State News
California: Sacramento Group Organizes Town Hall
Informed Parents of Rocklin held a town hall meeting to educate parents on the curriculum and approved materials under California's controversial sex ed. Rachel Crutchfield, the group's founder says, “We agree kids need sex ed. We just feel like what they are learning is far and beyond what they need.” In addition, Crutchfield says that the sheer volume of what students are learning is practically impossible for parents to review. "It used to be three videos, that parents would go and watch, and they would know exactly what their children will be taught. Now it’s thirteen 45-minute lessons."
Colorado: School Board Challenges Sex Ed Law
The Lewis-Palmer School District 38 school board in Monument recently passed a resolution pushing back against the radical sex ed law (HB 19-1032) that was passed earlier this year. The resolution states that HB 19-1032 violates the "principle of local control" provided by the Colorado State Constitution. Their resolution further requests that the Colorado Association of School Boards "fully investigate a constitutional challenge to HB 19-1032 and urge contacting every school district within Colorado to explore legal action against the State of Colorado concerning this violation of the Colorado State Constitution."
Virginia: Freshman Orientation Includes "Sexual Chocolate"
It's unclear as to whether incoming freshman at George Mason University were required or just "highly encouraged" to attend a "Sexual Chocolate" event as part of the "Welcome2Mason 2019" freshman orientation. What is clear is that the presentation centered around "safer sex" suggestions, improving sex drive and "facts about how using chocolate may improve one’s sex life." To further drive the point home, attendees received take away prizes of squeeze toys modeled as eggplant and peaches.
Scope
High School Employs SRA Method to Stem Vaping Tide
Grayslake Community High School District 127 Superintendent, Mikel Storaasli, says that District 127 and many other IL school districts have witnessed an "explosion" of vaping among high school students. Acknowledging that punitive measures are doing little to decrease usage, they are looking at alternative measures. Jeanie Alter, executive director of the American School Health Association has suggested that giving students a "better idea of the bigger picture" is a better method of prevention. Her prescription sounds almost identical to the SRA approach to sex education.
“Teens tend to overestimate how many other teens are actually using, whether it’s e-cigarettes, marijuana or alcohol,” she explained. “In reality, the rates of teen usage are much much lower. Any health curriculum or after-school program," she said, "must include demonstrating to students through statistics that not vaping is more common than doing so, which could normalize abstinence." This primary prevention strategy builds off the same theoretical framework as SRA education.
Dating: Online vs. Offline, Does it Really Matter?
"How did you guys meet?" is a common question for couples. Not surprisingly, the answer to this question has changed dramatically over the years. Meeting through neighbors, friends or co-workers used to be commonplace, but a new study shows that beginning in 2009 and continuing through the present, meeting online has overwhelming replaced, any other method of connecting. So, the next obvious question is, does it really matter? While no research is conclusive on this, in general, " it suggests that online dating might be a good thing, or at least a neutral development." The conclusion, at least at this point? Instead of being concerned about where couples meet, the more important thing is to establish guidelines and boundaries for healthy relationships before ever beginning one.
Resources
Hepatitis: Latest Figures for A, B, and C
The U.S. experienced increases in cases of hepatitis A, B and C over the past 7 years. This chart from the CDC shows the infection rates of all three types of the the infection from 2011-2017.
Opportunities
Bright Healthy Relationships Initiative Seeks SRA Program Coordinator
BRIGHT is celebrating 15 years of presenting to teens in the greater Louisville area. Our BRIGHT instructors encourage teens to pursue healthy relationships and set a goal of sexual risk avoidance. Last year, BRIGHT reached over 4,100 students in 42 local middle and high schools and continues to grow its reach each year.
BRIGHT is seeking a motivated individual with a passion for this message to lead this program forward. The BRIGHT Coordinator manages curriculum development, training, marketing, & scheduling. The position may also include instructional time in the classroom. Ideal candidates will have strong organizational, leadership and administrative skills. A bachelor's degree is preferred. Please send inquiries to admin@brightlou.org.
Parent Corner
Healthy Social Media Boundries
A new study suggests that screen time alone isn’t to blame for rising rates of teen depression and anxiety. Rather, screen time dedicated to social media might be the culprit. The study examined 6,595 12- to 15-year-olds for possible connections between time spent on social media and adverse behaviors or decreased mental health. It found that “three hours of social media correlated with higher rates of mental health issues, even after adjusting for a history of such problems.” But, as the study’s lead author points out, more than making the three hours a hard-and-fast cutoff (especially since the study depended on participants self-reporting social media use and mental states), the reaction should be:
1. To acknowledge that social media does have adverse effects on mental health
2. To incite further research
3. To encourage us all to have healthy boundaries around social media.
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