February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month!  Dating violence can happen to any teen in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship, anytime, anywhere. It can happen in person or online with a current or former dating partner. Bullying involves acts of violence, power or control of one person over another.  But it does not have to happen at all.

One study found that young males who frequently bully peers in school are likely to perform acts of domestic violence as adults.  Preparing schools and communities to prevent, identify and respond when students are in need of help is a high priority.... Continue Reading

On the surface, bullying and youth substance use may seem like separate problems. However, from research, we know that kids who use drugs or alcohol are at risk for other problem behaviors during their teen years. Recent findings confirm previous studies that found links between bullying and substance use. In a recent article, researchers found that middle and high school students who bully their peers or are bully-victims (bully others and are also bullied) are more likely than students who aren’t involved in bullying to use alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. Continue Reading

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is proud of its long history of working with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and other student groups to promote healthy kids and safe schools. These partnerships are a great chance for HRSA to reach youth in their schools and community to prevent bullying. Over the years, HRSA and GLSEN have shared resources and spoken at events. This year, we are continuing that work on social media for GLSEN’s No Name Calling Week. Continue Reading

Late one Tuesday night, I received a text from the mother of my son’s friend. She told me that we needed to talk NOW; would I call her? Two weeks earlier, my 15-year-old son had broken down in tears over the harassment he was receiving at school. What I did not know, but learned from the mother who contacted me, was that my son had come very close to attempting suicide the night before. The actions of friends may indeed have saved my son’s life. My husband and I knew “Jake” was hurting inside. Continue Reading

January is National Mentoring Month. Research has shown that mentoring programs can be an effective tool for enhancing the positive development of youth in the foster care system.

Over the past three decades, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has supported a variety of mentoring programs to meet the needs of at-risk and troubled youth. The office works on traditional one-on-one relationships, group mentoring, e-mentoring and other innovative approaches to reach teens. Continue Reading