Oroville High School Outreach

Butte County SELPA & the Northern California Diagnostic Center

Present

Medical Aspects of AD/HD Videoconference

with Dr. John L. Digges, Behavioral Pediatrician

Diagnostic Center Northern California

For Parents and Teachers

 Dr. Digges, MD, PhD, MPH, and FAAP (Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics) will be answering your questions about the medical aspects of AD/HD.   Dr. Digges served as a Forensic (Child Abuse) Pediatrician and has had a private practice focused ADHD consultations for the past ten years. He currently serves as the President of the Kern County Medical Society.

 

CONTENT:  Medical Aspects of ADHD including medication

 

WHEN:        Wednesday, February 25, 2009  4:00-5:30

 

WHERE:       Butte County Office of Education                        

                       1195 Bird St., Oroville, CA

 

WHO:           Teachers and Parents/ caregivers of students  with ADHD

 

 Parents:     please invite your student’s teacher

Teachers:   please encourage parents to attend

 

RSVP:  contact Gail Cafferata, SELPA Program Specialist

879-7487 or gcaffera@bcoe.org

 

 

Dating Violence Common Among Teens

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Teen life, with its fads, crushes, clashes, and breakups, seems to be a world away from abusive relationships. Yet, there can be a dark side to all of the social drama. Many teens go through the same types of abuse—sexual, physical, and emotional—that some adults go through.

Dating violence is a pattern of violent and abusive behavior that someone uses against a girlfriend or boyfriend. 1 There is no single definition for “dating violence,” but the American Bar Association provides these statements to help us better understand dating violence among teens:

  • Dating violence occurs in a dating relationship when one person uses physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to gain power and to keep control over the other person. 2
  • Dating violence is a pattern of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by one partner to gain power and control over the other partner—the dynamics are the same for teens and adults. 3

Before violence starts, a teen may experience criticisms and demands from her boyfriend. For example, he might tell her what clothes to wear and whom she can hang out with. Teens may be confused by these demands and may not know how to deal with a dating partner’s mind games. Threats and rage may be followed by vows of love and pleas for forgiveness. Yet, over time, the violence can get worse.

Teens may be afraid to break up with their partners out of fear that their partner will hurt them or will harm himself or herself. A teen may want to be there to help a boyfriend or girlfriend, may hope that things will get better, or simply may not realize what can happen. Teen victims may begin to believe—wrongly—that they deserve the abuse.

If you have a teen who is dating, be alert for signs of abuse, both physical and emotional. Outward signs include:

  • Having bruises and injuries.
  • Changing the way she looks or dresses.
  • Dropping old friends.
  • Giving up things she cares about.

New friends as well as changes in attitudes, styles, hobbies, and school activities are common in young people. Still, they can be clues that a teen is being controlled by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Emotional abuse is harder to see than physical abuse since it happens over time and can take several forms, including:

  • Name-calling.
  • Put downs.
  • Blame.
  • Threats.
  • Envy.
  • Anger.
  • Attempts to control a partner’s dress, activities, and friendships. 4

A young person who suffers emotional abuse may become insecure, destructive, angry, or withdrawn. He also may abuse alcohol or drugs.

If a child has been exposed to domestic violence at home, it increases the chance that he or she will take on the role of either a “batterer” or a “victim” in his or her own relationships. Abuse can seem “normal” to youth who witness it in their own homes.

If you believe that your child is being abused, talk to her. Ask questions, set limits, and offer advice. You may want to seek help from counselors, community health agencies, and domestic violence or crisis centers. These and other resources can provide you with information and guidance about how to help your teen.

Keep in mind that your child may find it hard to talk about stress in her dating life. So, don’t show anger or push so hard that she pulls away. Instead, let her know that you respect her views and are there for her. Tell her that you care about her and want her to be safe.

If you believe that your child is abusing his dating partner, confront him about it and seek expert help.

*We refer to a child as “him” in some places and “her” in others. We do this for easier reading. All information applies to both boys and girls unless otherwise specified.

Additional Resources

Washington State Office of the Attorney General, 2004. Teen Dating Violence, FAQ: Relationship Violence—Help for Parents, last referenced 4/12/05.

The National Women’s Health Information Center, 2004. Violence Against Women: Dating Violence, last referenced 4/12/05.

Parent Involvement in High School

http://www.sdcoe.net/lret2/family/pia.html 

Advise for Parents of Troubled Teens

 

It's normal for teenagers to want to feel independent. But it's not typical for

 them to act out in dangerous extremes. If your teenager is creating self-

destructive situations, you can't afford not to intervene. Should you wait

until your teenager is in a perilous situation before you do something

 about it? ABSOLUTLY NOT!!!

Identify the Cause
Teenagers are known to explore new things, but they don't make severe switches in personality just out of the blue. If they're making drastic behavioral changes, there's a reason. It's a cause-and-effect situation. As a parent, it's your responsibility to identify what's behind the change. It may be a recent event, or it may be something deep-rooted.

Look Back
Negative events that happened at ages 2, 3 or 4 help to shape children's personalities. By the time these toddlers become teenagers, they've been living with the resulting pain for most of their lives. Young children may feel pain and anger, but they lack the ability to act on those emotions. Teenagers, however, are able to act on these feelings with more lasting — and harmful — consequences.

Listen and Talk
Teenagers today have more opportunities to make bad decisions than they did in years past. This is all the more reason that you must be a positive, reliable person in your child's life. Listen to him or her and resist the urge to judge or advise; sometimes just being heard helps. Even though they're often reluctant to admit it, they seek approval, love, and a "soft place to fall" in their parents. If they don't feel valued, loved and understood at home, they'll turn elsewhere to get the acceptance they so deeply need.

Act Like a Parent

...especially if your teenager is already going down the wrong path. A warm

 relationship is ideal, but sometimes you must do things your child won't

understand. Remember: you're a parent, not a pal. Your responsibility is to

 ensure the well-being and safety of your child. Intervening in a dangerous

situation (like ones involving drugs, abuse or truancy) might make your

 child dislike you, but it will also save his or her life. Don't "go along just to

get along;" do what's best for your child.

 

           5 Core Steps to Good Parenting

1.Plug In

Make a conscious decision to plug into your kid's world. You can't make assumptions about the critical choices that children have to make today because the world they are living in is different from the one you grew up in.

2. Spread the Word

When you talk to your children you've got to spread out your logic so that they can see why you're saying what you're saying. Research shows us that the amount of trouble kids get into is inversely proportional to the number of words spoken in the home. What that means is, the less you talk at home, the more trouble they get in outside the home.

3. Talk About Things That Don't Matter

How do you ever expect to talk to them about things that do matter if you haven't practiced by talking about things that don't?

4. Remember, You're the Parent

Children have lots of friends who tell them what they want to hear. They don't need you to be another friend. They need you to be an authority figure who lets them know where the boundaries of acceptable behavior are. Trying to be his or her friend will only undermine your authority as a parent and come back to bite you.

5. Allow Them A Sense of Mastery

You have to put your kids in a world where they feel a sense of mastery over

their own environment. It's important that they don't feel they're subject

to arbitrary guidance or haphazard decisions.

Gangs And Your Child

About Gangs A gang is a group of (usually young) people who claim some territory (called turf) and use . . .

About Gangs

A gang is a group of (usually young) people who claim some territory (called turf) and use it to make money. Gangs make money through illegal activities such as drug trafficking and extortion.

Gangs recruit most heavily in public schools. They may recruit children as young as nine, knowing that the judicial system is more lenient on younger children and that, thus, younger members can be sacrificed on riskier jobs for the gang.

Gangs tend to mark their members and their territories. Gang members will wear certain colors, symbols, or tattoos to show their affiliations. Gangs will also mark and destroy property to claim it and to show boundaries to other gangs. When a person wearing the signs of one gang enters the territory of another, bloodshed is not uncommon.

Why Youth Join Gangs

The social and economic environments of many neighborhoods lure young people into gangs.
  • Young people will join to feel accepted. Gangs can provide a surrogate family to youth who may feel that they lack a home.
  • They also join when they feel unsafe; gangs offer a sense of protection to their members. Similarly, gangs will intimidate young people into joining, making them feel unsafe unless they join.
  • Finally, youth who feel that their economic futures are bleak will join gangs for money. Gangs are often seen as money makers—they deal in the highly profitable drug trade, which is often accompanied by violence.

What You Can Do

You can reduce the risk that your child will join a gang. Teaching children about the risks of gang membership—especially the violence—is essential. Also be sure to emphasize the fact that the supposed upsides are false; most gang members do not make more than the minimum wage, and gang members are at greater risk of violence, not less. Also be sure that your child is involved in positive activities, such as the Boy and Girl Scouts, sports programs, or hobby clubs. By providing information and care, you can greatly reduce the risk that your child will join a gang.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Research shows that the main reason that kids don't use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs is because of their parents . . .

Research shows that the main reason that kids don’t use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs is because of their parents -- because of their positive influence and because they know it would disappoint them. That’s why it is so important that parents build a strong relationship with their kids and talk to them about substance abuse -- the earlier the better!

The good news is it’s easy to do! Here are a few ways you can build a positive relationship with your kids and start talking to them about drugs.

Note: “Drugs” refers to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.

Establish and maintain good communication with your children.

Why? The better you know your children, the easier it will be to guide them towards positive activities and friendships.

How?

  • Talk to your children every day. Share what happened to you and ask what happened to them during the day.
  • Ask questions that kids can’t answer with “yes” or “no,” such as “what was your favorite part of the day.” Ask your children their opinions and include them in making decisions. Show your children that you value their thoughts and input.

Get involved in your children’s lives.

Why? Young people are less likely to get involved with drugs when caring adults are a part of their life.

How?

  • Spend time doing something your children want to do every day.
  • Support your children’s activities by attending special events, like recitals and games, and praising them for their efforts.
  • Help your children manage problems by asking what is wrong when they seem upset and letting them know you are there to help.

Make clear rules and enforce them consistently.

Why? Research shows that when parents set harsh rules or no rules, kids are more likely to try drugs.

How?

  • Discuss rules, expectations, and consequences in advance.
  • If a rule is broken, be sure to enforce the consequences. This teaches children to take responsibility for their actions.
  • Give praise when your children follow rules and meet expectations.

Be a positive role model.

Why? Children imitate adults.

How?

  • Demonstrate ways to solve problems, have fun, and manage stress without using alcohol or drugs.
  • Point out examples of irresponsible behavior, such as ones you see in movies or hear in music.

Help your children choose friends wisely.

Why? When children have friends who don’t engage in risky behaviors, they are likely to resist them too.

How?

  • Help your kids feel comfortable in social situations.
  • Get to know your children’s friends and their families.
  • Involve your children in positive group activities, such as sports teams, scouting troops, and after school programs.

Talk to your children about drugs.

Why? When parents talk to their kids early and often about substance abuse, kids are less likely to try drugs.

How?

  • Short discussions go a long way. Engage your children in a conversation. Ask what they know, how they feel, and what they think about the issue.
  • Talk to your children one-on-one and together.

When?

  • Any time you spend together is the perfect time for a conversation.

What should I say?

  • Explain the effects of drugs on the body and the legal consequences of using drugs.
  • Make it clear that you don’t want your kids to use drugs and that you will be disappointed if they do.
  • Discuss why using drugs isn’t okay.
  • If any of your children have tried drugs, be honest about your disappointment, but emphasize that you still love them.

Father Involvement

 

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/calltocommit/chap2.html

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