The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety "found that teens whose parents had three or more crashes on their records were 22% more likely to crash at least once, compared with teens whose parents had no crashes," NPR reports. It also found that "children whose parents had three or more violations on their records were 38% more likely to have a violation on their own records, compared with teens … [Read more...] about Texting while driving: What are parents modeling?
Risk & Safety
Why anti-bullying laws don’t work: School psychologist’s view
With the passage of Massachusetts's new anti-bullying law, 42 states now have laws against bullying, Education Week reports, citing "the most recent data available from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration" of the Department of Health and Human Services. But anti-bullying laws don't work, says Izzy Kalman in a blog at Psychology Today. They don't work because they require a … [Read more...] about Why anti-bullying laws don’t work: School psychologist’s view
State attorney general on sexting
It's good to hear a state attorney general – in this case, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott – saying teens shouldn't necessarily be prosecuted for sexting. His view was cited in a sexting story that may involve prosecution because it allegedly involves blackmail on the part of a high school student. report by the Brownsville Herald. It started with flirting, according to the Herald. "Jorge … [Read more...] about State attorney general on sexting
Some DIY porn makers start young
Do-it-yourself porn production is a growing trend, reports KATU News in Portland, Ore., and some producers get into it out of financial desperation, they say. One mentioned in this report started when she was 17. KATU cites psychologists as saying there's danger to DIY porn, "both to the viewer and the provider." Dr. Ryan Hosley told KATU "that watchers of the videos become addicted because it … [Read more...] about Some DIY porn makers start young
Formspring: What’s going on around it
Last week I wrote about what's going on at Formspring. This week: what's going on around it. The problem we, all of us, are dealing with isn't mainly a Web site whose business plan did not include teens using the site for their own purposes, some harmful. I think everyone can agree that the basic problem is the nasty behavior on it. What those of us who grew up in the mass-media era struggle over … [Read more...] about Formspring: What’s going on around it