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[Items relating to the
situation of contemporary young people]
BULLYING: A MARKER FOR MORE
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
(July 2003) A cross-sectional study by TR Nansel et al, “Relationships
between bullying and violence among US youth” that
was published in Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine,
2003, April; 157:348-53, was reviewed in Journal Watch Psychiatry,
July 2003, Volume 9 Number 7 by Robert A. Dershewitz, MD,
MSc. The study concludes, and Dershewitz concurs, “bullying
should not be considered a normal part of growing up, but
rather a risk factor for more violent behavior. Programs
to reduce youth violence must address bullying.”
ADOLESCENT HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIORS
(November 2003) “Research conducted by Dubow and colleagues
(1990)… found that the reasons adolescents most frequently
endorsed for failing to seek help included: (a) the adolescent
felt that he or she could handle the problem on his or her
own, (b) the adolescent felt that no person or helping service
could help, (c) the adolescent was concerned that family
or friends might find out, and (d) the adolescent felt that
his or her problem was too personal to tell anyone.” These
statements, by Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Ph.D., appeared
in The Prevention Researcher, Volume 10, Number 4, November
2003, www.TPRonline.org, pg 5. Madelyn S. Gould, Ph.D., et
al, in a different article in the same periodical, on pg.
15, reports: “teenagers were as likely to access the
Internet for help as they were to see a school counselor
or mental health professional…it behooves mental health
professional organizations…to direct attention toward
improving this resource. Web sites and monitored chat rooms
that are both appealing to teenagers and have verified information
need to be developed.”
HELPFUL WEBSITES
(November 2003) Rob Fisher, Media Relations Manager, rob.fisher@prnewswire.com,
PR Newswire, 408-365-8793, writes: “PR Newswire distributes
releases from more than 40,000 members worldwide, at www.prnewswire.com/media.” One
listing, www.Scholastic.com, offers the latest in national
education trends for K-12 School Administrators. The Prevention
Researcher, www.TPRonline.org also lists: www.girlsinc.org,
with information ranging from physical and emotional health
to inspiring stories of other youth; www.reachout.asn.au,
created with help of a youth advisory board, providing
information on family issues, eating disorders, work, grief,
and pregnancy; www.teenshealth.org, provides information
to improve the health and spirit of children; www.education.indiana.edu/cas/adol/adol.html,
created by the Indiana University Center for Adolescent
and Family Studies, is a clearinghouse of links to Web
sites related to adolescent issues ranging from mental
health to conflict and violence, primarily for parents,
educators, researchers and health practitioners; www.nimh.nih.gov,
provides information for the general public, practitioners
and researchers; and www.schoolpsychology.net, is a database
of links for psychologists, parents and educators, for
a variety of topics including eating disorders, substance
abuse, suicide, and violence.
HAZING AMONG TEENAGE
ATHLETES: IT’S
NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES
(November 2003) “Hazing, which has most often been
linked with college fraternities and sororities, is apparently
practiced by younger adolescents, including those in organized
sports…hazing behaviors described in this study range
from benign to dangerous. Young adolescents may be developmentally
unable to predict the consequences and risks associated with
these behaviors….Hazing should be added to the list
of behaviors that pediatricians screen for in adolescent
encounters, and this practice should not be regarded as mere
youthful exuberance.” These comments, by Susan Jay,
MD for Journal Watch Psychiatry Volume 9 Number 11, appeared
in her review of the survey, “Hazing of suburban middle
school and high school athletes” by JD Gershel et al,
published in Journal of Adolescent Health, 2003, May; 32:333-5.
HIPAA REGULATIONS
(November 6, 2003) Attorney Arthur E. Beck, at a presentation
at the Independent Educational Consultants Association
(IECA) Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, concluded that
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996) Regulations probably will not apply to most
Independent Educational Consultants most of the time. HIPAA
applies when bills are electronically transferred to a
payer source, and/or when the referring source has a business
relationship with the school or service provider, but does
not apply when the business relationship is with the parent.
It appears that if a referral source is paid by the school
or program, rather than the parent, the referral source
would be required to conform to HIPAA Regulations. In additional
HIPAA news, the US Dept. of Health and Human Services Office
for Civil Rights (OCR) reported in September that the office
receives about 75 complaints a week of medical-privacy
breaches. Also, Herb Denenberg, professor at the Wharton
School and a former Pennsylvania insurance commissioner
warns of HIPAA Privacy-rule loopholes, in that HIPAA does
not cover worker's compensation, disability insurers, and
health-care information websites.
GOVERNMENT MAPPING OUT A STRATEGY TO FIGHT AUTISM
(November 19, 2003) Jane Gross reports for the New
York Times: “propelled
by the skyrocketing number of diagnoses of the perplexing
brain disorder autism in children, federal officials have
for the first time mapped out a long-term, interagency plan
to deal with the problem...Few of the nearly 150,000 autistic
children and young adults now getting special education services
under federal law will benefit significantly, experts say,
since the most effective treatment involves early, intensive
behavior therapy, which is poorly understood and in limited
supply.” Dr. Fred R. Volkmar of the Child Study Center
at Yale University, a leading autism researcher, now sees
children as young as 12 months, gets referrals from day-care
centers and has a two-year waiting list. Robert Pasternack,
assistant secretary for special education… acknowledged
a "critical shortage of special education teachers" and
said the government was eager to "help states recruit
and train them.” www.nytimes.com/2003/11/19/health/19AUTI.html?pagewanted=2&th
HELPING ADDICTED YOUTH FIND RECOVERY NOW
ON DVD AND VHS
(November 21, 2003) Coalitions Online, CADCA@lb.bcentral.com,
reports: “SAMHSA's recent broadcast, Helping Addicted
Youth Find Recovery, is now available on DVD and video. The
video features a panel of experts that explore complex issues
and highlight effective and innovative treatment strategies.
Several students also tell their stories of overcoming substance
abuse dependence to lead healthy lives today.”
DUNDEE RANCH ACADEMY OWNER, NARVIN LICHFIELD
PLANS TO RESTRUCTURE AND REOPEN
(November 28, 2003) In the print edition of the Tico
Times, www.ticotimes.net,
an article by reporter, Tim Rogers, trogers@ticotimes.net,
entitled, “Dundee
Case Still Worries U.S. Parents” reports: “Six
months after the closure of Dundee Ranch Academy, tough-love
program owner Narvin Lichfield of Utah once again is a free
man. The restrictions on his freedom, imposed by a Costa
Rican judge May 23 following Lichfield’s brief arrest
on allegations of children’s rights abuse, expired
last Sunday and prosecutor Marielos Alfaro said she doesn’t
see a need to request a six-month extension of his prohibition
on leaving the country. Lichfield, who is currently enrolled
in Spanish classes as he plans to reopen his academy under
a different name and a gentler, therapeutic model, insists
he is not going to leave the country to avoid the on-going
investigation.”
CDC: 180,000 – 280,000
IN USA UNAWARE OF THEIR AIDS INFECTION
(December 2, 2003) In the Knight Ridder news story carried
in the December 2, 2003 Spokesman Review, entitled: “World
is losing fight against HIV/AIDS,” the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention estimated that 850,000-950,000
live with HIV in the U.S., and 180,000–280,000 are
unaware they’re infected with HIV. The CDC estimates
40,000 new HIV infections each year.
RESEARCH ON ECSTASY IS CLOUDED BY ERRORS
(December 2, 2003) Donald G. McNeil Jr. reports for
the NY Times, at: www.nytimes.com/2003/12/02/science/02ECST.html?th,
that the journal Science issued a startling retraction
of a study published in 2002 that warned that "the amount
of the drug Ecstasy that a typical user consumes in a single
night might cause permanent brain damage. It turned out
that the $1.3 million study, led by Dr. George A. Ricaurte
of Johns Hopkins University, had not used Ecstasy at all…His
10 squirrel monkeys and baboons had instead been injected
with overdoses of methamphetamine, and two of them had
died. . It was not the first time Dr. Ricaurte's lab was
accused of using flawed studies to suggest that recreational
drugs are highly dangerous. In previous years he was accused
of publicizing doubtful results without checking them,
and was criticized for research that inaccurately contributed
to a government campaign suggesting that Ecstasy made "holes
in the brain.”
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