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Good — and bad — news about today’s teens
Posted By Claire McCarthy, MD On July 5, 2016 @ 9:30 am In Behavioral Health,Children's Health,Health,Parenting,Prevention | Comments Disabled
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The results are in from the 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). There is a lot to celebrate — but there are also some trends that parents, and everyone who spends time with or works with teens, should know about.
The YRBS is a nationwide survey of high school students conducted every two years. More than 15,000 students participated in the 2015 survey. The point of the survey is to monitor behaviors that can put the health and safety of teens at risk. It’s a confidential survey that allows teens to admit to things they might not want to admit to their parents and teachers. The more we know what is going on, the more we can put things in place to keep teens healthier and safer.
Here’s the good news:
This is all good news. But there were also some worrisome trends:
If you have teens in your life, talk to them about this survey. Find out what they are doing — and talk to them about making choices that keep them safe and healthy, not just now but in the future too. These aren’t easy conversations to have, but they are incredibly important. They could literally save lives.
Even more than conversations, as a society we need to work to put education, laws, services and supports in place to be sure that we are doing everything possible to take care of our youth. They are our responsibility, and our future.
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