One of the questions that comes up time and again is how do we safeguard our children from being exposed to drugs and pro drug use content on the Internet? 

Most parents are already attuned to risks on the web like online predators and sexual content. Increasingly, sites that promote illicit drug use — actually explaining which drugs to use and how to do it — are coming to the attention of parents as their children are exposed.  What’s more, rogue online pharmacies and their e-mail spam promote painkillers and other drugs to teens with “no prescription needed” while blogs and teen content portray drug and alcohol abuse as no big deal.

Our colleagues at the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia have been studying the growth of these sites.  They came away so worried about the scale and scope that they’ve invited us to partner with them and an Internet developer to launch a new online platform called WebSafe Parent available at www.websafeparent.com

WebSafe will be an online community educating adults about this content and how their children are exposed to it.  WebSafe will also provide Community Alerts that regularly notify registered “WebSafe Parents” about new and potentially harmful websites and other threats.  Parents who want to go a step further can purchase state-of-the-art software that can monitor and control how long, when and what sites children are visiting — and even block children from giving out personal information.  Longer term, members will be invited to join local “WebSafe Communities” where they can exchange information about threats with other adults in their area.

This is an increasingly digital world where teens surf freely and much of the time profit greatly from the experience.  Our goal through this latest partnership is to enlighten and empower parents to protect their kids when they get into situations that can ultimately prove dangerous.  It’s also a prime opportunity to remind parents and caregivers of the immense power and influence you have to help your kids make the right choices for themselves!

What are your thoughts on the content kids are exposed to on the web?  Do you think your kids have discovered pro drug, sexual or other content?

• 	Posted by: Steve Pasierb | 3 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Performance in a Feature Film, Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Performance in a Drama Multi-Episode Storyline, Benjamin Bratt, “The Cleaner”; Performance in a Comedy Series, Dana Delany, “Desperate Housewives”; Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries, Chandra Wilson, “Accidental Friendship”; Talk Show Episode, Dr. Phil, “The Bridge” Credits: Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. and PRISM Awards

Last night the Partnership was proud to co-sponsor the Entertainment Industries Council’s 2009 PRISM Awards showcase on Capitol Hill. The PRISM Awards are presented each year to members of the entertainment industry to honor the accurate depiction of substance abuse, treatment, recovery and mental health issues. Given the power of the media to shape our attitudes and beliefs, it is so important for theses issues to be shown accurately so that the public is aware of both the negative consequences of substance abuse as well as the hope of recovery.

Those of us who are parents of teenagers know how upsetting it is to see the lessons we try to teach our kids about the dangers of drugs be undermined when a television show, movie or song glamorizes drug use and neglects to show any negative consequences. It was great to be part of an event that celebrates actors like Anne Hathaway for her performance in “Rachel Getting Married,” Benjamin Bratt for his work on “The Cleaner,” Dana Delaney for her performance on Desperate Housewives and Chandra Wilson for her role in the TV movie “Accidental Friendship.” Their work does not simply entertain – it also helps to educate the public about the diseases of addiction and mental illness.

Nine cable networks – including FX, E!, and Lifetime – will broadcast the PRISM Awards on September 26th.

Learn more information about the awards and and view a full list of the honorees.

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 1 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Princeton Review has recently released its 2010 edition of The Best 371 Colleges, ranking American colleges and universities by almost every criterion possible, from knowledgeable professors to quality of dorm food. But despite the fact that nearly seventy lists are included in the guide, there is one list in particular that has students, parents, and college officials across the country talking: “Party Schools,” which ranks the top 20 party schools of 2009.

According to Princeton Review, the “party schools” are determined “based on a combination of survey questions [posed to students] concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity of the Greek system.” This year, Penn State topped the list, with the University of Florida and the University of Mississippi coming in second and third, respectively. Other drug- and alcohol-related lists in The Best 371 Colleges include “Lots of Beer,” “Lots of Hard Liquor,” and “Reefer Madness.”

While school officials aim for prestige, college kids’ responses to the rankings show that many students aspire to make the “Party Schools” list. From Facebook status updates to school newspaper articles, college students across the country have been expressing pride for being ranked – and disgust at not receiving a “Party School” title. “I’m really confused that UA isn’t at least on the list,” senior Sarah Kramm told the Crimson White, the University of Alabama’s official newspaper. “It’s like every night I’ll get texts and calls about all these different parties. Not to mention all of our bars are normally packed. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Can Princeton Review’s ratings pose a threat to college kids? Absolutely, writes Richard Yoast, Ph.D., director of the American Medical Association (AMA)’s Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse Prevention. The AMA, claiming that the party list “legitimiz[es] high-risk drinking,” has been lobbying Princeton Review for years to cease publishing this particular report. Yoast has been quoted as saying, “The Princeton Review should be ashamed to publish something for students and parents that fuels the false notion that alcohol is central to the college experience.”

Furthermore, a new study published in the Cochrane Library shows that college kids tend to drink as much as they believe their peers do – but they often overestimate how much alcohol their fellow students consume. “When a list such as ‘Party Schools’ or ‘Lots of Beer’ is published, it may inflate expectations by incoming students that ‘this is a big-time drinking school,’” explains Ken Winters, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a Senior Scientist at Treatment Research Institute. And having this type of perceived norm for drinking can encourage some individuals to drink more than if they held a more conservative view of the drinking norm at that school.”

“These rankings are not more than popularity contests,” Annemarie Mountz, spokesperson for number-one-rated Penn State, has said, noting that less than 1 percent of her university’s students participated in the Princeton Review survey, and that those who did participate were encouraged by their peers to boost Penn State’s partying reputation. “[The lists are] not connected to reality.”

So what if your kids are enrolled in the colleges on this year’s list? Dr. Winters suggests parents tell their kids the following: “Be smart. We don’t want you to make the list for ‘We Are Disappointed In You’ or ‘School Expulsion.’”

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

As a father of two teens, I know it’s impossible to shield our kids from messages that promote underage drinking. That said, it’s always nice to be given a heads-up so we know just who and what in pop culture may be negatively influencing our kids – and right now in particular, I think you’ll be surprised to find out some of the sources sending pro-drinking messages to our teenagers. Here’s a quick round-up of where our kids have been seeing and hearing “cool” alcohol-related messages lately:

Tweens and younger teens: The latest Harry Potter movie. If you think I’m kidding, check out this article from the New York Times, which cites a number of scenes in which our favorite young wizards, only about 16, drink “butterbeer” and appear to get drunk.

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 6 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Something I see a lot of in my field is the classic (and fraudulent) tactical mistake parents too often make when disciplining their teens. This tactic takes on features that are Ponzi-like in the realm of parenting, which is why I call this strategy “Ponzi Parenting.”

As I’m sure most of you know, in the financial world, a Ponzi scheme is a scam that aims for short-term gain instead of long-term success, setting off a whole series of bad behaviors. Similarly, “Ponzi Parents” try to please their kids — and make life easier for themselves — in the short term, without worrying about larger, and possibly lifelong, negative consequences. 

The main theme of the error is that when parents discipline for the moment and get in the habit of choosing the easy way out, they bank on the short-term gain of pleasing their child and on the hope of avoiding conflict. But keeping children happy doesn’t necessarily mean keeping them safe — and teens in particular, with their crazy hormones and developing brains, need their parents to watch out for their health and wellness. Many parents falsely assume that somewhere down the road, their children will learn hard life lessons on their own, outside the home.

But this short-sided approach eventually sets a bad precedent; it enables children to manipulate their parents, and more importantly, it ultimately hurts children’s long-term development.  As a parent, you are in the best position to teach important, life-lessons to your children!

So what’s an example of Ponzi Parenting? Let’s go with enforcing (or not enforcing) curfew. Let’s say you have a teen, and her curfew is 10 pm. That said, she never actually gets home at 10, but when you try to bring that up, she yells, whines and tells you, “You’re so unfair; you treat me like a little baby!” You decide that enforcing her curfew is not worth the headache, and let her stay out as late as she wants. But when your teen is out past 10, she encounters problems that put her safety at risk — for instance, a friend who’s supposed to drive her home from a party drinking too much alcohol. 

Limits and consequences, I will admit, are certainly not “fun” for anyone. I can’t name any teenager who likes having a curfew, or any parent that enjoys listening to his kid cry — or throw a fit —after a cell phone, car or other fun privilege has been taken away. But when you do away with rules and Ponzi Parent, you teach your kid that bad behavior has no negative results, which simply isn’t true.

And as a parent, you should never fall into the Ponzi Parenting trap when it comes to the issue of drugs and your child. I can’t stress this enough. If your teen tries drugs or alcohol, you must take action immediately, and not wait for him to figure out the dangers of substance use on his own. Set a rule that your kid is not allowed to smoke anything, and actually do something if he comes home from a friend’s house red-eyed and reeking of pot. Missing the next get-together will no doubt make your teen upset, but it will also make him think twice the next time he’s offered a joint!

Want to know the one good thing about Ponzi Parenting? Unlike a real Ponzi scheme, you can get out of old patterns and start fresh any day you choose. Raising kids is a learning process — even if you’re guilty of Ponzi-parenting today, it doesn’t mean that you can’t discuss some limits and possible consequences with your teen tomorrow. And hey, unlike Bernie Madoff, admitting your mistakes is not going to land you in prison, and it may actually help (and amuse!) your child.

• 	Posted by: Ken Winters, Ph.D. | 1 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Just read this fantastic guest blog on Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode (New York Times). This brave mother, Janice Lynch Schuster, has two teens currently battling what she figuratively refers to as a “big black snake” – or, as it is more commonly known, drug and alcohol addiction. I’m sure that most parents who have watched their children struggle with a drug problem would agree that Schuster is right on target when she compares addiction to a scary – and possibly deadly –snake.

Facing her children’s drug problems, she writes, used to paralyze her. Even when she wanted to confront the monster, she was reduced to ineffectively yelling, taking away things that her kids could just get more of, and convincing herself that drug use was simply a rite of passage for teens. But luckily, Schuster finally got strong enough to intervene and get help for both her addicted children. Here’s a great quote from the post:

“I insisted that first one child and then another be admitted to a substance-abuse recovery program, a residential program that specializes in treating children, like mine, who are alcoholics and drug addicts. Just writing that is painful and foreign; it is as difficult as speaking in the snake’s tongue. The language of addiction is full of loss — lost opportunities, lost lives, lost potential, lost families, lost time. Now both children are in what is called recovery — they have been clean and sober, one for about eight weeks and the other for scarcely more than two.”

For those of you who can relate to Schuster’s story, I highly encourage you to check out Intervene, our newly launched blog here at the Partnership. We’re so proud of Intervene because it’s more than just a website – it’s a supportive community of parents and caring adults concerned about a beloved teen or young adult’s drug use. Right now, we have some very inspiring guest bloggers posting, including two authors with new books out and one wonderful woman who has been running marathons all over the world to raise funds and awareness for drug addiction and treatment.

And remember, you can also visit our website TimeToAct if you suspect or know your teenager is using drugs. TimeToAct has tips on how to initiate a conversation and get your child help.

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

In the past 6 months, we have gotten about 20 to 30 emails from young people as well as parents reporting that shoplifting is a major concern.  Here are some thoughts from my research as well as our teen trendsetter network.

Ideas on Shoplifting:

1) Shoplifting Is Old
Shoplifting has always been a problem among young people.  I think that perhaps we are now seeing more of a problem, but parents and adults who think that this has not been an issue for every generation are mistaken.  Shoplifting is an old problem; it is just dressed a little differently…

2) What is Shoplifted is Different…
I asked my teen trendsetter group about this trend. They said that what is mainly different about shoplifting today is that what’s stolen is no longer just gum and snacks.  Today, it is iTunes gift cards and Red Bull.

Top 5 Things Teens Shoplift:
iTunes Cards
Red Bull
Snacks
Candy
Magazines

3) Alcohol and Cigarettes
These did not make the top 5, but were towards the top.  Many teens, when asked, do not consider stealing alcohol shoplifting.  In fact, one of my teen advisors says, “Stealing alcohol is like a rite of passage.  You do it to grow up.  Plus, we practically deserve to get alcohol for free because we CAN’T buy it.  I would buy it if they would let me.  I steal it because they will not let me buy it.”

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Vanessa Van Petten | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

The moms and dads who struggle with their child’s experimentation or behavior wonder where it will lead and how they will get through the challenges they face. But amidst the pain, there are insights and opportunities for growth that are profound. One such insight is from parents who have learned that the child who is fighting them the hardest, who is the most difficult to love, may be the one who needs them the most.

One mom wrote on my blog: “No matter what a teenager brings to the table we have to remember that we love them enough to keep loving them — no matter what.” Another writes: “I have learned along the way that the one who is the most outrageous is also the most at risk for me pushing her away and out of the house before she is ready to go…”

It is the deepest and most challenging kind of growth a parent can experience to let go of being “right,” to let go of control, and to allow ourselves to shift and change, and in so doing open up a new way of connecting with a struggling teen.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to spend a rejuvenating weekend at a lovely health spa. I took advantage of what they called a “tai-chi walk” which was a guided walk through the woods with a tai-chi instructor. Funny how a newly-opened mind makes the world look so different, even when you are gazing upon things you’ve seen your whole life. We stopped on a small bridge that spanned a brook rushing over round and worn New England rocks. Our guide asked us to observe the water and the stones and to consider which was more powerful. At first glance, of course, one wants to say the rock is, but the reason the rocks are round and smooth is because the water wears them down. The water can change its course; the water is infinitely more flexible and moldable…and therefore more powerful.

And so it goes as we interact in our families. As we can bend and mold to the issues and temperaments of each of our particular and unique teens, we can find new and better ways to connect with them, influence them, and teach them. You can’t take YOU out of the equation. This is your opportunity to bend, to learn, to change, to grow and to love in a way that it reaches your child, even your troubled, difficult to love child.

The first mom I quoted above goes on to share more of her learnings: “When my teen started doing things that I had not expected from her, like sexting, numerous texts, porno on the computer, hanging on boys, changing her appearance, etc. I had to shift gears. It was painful, I will not lie! I will admit some of my initial reactions were not pleasant, and if continued would have driven her to run — which she did once. Funny thing though, she was my child and she loved me enough to give me a second chance. For that I am very grateful. When I was able to remember how when she was little and I was teaching her ‘life skills’ like swimming, that she depended on my reactions to develop her feelings about those skills, it became a much smoother ride.”

How do you love your “wild child?”

• 	Posted by: Guest Blogger: Sue Blaney | 1 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Last summer I blogged about how the presidents of more than 100 colleges and universities asked lawmakers to consider lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Then this month, comedian Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s satirical news show “The Colbert Report” interviewed the man leading the charge. John McCardell, the former President of Middlebury College, believes the current drinking age drives young adults to consume alcohol out of public view, putting them at greater risk.

Watch the clip (05:45) and tell me what you think. Do you agree with McCardell that the drinking age should be lowered to 18? Or do you think this would be a gigantic mistake?

Update: July 1, 2009

Just came across this very interesting New York Times article stating that drinking among young adults under 21 has decreased greatly in recent years…except for those in college. A 27-year-old study shows that men between the ages of 18-20 who don’t attend college binge drink 30% less than they did when the study first began — but there’s been absolutely no statistical change in 18- to 20-year-old men who do attend a university! So perhaps its the college lifestyle — not the high legal drinking age — that’s causing so many young people to binge. Thoughts?

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 5 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine