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News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

The By Parents For Parents Blog is regularly updated with the latest news and information on topics that relate to parenting teenagers. We'll post parenting advice and tips from trusted online news sources and expert parenting columns.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Study Says Failure to Educate Girls Inflicts Severe Economic Damage on Developing Nations

A report released by one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies says that the failure to adequately educate girls costs developing nations more than $92 billion every year.

According to Plan, a child-centered community rights group, data provided by the World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) indicates that the cost of failing to educate girls almost equals the developed world's $103 billion annual overseas development aid budget.

The group's report, Paying the Price: The economic cost of failing to educate girls, says that "those who oppose girls' education are doing great damage not only to the girls and their families but also to wider communities and economies." The report's "Reflecting on the numbers" section includes the following observations:

Countries in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the worst record on educating girls to secondary level. India alone misses out on potential economic growth worth about $33 billion per annum. Other major losers include Turkey ($20 billion) and Russia ($9.8 billion).

Nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa have a gap of 10 percentage points or more between the proportion of girls educated to secondary level and the proportion of boys. Yet, despite this poor record, the region's total lost annual growth ($5.3 billion) is limited by the small size of its economies.

By contrast, just two countries in South and Central America fail to educate girls to the same standard as boys. Indeed, many have more girls in secondary education than boys.

The report did include some good news for advocates of girls' education, noting that net primary enrollment rates for girls across the globe increased from 78 percent in 1990 to 85 percent in 2005, and that secondary enrollment for girls had improved from 47 percent to 57 percent over the same 15 years.

Labels: economics, education, girls

posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:15 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Girls Who Go Through Early Puberty Have More Problems with Boys

Girls who go through early puberty tend to be more popular with boys, but they also are at greater risk for teen pregnancy, sexual promiscuity, substance abuse, obesity, depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety. In addition, they are less likely to finish high school and college.

Dr. Susan Bradley, a child psychiatrist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, said such girls are more vulnerable to becoming involved with an older crowd. "They relate more to the interests of the older crowd ... but they may be catapulted into things that they do not have the maturity to deal with," she said.

If girls do not receive sufficient nurturing at home, they are more likely to seek affection from boys. "Girls who look more mature will be more likely to be perceived by others and to see themselves as attractive and appropriate romantic and sexual partners, opening the doors to dating and sexual activity," according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The average girl in the United States matures around age 12; however, one in six mature before age 8, according to a groundbreaking study of 17,000 females in 1997.

Some experts think that early maturation is not necessarily a bad thing. Pediatrician Dr. Mark Palmert commented, "My bias is that I don't think this is something people should be concerned about. It could just be a sign of better health."

To learn if an all girls private school might help, visit BoardingSchoolsforGirls.com for more information.

Labels: girls, puberty, relationships

posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:07 AM 0 comments

Monday, April 07, 2008

Girl-friendly Chemistry Program May Keep Girls Focused on Science

Most girls lose interest in science around fifth grade. However, a new program developed at the University of Missouri may be changing all of that.

"The Magic of Chemistry" began almost 10 years ago with a group of 35 Girl Scouts taking part in workshops like "The Case of the Unsigned Letter," "Fun with Polymers," and the "Chemistry of Colors." Since then, almost 2,500 elementary school girls have participated in these female-friendly math and science classes designed by chemistry professor Sheryl Tucker, who is also associate dean of the graduate school at University of Missouri.

Tucker and her aides found that more than 80 percent of girls who participated in the Magic of Chemistry said they wanted to learn more about science and related careers.

"There was a critical national need to start a program targeting young girls with the purpose of igniting and retaining their interest in science at an age where national studies indicate they begin to lose this curiosity," said Dr. Tucker.

Bromley Brook School is a private girls boarding school with a strong program in math and science. Learn more at www.bromleybrook.com.

Labels: education, girls, learning_styles

posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:49 PM 0 comments

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Teen Girls Create More Content Online than Teen Boys Do

More teen girls set up personal Web sites and keep online blogs than teen boys, according to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
About 35% of girls ages 12 to 17 who are online keep blogs (diaries) compared to only 20% of boys. Girls are more likely to create Web sites and other Internet content compared to boys (55% vs. 45%).

"Girls have always demonstrated a more aggressive adoption of online posting," according to Mary Madden, a senior research specialist at Pew. "It seems that girls are more focused on verbal expression."

Studies have shown that girls think differently than boys and therefore learn differently than boys. Private all-girls boarding schools address the specific needs of girls, both in and out of the classroom. New Leaf Academy is an all girls junior boarding school with campuses in Oregon and North Carolina. Bromley Brook is a boarding high school for girls that offers a more traditional location in New England. Copper Canyon Academy boarding schools for troubled girls is located in Arizona.

Labels: boundaries, girls, internet

posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:44 PM 0 comments

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Boys Experience Date Violence Just as Often as Girls

Boys are just as likely as girls to experience date violence, according to researchers using data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Study.

Almost 14,000 students in grades 9 through 12 were asked, "In the past year, did your boyfriend or girlfriend ever hit slap or physically hurt you on purpose in any way?" Among girls, 9.2 percent answered yes, compared to 9% of boys.

Dating violence is related to drinking, physical fights, sexual activity, and suicidal thoughts, according to the study, which was presented at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Copper Canyon Academy is a boarding school for girls who have started down the wrong path but want to change course now, before it gets worse. Learn about their all girls school at CopperCanyonAcademy.com.

Labels: boys, girls, violence

posted by ByParents-forParents at 1:30 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 30, 2007

Girls Gone Mild

When Wendy Shalit wrote her first book, A Return to Modest: Discovering the Lost Virtue, she was surprised at the response she received. While people from the baby boom generation reacted with animosity, the younger generations responded quite favorably. This has led her to publish a follow-up work called Girls Gone Mild, which addresses the sexual pressures many young women face.

"'It's about how people misunderstand the "good girl,"' she said in an early July interview here. She believes society often ostracizes these girls or views them as "people pleasing." Instead, she said they are actually "rebels" in choosing to go against teachers and parents to live a chaste lifestyle."

As part of her research, she interviewed more than 100 girls and young women, and communicated via her web site with more than 3,000 others. Shalit's hope is to encourage young girls to stand against the pressures to be sexually promiscuous, and do so without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. Read more at Catholic.org.

If you daughter is struggling with sexual promiscuity or other risky behaviors, then Copper Canyon Academy can help. Copper Canyon Academy is an all girls boarding school that offers academics within a therapeutic program designed to bring out the best in girls.

Labels: abstinence, girls, sex

posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:47 PM 0 comments

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