News & Views
NEWS & VIEWS - MARCH 2006
Mar 8, 2006, 11:14
BOY SUFFOCATES AT STAR RANCH
(December 8, 2005) The San Antonio's Express News reported that autopsy findings show a 12-year-old boy died from suffocation while being restrained at Star Ranch in Ingram, TX. An unidentified staff person at the residential treatment center allegedly placed the boy in "a basket hold" as the youngster tried to bang his own head on the pavement. More…
MIND-ALTERING DRUG USE ON RISE
(January 4, 2006) The Washington Times reported that a study by Brandeis University indicates teenagers receiving prescriptions for mind-altering drugs increased 250 percent between 1994 and 2001. Researchers found that of those visiting a doctor, one out of every ten boys received a prescription to treat a mental condition, however, nearly one-fourth of those did not have an associated mental health diagnosis. The Times also referred to a Center for Disease Control study which indicated that children under 18 who take three or more prescription drugs, increased by over 50 percent between 1994 and 2000.
ABSTINENCE PROGRAMS FAILING
(January 11, 2006) A Harris Interactive Poll reported that the majority of US adults believe abstinence programs fail to prevent or reduce HIV/AIDS (58 percent), unwanted pregnancies (65 percent) or extra-marital sex (78 percent). More…
STUDENT FILES COMPLAINT
(January 26, 2006) ABC News reported that a senior, Doug Anglin, filed a federal civil rights complaint alleging Milton High School in Milton, MA, discriminates against boys. Anglin claims the school makes it easier for girls to succeed academically while boys are more likely to be punished. "The system is designed to the disadvantage of males," Anglin told The Boston Globe. More…
WHOSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
(January 27, 2006) An article by David W. Kirkpatrick on EducationNews.org, criticizes how many school districts prohibit public observation of a teacher in the classroom, which was a topic of the January 13 airing of ABC's Stupid in America. Kirkpatrick argues this restriction, which is allegedly designed to protect the "professionalism and rights of teachers," undermines public oversight and betrays accountability in public schools to the extent that the term "public" is a misnomer, especially when private schools appear more open to public observation. More…
PUBLIC STUDENTS SCORE HIGHER
(January 27, 2006) The New York Times reported that a large-scale government study by the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana concluded that public school students out-performed private and charter school students in a math assessment. The study adjusted the raw scores of more than 340,000 fourth and eighth grade students in 13,000 public, charter and private schools to account for differences in income, school and family circumstances. More…(Free registration required)
COACHING: TWO BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
(February 2006) An article by Leanne Hoagland-Smith, reported that at 2 billion dollar annually and a 40 percent growth rate, coaching is the second fastest growing industry in the US. Hoagland-Smith provides coaching services to help other coaches increase their effectiveness. More…
THE BULLY PROBLEM
(February 2006) The Center for the Development of Peace and Well-Being at Berkley University reported that Branford High School implemented a far-reaching anti-bullying program a decade ago because the problem was so prevalent. The incidents of bullying and violence have dropped more than 50 percent since that time. More…
TEEN GIRLS NAIVE ABOUT STD'S
(February 2006) Child Development Research reported that a Carnegie Mellon University study of 300 girls revealed that most sexually active teenage girls are naïve about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), until it is too late. More…
STUDENTS SUSPENDED FOR COMMENTS
(February 4, 2006) The Sun-Sentinel reported that 12 students at the St. Thomas Aquinas School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, were given a one-day suspension for "very inappropriate language and comment" on myspace.com. Archdiocese of Miami spokeswoman, Mary Ross Agosta, said, "The Internet is a great source of communication and information, but it also should be a great concern for parents." More…
CHARTER SCHOOLS FAIL STUDENTS
(February 4, 2006) The Los Angeles Times reported that two publicly funded California charter schools, Options For Youth and Opportunities For Learning, owned by John and Joan Hall, showed "dismal" results in the 2003-2004 school year. Only 11 percent of the students graduated, with the remaining majority dropping out, expelled or transferring to other schools. More…
BRAIN DEVELOPS SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER 18
(February 6, 2006) A news release from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, reported that two researchers, Craig M. Bennett and Abigail A. Baird, conducted a study, Anatomical Changes in the Emerging Adult Brain, to identify how and when a person's brain reaches adulthood. The study shows there are considerable anatomical differences in the brains of 18-year-old students in comparison to students' ages 25 to 35. The differences suggest that significant brain development occurs after the age of 18. The study will appear in a forthcoming print issue of Human Brain Mapping. More…
EDUCATION INDUSTRY DAY
(February 6, 2006) Steven Pines, Executive Director, Education Industry Association, Inc. (EIA), Potomac, MD, 800-252-3280, announced that March 8-9, 2006 are the scheduled dates for the 6th annual Education Industry Day in Washington D.C. The EIA is an "umbrella organization for private providers of education services, content and financial capital." Education Industry Day is designed for education entrepreneurs to "examine the impact of business innovations and explore how public policy both defines and affects the marketplace."
FIRST GRADER FACES SEX HARASSMENT
(February 9, 2006) A CNN article reported that a first grader was accused of sexual harassment for inappropriate physical contact with a female classmate and suspended from Downey Elementary School in Brockton, MA. The school district is conducting an official investigation into the incident. More…
WARNING URGED FOR ADHD DRUGS
(February 10, 2006) A Washington Post article reported that a federal expert advisory panel is recommending a "black box" warning on many drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, including Ritalin and Adderall. The Panel, in a majority vote is requesting labeling changes based on reports of dozens of patients who suffered cardiac arrest, toxic reactions or sudden death while using the medications. More…
KIDS DEPRESS PARENTS
(February 10, 2006) A WebMD article reported that a study by sociologists Ranae J. Evenson, PhD, Vanderbilt University, and Robin W. Simon, PhD, Florida State University shows parents experience more depressive symptoms than childless people. The study says fathers report just as much depression as mothers. More…
DRUG USE HIGHER IN TEEN GIRLS
(February 10, 2006) An Associated Press story on DailyNews.com reported that previous drug trends are now reversed with teen girls being more likely to experiment with marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes than teen boys. However, statistics show that overall drug use among teens has declined since 2001. More…
WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
(February 13, 2006) In an article on Ezine.com, Leanne Hoagland-Smith argues that the public doesn't seem to notice that government funding increases in public education has not shown significant gains over the past three decades. More…
PARENT/ TEACHER SURVEY
(February 14, 2006) eSchool News reported that results of a new survey from the Associated Press and America Online suggests schools could do a better job of directing parents to educational resources on the Internet. Though 86 percent of parents say their children turn to them for homework help, just 57 percent say they know more than their kids about where to find homework help online. Only 21 percent say they use the internet themselves to help their kids with homework. More…
JUVENILES SERVING LIFE SENTENCES
(February 15, 2006) The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Alison Parker, senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, author of, The Rest of Their Lives: Life Without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States, found that 42 states allow judges and juries to condemn juveniles to life in prison without parole. With 330 juveniles serving life without parole, Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of juvenile lifers. More…
CRIME TIMES PUBLICATION
(February 15, 2006) The Crime Times publication Volume 12, Number 1, 2006 is now available. Click on the latest edition link and look for Volume Number 12 to read several articles focusing on "Linking Brain Dysfunction to Disordered/ Criminal/ Psychopathic Behavior."
STRESS: KILLING YOUNG WOMEN
(February 16, 2006) Lori Ames, Jane Wesman Public Relations, Clarkesville, GA, 212-620-4080 ext. 12, , reported that the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, "Seventeen" magazine and teen medical experts released a report indicating that stress, such as peer pressure, is the culprit for dangerous behaviors in girls. More…
FEDERAL PROBE SOUGHT IN FLORIDA
(February 16, 2006) The Palm Beach Post reported that the Florida Southern Christian Leadership Conference asked the US Justice Department to investigate all deaths in Florida's juvenile system during the past five years. This investigation is to include the January 6, 2006 death of a 14-year-old boy who died an hour after being placed in the Bay County Boot Camp. A separate story on KESQ Channel Three in Palm Springs reported that civil rights leaders with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the legislature's black caucus are demanding the closure of the Bay County Boot Camp in Panama City, FL. More…
GIRLS DRINKING MORE ALCOHOL
(February 16, 2006) James F. Mosher, Legal Consultant, International Institute for Alcohol Awareness and Center Director of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation Center for the Study of Law and Enforcement Policy, reported that teenage girls and young women now rival their male counterparts in alcohol consumption. Mosher blames this trend on the evolution of alcoholic beverages aimed specifically at more youthful tastes. More…
CONFERENCE ON ADOLESCENTS IN APRIL
(February 22, 2006) US Journal Training, Inc., 800-441-5569, is presenting a professional conference on adolescents April 27-29, 2006, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Presenters include James Garbarino, author of Lost Boys, and Matthew Selekman, author of Working with Self-Harming Adolescents. Sponsors include Hazelden, Gray Wolf Ranch, Counselor Magazine and Cumberland Heights. Register online or by phone.
FLORIDA BOOT CAMP UPDATES
(February 25, 2006) An Associated Press story in the Herald Today reported that Florida NAACP leaders are calling for the arrest of the guards responsible for the 14-year-old boy who died a few hours after arriving at the Bay County Sheriff's Office Boot Camp. On February 26, 2006, the Miami Herald reported that after news of the boy's death broke and fanned national outrage, which ultimately resulted in the closure of the boot camp, Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen has disappeared from public view. Herald Today… Miami Herald…
FAMILY SHARES STORY
(February 27, 2006) WISHTV News 8 in Indianapolis, IN, reported that a local family shared its story about sending their son to a wilderness camp. "The family wanted others to know that sending kids to so-called brat camps in the desert really can help." More…