Overview

Students are saying that most of their alcohol use is occurring with parent permission or with adult supervision, in the form of small sips at parties, holidays, or religious activities.

Question

“What about Europe?” There’s a common misperception that the earlier drinking age in Europe helps teens learn to drink in moderation, but data shows that European teens are more likely to binge drink and suffer long-term health problems.***

Overview

Bullying can harm entire communities and happens on and off school campuses, as well as online. It prevents youth from feeling safe and connected to their learning environments.*

Question

“Who can I contact if I’m concerned about my child being bullied or bullying others?” Sometimes families feel at a loss with supporting their child through bullying. Contacting your school’s school counselor, social worker, or administrator is a great start.

Overview

Concerning eating habits can include skipping meals, vomiting, or taking diet pills to intentionally lose or control weight. These behaviors can be a sign of an eating disorder or distorted body image.*

Question

“Do eating disorders affect young boys and men?” Yes! About 1/4 of students who reported eating/body concerns identified as male. Males are more likely than other genders to experience muscle dysphoria or to excessively exercise or weight-train.***

Overview

It can be difficult to see the difference between regular anxiety and problematic anxiety, especially in teens with high stress. Anxiety can become a problem when it has no reasonable cause, interferes with daily routines, or causes physical symptoms.*

Question

“What are students anxious about?” In SBIRT brief interventions, student have emphasized academic and social factors as key sources of anxiety. However, causes of anxiety vary and it’s important to ask each teen about their feelings individually.

Overview

Every teen has feelings of sadness and disappointment, and every teen experiences periods of grief.* It can be difficult for parents to know when their child’s mood is showing symptoms of depression.

Myth

It’s common for teens with depression to think it’s ‘their fault’ but, depression can result from a variety of causes including past trauma, genetics, life circumstances, brain changes, medical conditions, and substance use.****

Overview

Young people are still learning what makes a relationship healthy, unhealthy, or abusive. Relationship problems can occur when teens are manipulated, controlled, or pressured to do things they don’t want to. Building healthy relationship skills can prevent problems like these.*

Myth

Myth: It’s too early to teach teens about unhealthy relationships. By 8th grade, 25% of SPS students have already entered a dating relationship. And even if they haven’t, talking about relationships can help all relationships, including those with friends and family.****