British Study Says Teen Girls at Risk for Relationship Violence

A study that was conducted by researchers with Britain's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the University of Bristol has revealed that relationship violence remains a troubling likelihood for many girls in that nation.

An article on the BBC News website provided the following details on the NSPCC study:

• A third of teenage girls suffer sexual abuse in a relationship and a quarter experience violence at the hands of their boyfriends, the survey suggests.
• Nearly 90 percent of 1,400 girls aged 13 to 17 had been in intimate relationships, the NSPCC and University of Bristol found.
• Of these, one in six said they had been pressured into sexual intercourse and one in 16 said they had been raped.

"This is a serious issue that must be given higher priority by policymakers and professionals," University of Bristol professor David Berridge told the BBC.

TV, Other Factors Lead to Early Sex

Television viewing habits are a factor in whether or not teenagers have sex at an early age, but other influences weigh in as well.

"Girls who had been sexually active early had lower self-esteem, poor relationships with their parents, lived with either a single mother or step-parent ... and watched more television." (Source: The Star Phoenix)

Television becomes a factor because it often portrays unrealistic levels of sexual activity among teenagers. Consequently, teens who watch a lot of TV get the idea that 'everybody's doing it,' and that they have to or they'll be ridiculed by their peers.

Television also rarely portrays negative consequences of having sex, leading some teens to mistakenly believe that there are few or no risks associated with having sex at a young age.

Overweight Girls May Benefit from Psychotherapy

A study has found that girls who participated in interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) are better able to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

An article on the Indian news website Jansamachar.net provided the following details about the research:

IPT focuses on improving relationships by targeting the underlying social and interpersonal difficulties that influence individuals to engage in binge eating.

The study, let by Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Uniformed Services University (USU), aimed to target youth prone to excessive weight gain because they were already on the heavier side and reported episodes of binge or uncontrolled eating.

Thirty eight girls participated in the IPT study, which is based on the assumption that binge eating often occurs in girls who have poor social functioning skills.

Experts, Students Praise Benefits of Single-Sex Education in Nevada

According to an article by Emily Richmond of the Las Vegas Sun, the effort to introduce single-sex education into Clark County (Nevada) schools has drawn praise from education experts, parents and students:

Those in favor [of single-sex education] say removes the inherent distractions that come with mixing boys and girls. Gender-specific classes also encourage students to expand their academic horizons — girls are more likely to pursue careers in mathematics and science while boys show increased participation in language and arts programs, they say. ...

Fourth grader Arianna Stacey said when she learned her class would be all girls, she "worried there would be a lot of drama." But without the boys in the room, the girls seem to be friendlier, Arianna said.

Selected Clark County schools have employed some single-sex classrooms since 2002, the Sun reported. During the 2008-2009 school year, 14 Clark County campuses featured single-sex classes for some math, reading and science courses.

Researchers Report Teens' Risk of Harrassment on the Job

Part-time work offers many benefits for teens, but a new from the University of Michigan indicates that these jobs can put teens in proximity to adults who may take advantage of them sexually.

Professor José Bauermeister said there are many benefits for part-time work. However, for teens under age 18, working too many hours without adequate supervision has risks, especially for girls.

He and a team of researchers followed children in Flint, Michigan from age 14 to 25. The study found that high self-esteem, being over 18 years old, and low use of alcohol offset the risks of a part-time job.

"It's okay to let kids work," Dr. Bauermeister said. "We want to make sure they're spending time in an environment where it's safe to work. Parents must ask the right questions and make sure it's a safe place for their children."

Dating Partners Lessen Likelihood of Teen Substance Abuse

If the thought of your daughter dating inspires fears of more danger that you want to think about, this post may just make your day.

Young people who are in romantic relationships when they are 19 and 20 years old are less likely to drink, abuse drugs or smoke cigarettes, according to a study from the University of Washington.

Researchers tracked 909 students from first grade until age 20 and found that having a romantic partner in the first two years after high school somehow protected people from substance abuse, as long as the partners were not heavy users of drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes.

The authors of the study speculated that romantic relationships provide social support, make people happy, and cause them to spend less time at bars and with drinking friends.

Women Who Join Sports Teams Benefit More Than Those Who Take Up Running

A study that compared women who run to women who play soccer has determined that the soccer players do better in a variety of categories.

Team players had a higher degree of motivation, were more likely to stick to their exercise, and achieved better levels of physical fitness than did the runners.

• Researchers at the University of Copenhagen divided 100 adult women into three groups.
• The first group played soccer, the second group ran on a regular basis, and the third group did no particular exercise.
• They were tested after one month and then again after four months.
• To the surprise of the researchers, the soccer players did the best.

The women who played soccer have continued their training as a group. Some in the running group actually joined teams with the soccer group after the project finished, said Professor Peter Krustup, the study's leader.