Teen Program Gives Hope

This week I made a trip to Cleveland, Texas to visit the Cleveland Correction Center which houses 550 convicted felons.

The purpose of my trip was to observe PEP founder, Catherine Rohr. The Prison Entrepreneurship Program, which began in 2004 by Ms. Rohr is a Godsend for the inmates who enroll in her program.

My intention was to be a "fly on the wall" and simply observe Ms. Rohr's communication with her students. This was important to me as I prepare to teach the content of Tools 4 Teens to a group at at-risk kids beginning Oct. 24th.

Ms. Rohr was delayed several hours so I was asked if I wanted to spend some time with the inmates.

There began the most incredible two-hour journey I have had in a long time. I was able to ask many questions of the inmates who were all considered at-risk teens at one time.

I faced a room full of gangsters, robbers, murderers and drug dealers and was truly blessed by their respect towards me.

Every inmate had a piece of advice or comment which enriched me beyond words. I feel like I gained incredible insight which I will use in my upcoming program at the Paul Revere Middle School.

It is easy to look past the human being to the crime committed, but I will tell you with complete certainty that 90% of the inmates I met would NEVER have landed in prison had they been loved, respected, protected and guided as children.

I was profoundly blessed by this experience. These inmates don't want our pity. They want hope that they can turn from all the negative and painful experiences of their lives and become what God intended.

-Kelly (co-author of Tools4Teens)

Drug Dogs in Schools and Teens who Abuse

A teenage girl in a high school recently told her Mom about a friend who was acting strange in class. He was messing with his shoe and spraying stuff all over them. She commented about why he was spraying his shoes and he replied, "I like the smell."

A few minutes later another friend asked to be excused to go to the restroom. Later, the teenage girl learned that the boy was spraying his shoes so that the drug dogs would not find his stash. The other friend had gone to the principle to report what had happened. The boy was expelled permanently from the private, Christian school.

Many schools all around the United States use drug dogs to help deter drug usage. Some are caught but many learn how to escape the system.

Raising drug free teenagers in today's society can seem impossible but it's not. There is hope for the many parents who struggle with this issue.

SageWalk therapist, Laurie Wilmok, gives great advice to parents who are seeking to raise drug-free teens in a drug-filled society.

Teen Issue Increasing: Cyber-Bulllying

Many parents are unaware of the stress and emotional issues their teens may be facing when it comes to cyber-bullying.

Basically cyber-bullying is bullying that happens online or via other high-tech devices prevalent in teens lives today. Common tactics include photos, gossip, humiliation, and slander.

Teens text more than talk, use social sites such as MySpace and FaceBook, e-mail, talk in chat rooms and blogs which increases the probability of being cyber-bullied. The New York Times states,

Research indicates that as many as 75 percent of teens have been bullied online, but only one in 10 have reported the problem to parents or other adults, a new study shows.

Because teens are not talking to others about the bullying, they tend to think they are the only ones on the receiving end of such attacks. Many feel the need to deal with the problem alone and are missing the help they need to deal with such emotionally charged feelings.

Communication and education is key to helping your teen avoid being bullied online. If they are educated and find themselves being victimized by a cyber-bully, they will most likely talk to someone about it and be equipped with the tools necessary to handle the issue without it destroying them emotionally.