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.
We invite you to add your comments. Please let us know if you would like some specific topics covered, want to share your experience as a parent dealing with teens, or just have general feedback on the By Parents For Parents Blog.
Helping Kids Process Trauma
Let's face it: We live in a world where bad things happen. If something traumatic happens to your family, or in your neighborhood, your kids will need to process their emotions - and they may need some help from you.
"Stick to routines. It is easiest for children to deal with stress when they feel comfortable and know what to expect. Minimize exposure to the media. Do not let children repeatedly view footage of traumatic events, and avoid letting them watch footage alone."
Take some extra time to reassure your child that she is safe, and talk about what happened in terms your child can understand. Because children process trauma at differing rates, be sure to give your child plenty of opportunities to ask questions and talk about how they're feeling. Source: WISinfo
Labels: stress, therapy, trauma
posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:24 PM
Certain Kinds of Therapy Benefits Sexually Abused Kids
Children who have been sexually abused benefit from psychological interventions, although many can improve on their own, according to a new study from Western Illinois University and Northern Illinois University.
Professors Melanie Hetzel-Riggins, Amy Braugh, and Brad Montgomery analyzed the results of twenty-eight studies on sexually abused teenagers and children. They concluded that those who undergo cognitive-behavioral therapy or abuse-specific therapy achieve the best results, especially if it is a long-term therapy. Therapies ideally tailored to each individual work best. If the abuse occurred within the child's family system, it is harder to treat.
This study appears in the August 2007 issue of
Child Sexual Abuse and Neglect.
Equine therapy or
Animal assisted therapy can reach kids who haven't responded to traditional talk therapy. Visit
Animal-assistedTherapy.com to learn more.
Labels: abuse, research, therapy
posted by ByParents-forParents at 6:48 PM
Brat Camp
Maybe you have heard the buzz about
brat camp and wonder what exactly a brat camp is. Last summer ABC produced a show called Brat Camp and followed students at a wilderness therapy program in Oregon as they went through the therapeutic experience in the outdoors.
Brat Camp might sound a bit derogatory, but that's just television for you - sensationalizing for the biggest impact. In actuality these are very serious therapeutic programs that have been shown to be highly effective in helping all types of teens who might be struggling at home or at school.
A conclusive study on the effectiveness
of wilderness programs in treating substance abuse issues was published in 2007.
So if your teen is struggling in school or showing other signs of behavioral or emotional problems, you may want to learn more about
brat camp by visit
www.bratcamps.com.
Labels: brat camp, therapy, wilderness programs
posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:59 PM
