Child Sex Abuse Could Lead to Psychosis Later in Life

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Kids who’ve been sexually abused, particularly if the abuse involved penetration and occurred during early adolescence, are at risk for later developing a psychotic disorder, according to a case-control study done in Australia. The rate of psychotic and schizophrenic illnesses was significantly higher among those who were sexually abused as children. The rate among 2,759 children who experienced abuse was 2.8 percent compared to the control group, which only had 1.4 percent. And for the 1,737 cases where penetration occurred, the rate of subsequent psychosis was 3.4%, according to the November Archives of General Psychiatry. The study, called Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders in a Cohort of Sexually Abused Children, found that these children have increased risks for several health problems such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

Teens in Rural Areas are More Likely to Abuse Prescription Drugs

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Teens living in rural areas are more likely than teens in urban areas to abuse prescription drugs, according to a national survey. Nearly 18,000 young people were studied in the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Survey found that 13 percent of rural teens reported using drugs in a nonmedical way at some point in their lives. Only 11.5 percent of teens in the suburbs and 10.3 percent in cities reported using drugs non-medically.  Race and ethnicity did not appear to be significant factors in this study. Teens mostly used tranquilizers such as diazepam and opioid painkillers, according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Medicine.

Late Night Texting: A Nightmare for Teens

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Allowing your kids to send texts or use the Internet before bed may give them problems sleeping at night and problems at school during the day, according to a pilot study at the JFK Medical Center. The study found that texting and other electronic interactions are linked to restlessness, insomnia, and leg pain at night in young people ages 8 to 22. Researchers studied 40 kids (60 percent boys, 40 percent girls), average age 14.5. They found the boys were more likely to surf the Net and game online, while girls preferred to text or use their cell phones. And not just a few texts here and there, these kids were very active.

Report: Foundations Do Little to Help Education for Disadvantaged Kids

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Few foundations direct a large share of their education funding to helping low-income kids in marginalized communities, according to a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. From 2006 through 2008, 672 foundations gave at least $1 million in grants for education, according to the report entitled Confronting Systemic Inequity in Education: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy. Only 11 percent of those foundations used at least half of that money for students from marginalized communities. Only 2 percent used at least a quarter of their education funding to improve advocacy, community organizing or civic engagement. The National Committee describes marginalized communities as “primarily children in low-wealth families and children of color, English language learners, gay and gender-nonconforming youth, students with disabilities, immigrant youth and females in male-dominated fields.”

The Committee argues that education reform can’t succeed without making educational access equal for all kids, regardless of race, ethnicity and parental income.

Social Training for Kids Doesn’t Improve School Performance

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Programs aimed at improving a child’s character and social skills have almost no positive effect on the behavior and academic performance of elementary school kids, according to the National Center for Education Research. Over 6,000 third-graders, caregivers, teachers and principals in 84 schools that had Social and Character Development (SACD) programs were studied by the National Center. Researchers found that kids in schools with SACD programs were no different than kids without them, in terms of:

Social and emotional competence
Behavior
Academic performance
Perceptions of school climate

The study looked at students in seven programs as the kids moved through third, fourth and fifth grades. It measured things like altruistic and problem behavior, feelings of safety, support for teachers and academic confidence. Only 2 of 20 students showed any statistical benefits from the programs.

SACD programs teach children how to deal with their feelings and improve other social behaviors.

Missouri Model Helps Kids with Big Problems at a Smaller Cost

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The Missouri Model is helping change the juvenile justice system by providing students with the ability to transition into the community at a cheaper cost to the state. According to a recent study by the Annie B. Casey Foundation, the model shows 75% of the kids that go through the Missouri juvenile justice system advance through school as if they were never detained in the first place. At the time of discharge from the system, 85.3% are already engaged in school or have found a job. The Missouri system accomplishes this by using the following core strategies:

Placing kids into smaller facilities near their homes. Kids are supervised in small groups but get individualized attention.

Sex Abuse in Detention: Numbers are Low, But Still Troubling

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The FBI did some extensive research on sexual victimization in juvenile facilities across the country and found that violent sex assaults are relatively rare, but the numbers are still disturbing. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) published Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-2009. The report found that out of about 26,000 kids in both state and privately run facilities, 12.2% (3,220) said they experienced sexual violence. Here’s a breakdown:

Youth-on-youth sex abuse incidents: 2.6%. Youth-on-youth incidents involving force: 2%
Staff-on-youth sex abuse incidents: 10.3%
Staff-on-youth incidents involving force: 4.3%

And here’s a surprising find: Facilities that housed only girls had the highest rates of youth-on-youth sex abuse (11%), while detention centers that housed only boys had the highest rates of sexual misconduct involving staff (11.3%).

Good News, Bad News About Teen Driving Deaths

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The number of 16 and 17-year-olds dying in car crashes went down 36 percent from 2004 to 2008. The overall number of teens dying on the road has steadily decreased since 1996, according to research compiled in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), released in October by the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention. But there’s still bad news. Car accidents remain the leading cause of teen deaths, accounting for 1/3 of teen fatalities every year. So, what’s driving the decline?

Teen Crime Trends: Understanding Why

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Juvenile crime rates have dropped in the past 20 years and new research is showing why. The greatest reduction involves kids who commit crimes together, according to research from the OJJDP.   The study cites some reasons that could apply across the country:

More participation in religious and volunteer groups
A reduction in the use of guns
The drug market shifted from selling crack cocaine to selling marijuana

Which kids are more likely to offend? Those exposed to violence, childhood abuse and neglect, according to this research. Crime is also more likely to happen in small, geographical areas such as individual street blocks. For the detailed report, click here.

OJJDP Praises Atlanta’s Art-at-Work as a Program that Works for At-Risk Kids

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Looking for a way to help at-risk youth in your community? Start an arts program. Arts programs for at-risk youth in Atlanta and two other cities show measurable success in helping kids stay out of trouble and develop a more positive attitude about their future, according to research sponsored by the OJJDP and the National Endowment for the Arts. Art-at-Work in Atlanta started 14 years ago as a collaborative effort between the Fulton County Arts Council and Juvenile Court. The program was designed to provide art instruction, job training and literacy education to a small group of first-time status offenders, primarily truants, from 14 to 16-years old.