Below are two articles regarding teens and bullying as well as vaping. Both are huge issues that impact a child’s mental health as well as physical health and both are on the rise in schools throughout the United States. A school in New York is testing a device to detect those that are vaping in school. The sensor can detect tobacco or marijuana etc that is in the air and notifies the administration asap. The school also has a device that can detect : fighting, yelling, and bullying via sound as well as using other detection elements to decrease bullying. I have some information regarding vaping and bullying and how it imapcts your child or teen below.

Children and teens have many stressors in life. Youth are struggling to understand their emotional and social world. Adolescents and children are struggling with academics, chores, family obligations, teachers, new schools, homework, peers, self esteem, hormone changes, body image issues, and much more. The last thing a child needs is to deal with bullying.

Children that are bullied need mental health counseling services at a rate of twice those that are not bullied. Bullying is associated with : depression, anxiety, cutting, self harm, and many other psychological mental health disorders.

Cyberbullying is happening with children and teens and is hidden from parents via: instagram, snapchat, Facebook, whatsapp, texting, and other applications on your child’s smartphone or electronic device. Ganging up on someone and victimizing them and humiliating them is abuse and it is not humor. Many children and teens have committed suicide based on cyberbullying. Parents can monitor and discuss above with their children and monitor their digital footprints.

Teens and children are spending between 6-9 hours per day on electronic devices. Youth in America according to a recent study of over 3000 youth show they are spending more time on media and electronic devices including phones than they are sleeping. The cell phone, Tv, You tube videos, cell phone games, texting , instagram, snapchat, video games, netflix , hula are distracting children from homework, exercise, and healthy face to face relationships. Children and Teenagers are in their room jumping from one electronic device to another and it is having a negative impact on learning and grades! I had a news reporter tell me that we do not know the impact of media on children. There are thousands of studies showing that children and teens are out of balance with media use, tv, cell phone use, and video games. The experts state children should be using no more than 1.5 hours per day . This includes the pediatric medical community. So media Health Care Doctors, Psychologists, Researchers, and world experts maintain we must limit the exposure to electronics. It impacts sleep, mood, performance, social skills, academic success and more in a negative manner.

Teenagers between the ages of 13-18 are spending on average nine hours per day on electronics: tv, netflix, texting, you tube, Facebook, instagram,social networking, snapchat, video games, online videos. Teens are rarely maintaining 7 hours of sleep per night during the school week.

Children are also using electronic media at a high rate. Youth ages 9-12 are averaging six hours per day of electronic media use nd this does not include time for homework.

Seventy percent of teens do not believe that watching tv, texting, playing video games, surfing the net impacts their ability to study and learn. Research shows this not to be the case in fact it is the opposite of what the teens believe.

Teen Boys are spending a great deal of time on video games. Male teens spend almost ten times the amount of time on video games and online gaming as well as cell phone gaming. Teen girls spend more time on social media than boys and girls spend more time reading than boys.

Parents are in a power position to set boundaries for: sleep, gaming, texting, Tv, Homework, and more. If parents do not set firm limits than an immature child will be sucked into the vortex of games and entertainment and will be in their rooms drunk with power. Family communication will deteriorate, grades will go south, negative behaviors will become more frequent, family stress will increase, and mental and physical health will be poor.

Being bullied and teens and school age children that are rejected lead to feelings of powerlessness and isolation. Victims often feel an extremely intense desire to regain their power and turn to violent behaviors to regain their power.

Twenty five percent of students are bullied and of these children seventy percent are bullied at school.

Studies show that students that have been bullied often are very likely to be vulnerable to: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, social isolation, sleep issues and disorders, substance and drug dependence and alcohol abuse, cutting, and more mental health issues. Post traumatic stress Disorder and suicide have also been linked to bullying. Long term psychological damage is linked to bullying and abuse ( emotional, verbal, physical, mental).

Gov legislation and laws have not stopped the violence. We have had 50 school shootings since Sandy Hook only a few years ago this is outrageous and sad and tragic.

We must teach children and teens mood management skills, stress management, social skills, healthy way to communicate thoughts and feelings and more. We need to teach children and teenagers: compassion, empathy, kindness, tolerance, respect, and coping skills for life. We must encourage youth to talk about bullying to parents and to share the info with the principal and all teachers and not look the other way. Cyberbullying also must be discussed it is happening with exponential frequency and is not ok.

Obtaining counseling for children and counseling for teens is important to address bullying to help youth learn skills to address this pain and provide parents solutions so your child does not suffer long term psychological disorders and other forms of harm to family, peers, or self.

Schools need to feel safe physically and emotionally for children and teenagers. Schools must be pro active with anti bullying programs and seminars and education on bullying on a regular basis. Schools should devote time to mental health issues since they will ooze out daily in the schools so it must be addressed!

A child that is victimized very likely will grow up and become a victimizer to peers, wives, friends etc. It is important to teach healthy boundaries( physical, mental, emotional) and healthy choices, right from wrong and also make sure your child is safe from bullying.

Lifeworksaz.com counseling has a specialty working with children, teens , and families that have been bullied or are victimizing others helping them create health and success in their lives.

High Schools are implementing devices that have sensors that can detect if a child or teen is vaping in school and it notifies administrators via cell phone right away with a new detection device that is being tested. Vaping tobacco as well as marijuana is on the rise among teens and adults.

Many teens are using marijuana “weed” via vaping . Vaping allows teens to smoke without the smell of smoke on their clothing and less visual side effects . Many also may think their teen is smoking tobacco versus marijuana .

Thirty plus percent of teens that use marijuana are vaping according to a national study .

Pot use can be hidden through vaping . Vaping uses liquid and it is not easy to detect when vaping . The usual smell of weed disappears via vaping .

Vaping has increased over 300 percent in the past few years for teen adolescents .

Vaping can cause many health problem stir adolescents and teens. The teenage brain is still developing and many big problems can impact teens that use marijuana or Vape.

Decreased sperm count , slow learning , lack of motivation , lung damage , short term memory loss , emotional development stunted and much more.

Many teens and children are smoking and vaping to cope with teen issues : stress at home , stress at school , anxiety , depression , pain , peer issues , social issues , academic stressors and more .

Finding healthy life skills and tools for youth is vital for a healthy and balanced teen and adult success .

Lifeworksaz.com has been working with children, teens, and families for over 15 years. To read more go to www.lifeworksaz.com.

Children and teens have many stressors in life. Youth are struggling to understand their emotional and social world. Adolescents and children are struggling with academics, chores, family obligations, teachers, new schools, homework, peers, self esteem, hormone changes, body image issues, and much more. The last thing a child needs is to deal with bullying.

Children that are bullied need mental health counseling services at a rate of twice those that are not bullied. Bullying is associated with : depression, anxiety, cutting, self harm, and many other psychological mental health disorders.

Cyberbullying is happening with children and teens and is hidden from parents via: instagram, snapchat, Facebook, whatsapp, texting, and other applications on your child’s smartphone or electronic device. Ganging up on someone and victimizing them and humiliating them is abuse and it is not humor. Many children and teens have committed suicide based on cyberbullying. Parents can monitor and discuss above with their children and monitor their digital footprints.

Teens and children are spending between 6-9 hours per day on electronic devices. Youth in America according to a recent study of over 3000 youth show they are spending more time on media and electronic devices including phones than they are sleeping. The cell phone, Tv, You tube videos, cell phone games, texting , instagram, snapchat, video games, netflix , hula are distracting children from homework, exercise, and healthy face to face relationships. Children and Teenagers are in their room jumping from one electronic device to another and it is having a negative impact on learning and grades! I had a news reporter tell me that we do not know the impact of media on children. There are thousands of studies showing that children and teens are out of balance with media use, tv, cell phone use, and video games. The experts state children should be using no more than 1.5 hours per day . This includes the pediatric medical community. So media Health Care Doctors, Psychologists, Researchers, and world experts maintain we must limit the exposure to electronics. It impacts sleep, mood, performance, social skills, academic success and more in a negative manner.

Teenagers between the ages of 13-18 are spending on average nine hours per day on electronics: tv, netflix, texting, you tube, Facebook, instagram,social networking, snapchat, video games, online videos. Teens are rarely maintaining 7 hours of sleep per night during the school week.

Children are also using electronic media at a high rate. Youth ages 9-12 are averaging six hours per day of electronic media use nd this does not include time for homework.

Seventy percent of teens do not believe that watching tv, texting, playing video games, surfing the net impacts their ability to study and learn. Research shows this not to be the case in fact it is the opposite of what the teens believe.

Teen Boys are spending a great deal of time on video games. Male teens spend almost ten times the amount of time on video games and online gaming as well as cell phone gaming. Teen girls spend more time on social media than boys and girls spend more time reading than boys.

Parents are in a power position to set boundaries for: sleep, gaming, texting, Tv, Homework, and more. If parents do not set firm limits than an immature child will be sucked into the vortex of games and entertainment and will be in their rooms drunk with power. Family communication will deteriorate, grades will go south, negative behaviors will become more frequent, family stress will increase, and mental and physical health will be poor.

Being bullied and teens and school age children that are rejected lead to feelings of powerlessness and isolation. Victims often feel an extremely intense desire to regain their power and turn to violent behaviors to regain their power.

Twenty five percent of students are bullied and of these children seventy percent are bullied at school.

Studies show that students that have been bullied often are very likely to be vulnerable to: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, social isolation, sleep issues and disorders, substance and drug dependence and alcohol abuse, cutting, and more mental health issues. Post traumatic stress Disorder and suicide have also been linked to bullying. Long term psychological damage is linked to bullying and abuse ( emotional, verbal, physical, mental).

Gov legislation and laws have not stopped the violence. We have had 50 school shootings since Sandy Hook only a few years ago this is outrageous and sad and tragic.

We must teach children and teens mood management skills, stress management, social skills, healthy way to communicate thoughts and feelings and more. We need to teach children and teenagers: compassion, empathy, kindness, tolerance, respect, and coping skills for life. We must encourage youth to talk about bullying to parents and to share the info with the principal and all teachers and not look the other way. Cyberbullying also must be discussed it is happening with exponential frequency and is not ok.

Obtaining counseling for children and counseling for teens is important to address bullying to help youth learn skills to address this pain and provide parents solutions so your child does not suffer long term psychological disorders and other forms of harm to family, peers, or self.

Schools need to feel safe physically and emotionally for children and teenagers. Schools must be pro active with anti bullying programs and seminars and education on bullying on a regular basis. Schools should devote time to mental health issues since they will ooze out daily in the schools so it must be addressed!

A child that is victimized very likely will grow up and become a victimizer to peers, wives, friends etc. It is important to teach healthy boundaries( physical, mental, emotional) and healthy choices, right from wrong and also make sure your child is safe from bullying.

Lifeworksaz.com counseling has worked with children and teens that have been bullied or are victimizing others helping them create health and success in their lives.

A recent research article regarding bullying confirms that a child’s mental health is impacted in long term ways due to bullying. Children that are bullied suffer many mental health consequences: depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies. Children manifest a wide array of physical symptoms as well.

Children are victimizing children and parents and schools need to have firm consequences to protect these children.

Parents and teachers must teach: compassion, empathy , teamwork , altruism , fairness, kindness , and healthy behaviors .

Healthy behaviors start at home . If a child is allowed to verbally victimize and physically be aggressive at home this will transfer to school.

Parents must teach right from wrong . Families must not allow verbal , physical, or emotional abuse and if they do not address this it will spill over onto peers and others.

Schools must enforce very severe consequences to stop bullying behaviors and have a responsibility as well as each family .

Children as well as teens that have been bullied are at a much higher risk for: depression, anxiety, panic disorders and more years later. Many children and teens who have been bullied will try and self medicate to cope with their anxiety, mood, and depression. Research according to the Journal of American  medical Association state that mental health issues continued into the late twenties from early childhood or the teen years.

Bullying is a distinctive pattern of deliberately harming and humiliating others. It’s a very durable behavioral style, largely because bullies get what they want—at least at first. Bullies are made, not born, and it happens at an early age, if the normal aggression of two-year-olds isn’t handled well.

So what makes a child become a bully? Often children who are dealing with difficult situations at home, such as divorce, or in school will bully others as a way to feel more important or in control of things happening in their lives. Typically, a schoolyard bully is a child who has low self-esteem and is looking to achieve popularity.Bullies couldn’t exist without victims, and they don’t pick on just anyone; those singled out lack assertiveness and radiate fear long before they ever encounter a bully. No one likes a bully, but no one likes a victim either. Grown-up bullies wreak havoc in their relationships and in the workplace.

The bully can victimize a child or teen: physically, emotionally, sexually, or verbally. Many times the victim of bullying at home becomes the victimizer at school or on the internet. These behaviors are learned.

Many Bullies were diagnosed as having personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder as well as narcissistic personality disorder. these personality disorders show a lack of empathy and compassion for people and mistreatment of others.

Kids and teens no longer need muscles to bully and torment their peers. Some young people use Web sites, cell phones, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs and social networking sites as options to harass, threaten and ridicule their peers. What may start as a joke can become very serious once launched into Cyber-Space. The impact on the victim can be devastating and even tragic. In participating in these actions, the bully may have committed a crime, exposed his or her parents to liability or even possibly damaged his or her own prospects for getting into college or landing a job.

Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once.
Over 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.  Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.Over 68% of teens agree that cyber bullying is a serious problem.
Approximately 85% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.

Below  is an article from CNN on Cyber Bullying online…

(CNN) — If you’ve ever complained that the trolls junking up online comment sections are a bunch of sadistic psychopaths, you might be onto something.

An online survey by a group of Canadian researchers suggests that Internet trolls are more likely than others to show signs of sadism, psychopathy and “Machiavellianism”: a disregard for morality and tendency to manipulate or exploit others.

“It was sadism, however, that had the most robust associations with trolling of any of the personality measures,” says an article by psychologists from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and University of British Columbia. “In fact, the associations between sadism and … scores were so strong that it might be said that online trolls are prototypical everyday sadists.”

Sadism is a tendency to take pleasure in other people’s pain or discomfort.

The article was published last week in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

As defined in the article, online trolling is “the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet with no apparent instrumental purpose.”

So, as opposed to cyberbullying, saying nasty things during an argument over politics or even making hateful comments that reflect the commenter’s true feelings, trolls are offensive for the sheer enjoyment of it. Or, in Internet parlance, “for the lulz.”

“Trolls operate as agents of chaos on the Internet, exploiting ‘hot-button issues’ to make users appear overly emotional or foolish in some manner,” the article reads. “If an unfortunate person falls into their trap, trolling intensifies for further, merciless amusement. This is why novice Internet users are routinely admonished, ‘Do not feed the trolls!’.”

Survey respondents were asked about their Internet behavior, including how much time they spend online and whether they comment in places like YouTube or on news websites. They also were given tests that measured responses against psychology’s ominously named “Dark Tetrad”: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadistic personality.

Commenters who said they enjoy trolling other users more than other options (which included debating topics and making new friends) consistently scored higher on the “tetrad” and displayed a tendency to enjoy trolling because it is pleasurable, the authors wrote.

The questions asked to determine sadistic tendencies included ”I enjoy physically hurting people,” “I enjoy making jokes at the expense of others” and “I enjoy playing the villain in games and torturing other characters.”

To be clear, the article is not based on a random sampling of respondents.

For their final study, researchers gave their questionnaire to 188 Canadian psychology students who got extra course credit for completing the surveys and 609 United States residents who use a website that lets people fill out surveys for a small amount of money. Those respondents were paid 50 cents for filling out the questionnaire.

But it speaks to a growing concern about behavior that has existed, certainly, since the dawn of the Internet and in other forms for much, much longer.

Sites like YouTube and the Huffington Post have banned anonymous comments, requiring users to create an account that identifies them by name, while others have taken different tacks to try to moderate comment sections.

“These findings provide a preliminary glimpse into the mechanism by which sadism fosters trolling behavior,” the article says. “Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun … and the Internet is their playgroun

Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once.
Over 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.  Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.Over 68% of teens agree that cyber bullying is a serious problem.
Approximately 85% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.

Below  is an article from CNN on Cyber Bullying online…

(CNN) — If you’ve ever complained that the trolls junking up online comment sections are a bunch of sadistic psychopaths, you might be onto something.
An online survey by a group of Canadian researchers suggests that Internet trolls are more likely than others to show signs of sadism, psychopathy and “Machiavellianism”: a disregard for morality and tendency to manipulate or exploit others.
“It was sadism, however, that had the most robust associations with trolling of any of the personality measures,” says an article by psychologists from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg and University of British Columbia. “In fact, the associations between sadism and … scores were so strong that it might be said that online trolls are prototypical everyday sadists.”
Sadism is a tendency to take pleasure in other people’s pain or discomfort.
The article was published last week in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
As defined in the article, online trolling is “the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet with no apparent instrumental purpose.”
So, as opposed to cyberbullying, saying nasty things during an argument over politics or even making hateful comments that reflect the commenter’s true feelings, trolls are offensive for the sheer enjoyment of it. Or, in Internet parlance, “for the lulz.”
“Trolls operate as agents of chaos on the Internet, exploiting ‘hot-button issues’ to make users appear overly emotional or foolish in some manner,” the article reads. “If an unfortunate person falls into their trap, trolling intensifies for further, merciless amusement. This is why novice Internet users are routinely admonished, ‘Do not feed the trolls!’.”
Survey respondents were asked about their Internet behavior, including how much time they spend online and whether they comment in places like YouTube or on news websites. They also were given tests that measured responses against psychology’s ominously named “Dark Tetrad”: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadistic personality.
Commenters who said they enjoy trolling other users more than other options (which included debating topics and making new friends) consistently scored higher on the “tetrad” and displayed a tendency to enjoy trolling because it is pleasurable, the authors wrote.
The questions asked to determine sadistic tendencies included ”I enjoy physically hurting people,” “I enjoy making jokes at the expense of others” and “I enjoy playing the villain in games and torturing other characters.”
To be clear, the article is not based on a random sampling of respondents.
For their final study, researchers gave their questionnaire to 188 Canadian psychology students who got extra course credit for completing the surveys and 609 United States residents who use a website that lets people fill out surveys for a small amount of money. Those respondents were paid 50 cents for filling out the questionnaire.
But it speaks to a growing concern about behavior that has existed, certainly, since the dawn of the Internet and in other forms for much, much longer.
Sites like YouTube and the Huffington Post have banned anonymous comments, requiring users to create an account that identifies them by name, while others have taken different tacks to try to moderate comment sections.
“These findings provide a preliminary glimpse into the mechanism by which sadism fosters trolling behavior,” the article says. “Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun … and the Internet is their playground.”

Children as well as teens that have been bullied are at a much higher risk for: depression, anxiety, panic disorders and more years later. Many children and teens who have been bullied will try and self medicate to cope with their anxiety, mood, and depression. Research according to the Journal of American  medical Association state that mental health issues continued into the late twenties from early childhood or the teen years.

Many Bullies were diagnosed as having personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder as well as narcissistic personality disorder. these personality disorders show a lack of empathy and compassion for people and mistreatment of others.

Kids and teens no longer need muscles to bully and torment their peers. Some young people use Web sites, cell phones, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs and social networking sites as options to harass, threaten and ridicule their peers. What may start as a joke can become very serious once launched into Cyber-Space. The impact on the victim can be devastating and even tragic. In participating in these actions, the bully may have committed a crime, exposed his or her parents to liability or even possibly damaged his or her own prospects for getting into college or landing a job.

Children that move schools frequently and are up rooted from their friends have a higher rate of mental health disorders according to a recent research study. Further over 6500 children that were involved in the research had a higher rate of Psychosis, delusional thinking, hearing voices, seeing things that were not present etc.

According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry children that moved schools more than three times had a sixty percent higher rate of mental health issues like psychosis.

There is a great deal of stress having to switch into a new environment. Meeting new friends and being accepted into social situations is very important for a teen child. Many children are not accepted and are bullied because they are new and this is very problematic and impacts a child’s self esteem, mood, and behaviors in a very negative way.

Bullying is widespread among children and teens. According to previous studies, almost 50 percent of kids in grades 4 to 12 reported being bullied within the previous month. Nearly one-third said they were bullies themselves.

The new results, published March 10 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, are based on 43 previous studies. They don’t confirm that bullying directly pushes kids to be suicidal, however. It’s possible that the connection is more complex, or even that suicidal kids are more likely to be bullied, the researchers said.

In general, the studies found that bullies and bully-victims — people who bully others and are bullied themselves — are at higher risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.Feelings of isolations  impact a child’s brain that increase the potential for psychotic symptomology. Having quality friendships is vital for a teen and his development. Schools need to make an effort to welcome new children in the school and allow them time to meet peers to help them with this huge social adjustment. Most schools fail in this category and this must be addressed for a child’s physical and mental well being.

Children are being bullied online, via texting, and at school. This can have a serious impact on your child’s mental and emotional as well as physical well being. Many parents are not aware that this abusive behavior is going on because many children are afraid to share this information because the bullying might get even worse off.

A 12 year old cheerleader Rebecca committed suicide recently due to bullying by peers. The girls that bullied her are facing charges of felony aggravated stalking. One of the girls that victimized Rebecca admitted to bullying her and stated ” she does not give a ……” on her facebook account. The accused teen girl bully was taken into custody in the juvenile wing of Central Florida’s County Jail.

Many children do not realize the damage they are doing: sending mean messages, gossiping about the victim, threatening the victim, sending or spreading unflattering photos or messages. Cyber bullies and their parents can face legal charges for these activities. If a photo is sent that is sexual in nature the child can be charged with a sexual crime and become a registered sex offender in some states.

Over fifty percent of teens have been bullied online in Arizona and in the United States. Over thirty three percent of youth have been threatened online and victimized. Over twenty five percent of adolescents have been bullied through the internet or through their cell phones. Over one million children have been harassed or threatened over social media alone in the last year. Only seven percent of parents are concerned about cyber bullying. Almost seventy percent of youth state cyber bullying is a serious concern for them. Most teens believe it is easier to bully via technology than it is to do so in person.

Parents can set up contracts with children  and teens regarding cyber bullying. Parents should educate children about this behavior and let them know it is not acceptable. Limiting access to technology is important. Monitoring technology and having access to pass words is important. Creating a contract that specifically states the consequences of inappropriate behaviors via technology is important. Setting healthy boundaries with all types of technology is important and really vital to your child’s health.

Children and teen’s that have been victimized and bullied struggle with mood issues  like : anxiety, ptsd, depression. The victims suffer socially and their self esteem likely can be shattered. Suicide is becoming a more  frequent result of cyber bullying.