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Psychotropic drug prescriptions for teens surge 250 percent over 7 year period
Psychotropic drug prescriptions for teenagers skyrocketed 250 percent between 1994 and 2001, rising particularly sharply after 1999, when the federal government allowed direct-to-consumer advertising and looser promotion of off-label use of prescription drugs, according to a new Brandeis University study in the journal Psychiatric Services.
This dramatic increase in adolescent visits to health care professionals which resulted in a prescription for a psychotropic drug occurred despite the fact that few psychotropic drugs, typically prescribed for ADHD, depression and other mood disorders, are approved for use in children under 18. The study is one of the first to focus on prescriptions to adolescents, rather than children in general.
The study shows that by 2001, one in every ten of all office visits by teenage boys led to a prescription for a psychotropic drug. Other findings in the study show that a diagnosis of ADHD was given in about one-third of office visits during the study period. Also, between 14 and 26 percent of visits in which psychotropic medications were prescribed did not have an associated mental health diagnosis, said lead author Professor Cindy Parks Thomas, an expert on prescription drug trends, at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management...
Teen Abuse of Painkiller OxyContin on the Rise
About 1 in 20 high school seniors now acknowledges taking OxyContin, a prescription drug for managing severe pain that, when abused, can be powerfully addictive.
In its annual survey of teen drug use, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that OxyContin use by 12th graders is up 40 percent nationwide in just three years. Five times as many 12th graders report using OxyContin than report using methamphetamine. The results have been tragic...
The school hasn't used the strap once during the two years Wayne Martel has been principal. But Harakal thinks its mere presence acts as a deterrent.
In her 10 years, the school has used the strap just three times, she said. "It's not something you take and wave around to scare the kids with."
Originally posted by Loam
You get the sense that something is terribly wrong?
Exactly who is out of control?
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Originally posted by Relentless
For example, an extremely concientious 7 year old who has volunteered for monitor duty. It causes her to be 10 minutes late for whatever follows in her schedule and she is being publicly shamed for tardiness. This is downright traumatizing for this child who prides herself on perfection in whatever she does. What the hey?
Here's another, a 13 year old who is being harrassed by another student. The child is ADD and has a hard time not defending himself (controlling retaliation). The parents report it for weeks and the school does nothing, meanwhile they are nightly having to drum it into his head he can't retaliate. When it finally becomes physical (by the harrasser) the victim gets hauled away for defending himself and the aggressor gets nothing. What the hey?
By the way, hauled away in this school means taken into custody by the "system", the parents get a phone call that their child is no longer under their jurisdiction and they will get a phone call when their child is processed so they can pick them up. No additional information is provided. The phone call usually comes in a around 3AM by which time their child has been in a cell with a bunch of god knows what, being subjected to god knows what.
Toddler's Talking Elmo Book Asks 'Who Wants To Die?'
A mother in Dallas is one of several parents complaining about a new interactive book for toddlers in which Sesame Street character Elmo asks "who wants to die?" according to a Local 6 News report...
The company that makes the book said it has had several complaints concerning the book, according to the report.
Originally posted by bodebliss
"Before any one says anything bad about whipping there is a difference between whipping and beating a kid. A whipping does not leave marks nor hurt the butt any longer than a few min. "
Naw, it just teaches kids that if your big enough you can get away with beating the weak and defenseless, and if your frustrated with not getting thru to people you can always resort to violence, that's always a good lesson to teach kids early on.
Originally posted by loam
Here is a bizarre and disappointing story...
Toddler's Talking Elmo Book Asks 'Who Wants To Die?'
Is this sick, or what?
Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Loam
GREAT thread. IMO it's the most important one on ATS.
Teachers put on leave over classroom sex
McKeesport officials have hired a lawyer to investigate whether the school district should fire two fourth-grade teachers who had sex in a classroom several years ago while other teachers stood watch at the door, officials said Thursday.
The district placed Patrick Collins, 54, former teachers union president, and Angela DiBattista, 50, on paid leave Wednesday while attorney Carl Beard of Altoona conducts the investigation.
Originally posted by Fairfax
Actually, my child was the victim of a different Perpertrator. GET THIS, Whitmore was the "Counselor " that supposedly was helping my son deal with all of the emotional trama he had endured. Whitmore was the driving force in my pressing charges. He pushed me every step of the way to prosecute. He kept telling me "How are you going to live with yourself when they do this to another child, and you didn't stop them". He even helped write the victim impact statement. AND THE WHOLE TIME, HE WAS A SICK PERVERT doing the same thing to other children.
So, as you see, he was actually "working" in the capacity of someone who counsels children that have been victims!!!!! (I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT FACT MENTIONED IN ANY ARTICLES.)
YES, I was decieved by him, It never occured to me that a person counseling victims was indeed one of the "SICK PERVERTS".
What can I say, we are moving on with our lives. I NEED EVERY PARENT TO LEARN FROM MY EXPERIENCE!!!! TRUST NO-ONE, EVEN IN YOUR WEEKEST MOMENT, YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD.
Location.
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Fla. Student Shot by SWAT Team Member
A SWAT team member shot and wounded an eighth-grader who appeared to be carrying a handgun at his middle school, leading to an evacuation of the school Friday morning.
...
Details of the shooting were sketchy, but Seminole County Sheriff's officials said no other students, teachers or school staff members at Milwee Middle School were injured.
Sheriff's officials had originally said the wounded boy had barricaded himself in a bathroom.
Penley was a loner who "told me he wanted to kill himself dozens of times."
the boy had run away from home several times. Her 11-year-old son, Jeffery Swofford, said Penley had said he had something planned.
"He said `I hope I die today because I don't really like my life,'" Jeffery Swofford said.