Category Archives: News to Use

Click on the Connect with Kids monthly newsletters below to learn more about latest national news and trends on social and emotional issues that could impact you and your family. Topics range from the latest information on how to manage social media, how to talk to children about prejudice, how to improve motivation and academic success and much more.

  • News & Trends – May 22, 2013

      May 2013 Trending: Connect with Kids Tracks Research on Teen Materialism and Work Ethic      Connect with Kids real and relevant focus on a cultural shift toward narcissism and materialism in today’s youth is now making national news headlines.     The CWK documentary Living from the Inside Out profiles research from Jean M. Twenge, […]

  • News & Trends – April 30, 2013

      April 2013 National Study: Teen Abuse of Rx Drugs Up 33 Percent Since 2008        New survey results from The Partnership at Drugfree.org confirm that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription (Rx) drug at least once in their lifetime, a 33 percent increase over the past five years. Additionally, […]

  • News & Trends – April 22, 2013

      April 2013 School Connectedness: Helping Students Feel Safe and Secure       When the news of the day frightens and bewilders even the most secure adults, how can we help kids to feel the safety and security they need to learn and grow? We know that students who feel connected to their school are […]

  • News & Trends – April 9, 2013

                  April 2013 Teens, Prom and Underage Drinking: The Risk is Real         Ah, springtime. Love is in the air (and high school hallways) as teens gear up for prom. April is also Alcohol Awareness Month — and time to address prom’s delights and dangers. The Risk […]

  • News & Trends – March 28, 2013

      March 2013 TMI? Study Finds Parents Talking about Past Drug Use Can Be Detrimental     In texting lingo, the kids call it TMI: Too Much Information. A new study published in the Journal Human Communication Research reports that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong anti-drug message, were more likely to […]

  • News & Trends – March 18, 2013

      March 2013 TMI? Study Finds Parents Talking about Past Drug Use Can Be Detrimental     In texting lingo, the kids call it TMI: Too Much Information. A new study published in the Journal Human Communication Research reports that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong anti-drug message, were more likely to […]

  • News & Trends – February 26, 2013

      February 2013 Study: Kindness Leads Kids to Happiness and Peer Acceptance                 Research published in the journal PLOS ONE  reports that nine- to 12-year-olds who perform kind acts are not only happier, but find greater peer acceptance.       The authors write that “a simple and relatively brief pro-social activity can […]

  • News & Trends – February 19, 2013

      February 2013 UCLA Bullying Study: It’s Cool to be Cruel       UCLA psychologists report that when it comes to bullying behavior among middle school students, both physical aggression and spreading rumors are rewarded by middle school peers.      “The ones who are cool bully more, and the ones who bully more are seen […]

  • News & Trends – February 12, 2013

      February 2013 BFFs Beware: Study Finds Friends’ Alcohol Use and Access Most Predictive Factor in Underage Drinking       Chances are the only thing you remember about your first swig of alcohol is how bad the stuff tasted. What you didn’t know is the person who gave you that first drink and when you had […]

  • News & Trends – February 5, 2013

      February 2013 Does Facebook Make Us Feel Sad?     According to a new research reported by Reuters, the constant viewing of happy, smile-filled photos and posts on Facebook is fueling comparison and evaluation that makes us feel bad about ourselves.     Researchers from the Institute of Information Systems at Berlin’s Humboldt University studied 600 people who […]

  • News & Trends – January 30, 2013

      January 2013 Monitoring the Future  Study Results:  Teen Marijuana Use Still High      Researchers are sounding the alarm on the continued high use of marijuana by the nation’s eighth, 10th and 12th graders — along with a drop in perceptions of its potential harm.     Consider these key findings of the recently released […]

  • News & Trends – January 23, 2013

      January 2013 Living Strong: Help Kids to Play Fair and Drug-Free      As the news du jour moves beyond Lance Armstrong and Tour de France doping, health-class, ethics and dinner table conversations might very well transition to middle school and high school sports, and the pressure and prevalence of a no less dangerous […]