the Parke-Davis unit
of Warner-Lambert Co, which Pfizer bought in 2000. On February
4, U.S. consumer groups also slapped Pfizer with a lawsuit seeking
to prohibit the company from promoting Neurontin for off-label uses.
The suit also seeks to have Pfizer disgorge profits received through
the allegedly illegal practice. Drugmakers are not permitted to promote
drugs for unapproved uses, but doctors can, and commonly do, prescribe
medicines for indications not expressly directed on the labels. [Copyright
2003, Reuters News Service]
NEW STUDY: SECONDHAND
SMOKE MAY GIVE KIDS CAVITIES
(March 12, 2003) Children
who are repeatedly exposed to secondhand smoke face nearly double the
risk of having more cavities, a new study reveals. Researchers from
the University of Rochester (NY) found that children subjected
to environmental cigarette smoke developed higher levels of cotinine,
a byproduct of nicotine, and those children tended to have more cavities.
Scientists studied 3,500 children between the ages of 4 and 11, and
found a quarter of them would not have developed cavities in their
primary teeth if they had not been exposed to secondhand smoke. The
study, “Association of Pediatric Dental Caries With Passive Smoking”
by C. Andrew Aligne, MD, MPH, et al. appeared on March 12,
2003 in the Journal
of the American Medical Association, 289:1258-1264.
DRUG TREATMENT
PROGRAMS YIELD BETTER OUTCOMES, CASA STUDY SAYS
(March 13, 2003) Community
Anti-Drug Coalition, reports: “Non-violent felons with a pattern
of drug abuse achieved significantly lower recidivism rates and higher
employment rates after completing a drug treatment program compared
to similar offenders who were sent to jail, according to a new study
from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse. In addition, drug treatment programs came in at half the
cost of prison terms. Researchers said prosecutors can help repeat
felony offenders become responsible citizens through a combination
of treatment and vocational training, coupled with the threat of punishment
for noncompliance. The five year study, funded by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, found participants who completed the Drug Treatment
Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) program were 33 percent less likely
to be rearrested, 45 percent less likely to be reconvicted, and 87
percent less likely to return to prison than those incarcerated. In
addition, DTAP graduates were three and a half times more likely to
be employed after graduation than before their arrest. Of those who
successfully completed the DTAP program, 92 percent found employment. Study.
SEX ABUSE TRIAL
BEGINS FOR EX-BOOT CAMP DIRECTOR
(March 18, 2003) The Quad-City
Times Newspaper Online, Davenport, Iowa, reports the start
of a sex abuse trial against John M. Bolsinger, the former director
of an Iowa Boot Camp called SUMMIT. (Not to be confused
with Summit Achievement and the other programs with the word "summit" in
their names that have been covered in Woodbury Reports newsletter).
The defense claimed what he did was inspections, not medical examinations. More...
MICROSOFT WARNS
OF SECURITY FLAW IN WINDOWS
(March 19, 2003) Forbes news
alert carried Reuters report warning Microsoft Corp.
Windows users of a critical flaw that could allow someone to take
control of a computer by luring victims to open an e-mail or Web page
with malicious code on it. Microsoft said has heard of no reports of
attacks from the vulnerability, which has several mitigating factors,
according to Lain Mulholland, security program manager for Microsoft's Security
Response Center. While someone using an older version of the Outlook or Outlook
Express e-mail programs would be at risk by merely opening an e-mail
message, service packs for the programs eliminate that threat, he said. Windows
XP users are not affected by the e-mail flaw, and to exploit the
flaw via a Web site, victims would have to visit the site on their
own, he added. In addition, computers configured to disable active
scripting in Internet Explorer are not susceptible. "User
discretion when choosing what Web sites to visit, or links to click
in e-mail, will offer the best protection from this class of attack," a
Microsoft security bulletin said. Microsoft has released a patch for
the vulnerability. [Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service.]
HBO DOCUMENTARY EXPLORES
DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY METH
(March 21, 2003) Community
Anti-Drug Coalition of America, reports HBO will
air a one-hour documentary examining the destruction caused by methamphetamine
addiction in America. The program, called “Crank:
Made in America” will air Tuesday, April 8 at 10 p.m. The title
is a common nickname for crystal meth.
BOOK - FATHERING
THE ADHD CHILD: A BOOK FOR FATHERS, MOTHERS, AND PROFESSIONAL, BY EWARD
H. JACOBS PH.D, PUBLISHED BY JASON ARONSON INC., 1998.
The author, the founder and Director of the Learning Resource Center in Londonderry,
New Hampshire, is a psychologist in practice in Londonderry and Exeter working
with children and adults with attention, learning, behavioral, and
emotional problems. Starting with the assertion that fathers and mothers
parent differently, the author discusses the unique need of the ADHD
child, and how a father can use his unique perspective in being a more
effective parent. For example, in the balance between reward and punishment
in disciplining a child, the author asserts that fathers seem to intuitively
have a better grasp of the concept of punishment, while mothers seem
to intuitively have a better grasp of the concept of rewards. He further
suggests that mothers’ communication skills and nurturance can lead
to permissiveness, and fathers tendency to think linearly and in terms
of hierarchy can lead to harshness and inflexibility. But, he continues,
when a father can temper his authority with nurturance and give and
take, that can become very effective, especially when the mother can
accept her authority as a parent while focusing on nurturing the child.
The book seems to be largely organized around the special needs of
the ADHD child, and explores ways the father can be a more effective
parent, with observations as to how in each situation, he can compliment
mothering rather than be at cross purposes with the mother.
BOOK - SAVING CHILDHOOD:
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM THE NATIONAL ASSAULT ON INNOCENCE, BY
MICHAEL MEDVED AND DIANE MEDVED, HARPERCOLLINS:1998
Michael Medved, a cultural critic and cohost of the PBS movie
review show "Sneak Previews," and Diane Medved Ph.D.,
a clinical psychologist in private practice, both live in Seattle with
their three children. The authors assert children need a sense of innocence
to grow up healthy, which includes security, a sense of wonder, and
optimism. Before the early 80s, the authors believe parents generally
saw their job as protecting children from "painful and frightening
facets of life" so they could mature in safety. The authors assert
this changed about 1980, when the belief became common to prepare children
to the reality of adult life. In other words, in regarding raising
children, the Age of Protection changed to the Age of Preparation.
This has continued, and is a suggested factor in the following: since
1960 teenage suicides have more than tripled, by 1995, 14 percent "of
all those who died between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four died
at their own hands;" the Centers for Disease Control reported
in 1999 8.6 percent of high school students had attempted suicide in
the twelve months preceding the survey;" and "The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 500,000
such attempts each year--or nearly 1,400 every day." The book
explores and explains in detail in separate chapters the various ways
The Assault on Innocence is done by the Media, the Schools, Peers and
Parents. The authors then go through the basic components of Innocence
- Security, A Sense of Wonder and Optimism - and discusses ways parents
can foster ways of protecting their children's innocence.
BOOK - BRAINSTORMS:
UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING THE EMOTIONAL STORMS OF ATTENTION DEFICIT
HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER FROM CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADULTHOOD, BY: H. JOSEPH
HORACEK, JR. M.D., 1998
Dr. Joseph Horacek is the president and medical Director of
the Center for Neurological Health in Learning in Charlotte,
North Carolina. The subtitle of the book describes the topic he
has in mind. Starting with a definition of Brainstorms as "a sudden
attack of uncontrolled emotion or confusion," he explains how
this describes common symptoms of ADHD, which he sees as primarily
a neurobiological disorder that is often confused with Conduct disorder,
Bipolar disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome
and numerous other diagnoses. Laced with many representative stories
from his practice, he spends much of the book describing brain functions,
how neurotransmitters work, and how that can be related to ADHD symptoms.
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