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Family Safety, Article 4

Teen Agers (ages 13 - 19):

Once again, the leading cause of death in this age group is traffic crashes. According to the National Safety Council car crashes account for 44% of teen deaths.
    GDL: This is a subject you may not be familiar with but is gaining a lot of momentum. A Graduated Drivers License (GDL) program is designed to phase in young drivers to full driving privileges as they become more mature and develop their driving skills. Currently, 24 states have some form of GDL program on the books.

    The program began in the 1990s and generally consists of a three step program usually consisting of 1). a supervised learner's period, 2). an intermediate or provisional driver's license and 3). a full privilege license.

    According to the Insurance Information Institute: "The disproportionate number of fatal motor vehicle deaths among teens is attributed to several factors. Immaturity and lack of driving experience are believed to be the main cause. However, there are two other major contributing factors: night driving and the potentially negative effect of teen passengers. More teenagers are involved in motor vehicle crashes late in the day and at night. In 2002, 41 percent of teenage motor vehicle deaths occurred between 9 pm and 6 am and 52 percent took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the increased risk of death from night driving, teens also have a greater chance of getting involved in an accident if passengers are present in the vehicle. Passengers can become a distraction for teen drivers which, when coupled with inexperience, can prove fatal. In the worst case scenario, teen passengers may encourage the driver to take risks such as speeding or racing. Sixty-one percent of teenage passenger deaths in 2002 occurred in crashes where other teen drivers were at the wheel."
In fact, according to the NHTSA, the fatality rate for teenage drivers is four times that of drivers 25 to 69, based on miles driven. However, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that states which have adopted a comprehensive GDL program have seen a 20% reduction in fatal crashes involving 16 year old drivers1.

Today's technology offers a bird's eye view of just how well your teenage driver behaves behind the wheel. Programs such as Teen Safe Driver place a camera inside the vehicle and are designed to capture erratic driving patterns. They claim to have reduced risky driving behavior by 70% and improved driver seat belt use to 100%. Click on the link above to learn more about the program.

Mental Health Concerns:

How we view ourselves, our lives, and those around us that we care about is how we often define mental health. But it is also more than that. It's also how we think, feel and act when faced with every day decisions. Toss in developing bodies, social and peer pressures along with parental expectations and teenagers often find themselves making wrong choices or having difficulty just coping.

The cause may be biological, referred to as neurobiological brain disorders, environmental (violence, abuse, divorce, etc.) or a combination of the two. Whatever the cause, it is important, as a parent, to be able to recognize and understand the warning signs. Here are things to look for courtesy of the National Mental Health Information Center2:

Pay attention if a child you know:

Is troubled by feeling:
  • really sad and hopeless without good reason, and the feelings don't go away;
  • very angry most of the time, cries a lot, or overreacts to things;
  • worthless or guilty a lot;
  • anxious or worried a lot more than other young people;
  • grief for a prolonged time after a loss or death;
  • extremely fearful-has unexplained fears or more fears than most children;
  • constantly concerned about physical problems or appearance;
  • frightened that his or her mind is controlled or is out of control.
Experiences big changes, for example:
  • does much worse in school;
  • loses interest in things usually enjoyed;
  • has unexplained changes in sleeping or eating habits;
  • avoids friends or family and wants to be alone all the time;
  • daydreams too much and can't get things done;
  • feels life is too hard to handle or talks about suicide;
  • hears voices that cannot be explained.
Is limited by:
  • poor concentration; can't make decisions;
  • inability to sit still or focus attention;
  • worry about being harmed, hurting others, or about doing something bad;
  • the need to wash, clean things, or perform certain routines dozens of times a day;
  • thoughts that race almost too fast to follow;
  • persistent nightmares.
Behaves in ways that cause problems, for example:
  • uses alcohol or other drugs;
  • eats large amounts of food and then forces vomiting, abuses laxatives, or takes enemas to avoid weight gain;
  • continues to diet or exercise obsessively although bone-thin;
  • often hurts other people, destroys property, or breaks the law;
  • does things that can be life threatening.
You have a number of resources available to you if you suspect your son or daughter is having trouble coping. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has put together a great brochure to guide you through your decision making. You can download it by Clicking Here. You will need Adobe Reader to view the document.

Cost is another consideration when dealing with any health issue. The reality is many people do not have health insurance or inadequate coverage. If that is a concern for you, speak with your family physician or look under Mental Health Services in your phone book. Many health care providers offer lost cost services based on family income.

Dating:

It's inevitable. While some teenagers express an interest earlier than others, at some point your teenager will want to date.

When should they start dating? That depends on who is defining the term "dating". First gain an understanding of what your teenager means when they refer to dating. "Going out" to a thirteen year old may be something entirely different than we acquate to a typical date of the guy asking the girl out and picking her up. It also depends on whether it is a group situation or whether the two of them will be alone. Finally, is there an age difference between the two. According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, research over the years has consistently showed that dating an older partner raises the risk of sexual activity and pregnancy in teens.

"Relationships between a young adolescent (age 12-14) and a partner who is older by two, three or more years - compared with those with someone only slightly older, the same age, or younger - are much more likely to include sexual intercourse.

For example, 13% of same-age relationships among those aged 12-14 include sexual intercourse. If the partner is two years older, 26% of the relationships include sex. If the partner is three or more years older, 33% of the relationships include sex."3

So you need to be on the same page as your child when defining what "dating" is.

When it comes to conventional dating, many experts believe that should be reserved for high school and not before. Let's face it, teenagers do not possess dating skills. Unless you have maintained an open dialog with your teenager, the information they gather is often from friends or "on the job". Both can have catastrophic consequences.

Here are some statistics from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy4:
  • Who teens say most influences their decisions about sex: Parents
  • Who adults believe most influence teens' decisions about sex: Teens' friends
  • Percentage of teens who say it would be easier for them to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations with their parents: 87%
  • Percentage of teens who say they haven't had a single such conversation with their parents: 37%
  • Percentage of parents of teens who believe they should talk to their kids about sex but often don't know what to say, how to say it, or when to start: 90%
  • Percentage of teens who think society should provide them with a strong message to not have sex until they are at least out of high school: 92%
  • Percentage of adults who think teens should receive more information about both abstinence and contraception: 75%
  • Percentage of teens who don't think they are getting enough information about abstinence and contraception: 80%
  • Percentage of teens say believe that teen boys often receive the message that sex and pregnancy are not a big deal: 61%
  • Percentage of teens who believe teen girls often receive the message that attracting boys and looking sexy is one of the most important things they can do: 65%
So where do you begin? Take a look at the Ten Steps for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy put together by Teen Pregnancy.org. You can the review the steps by Clicking Here.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs):

STDs are tranmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact. And yes, you can contract an STD by having oral sex with an infected partner. And yes, you can contract an STD the very first time you have sex (you can get pregnant the very first time, too.) According to the CDC, nearly 4 million cases of sexually transmitted disease occur among teenagers every year. STDs are the most common infectious diseases in the United States. In fact, more than two thirds of all STDs occur in people younger than 25.

While some STDs are easily treated, many STDs can cause serious health problems - pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, ectopic pregnancy and increased risk for HIV transmission - if they are not detected and treated. What is worse, the more common STDs, herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV), are viral and can not be cured (see HPV vaccine in the section on pre-adolescents).

Today, there are approximately 25 STDs. A few can be fatal. the most common ones in the United States are herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) type II (genital herpes), chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and genital warts. The only way to know if you are infected is to be tested. Although STDs sometimes have symptoms, it is very common for girls not to have any, especially in the early stages. By the time symptoms do show up, the infection can be advanced.

You may notice the following signs or symptoms:
  • For a Male
    •  discharge from the penis
    •  burning on urination
    •  sore(s) on or around the penis or anus
  • For a Female
    •  unusual vaginal discharge
    •  intense itching
    •  stomach cramps, but not related to menstrual cycle
    •  sore(s) on or around the vagina or anus
NOTE: While you may not experience symptoms, you can still have an STD and be symptom free. If you are sexually active, be sure to have regular checkups that include STD screening. THE ONLY WAY TO BE CERTAIN IS TO BE TESTED.

How can you protect yourself from STDs? The only foolproof way to keep from getting pregnant or avoid an STD is not to have sex. Otherwise:
  • Have sex with only one uninfected partner.
  • Use a latex condom.
Having unprotected sex and multiple sex partners places you at higher risk for STDs. You should know that male and female latex condoms are effective at preventing many STDS, including HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). However, they do not prevent all STDS especially those transmitted by skin to skin contact.

Your teenager may be embarrassed about asking questions related to sex and STDs but if they are sexually active, not knowing about STDs can be dangerous, even life threatening. Urge them to discuss the subject with you, your physician, your local health deparment or a teacher. Find someone, anyone that is knowledgable about STDs, that they can talk to. It's a matter of life and health.

Part Time Jobs:

Is your teen considering working part time? If so, you need to know that working part time is often a balance between academic studies, their social life, their hobbies and interests and the hours they work. Mainaining a healthy balance between all of those responsibilities is often difficult. Here are some "rules" to help you protect your teen's interests:

1. You control the hours your teen works.
You have the responsibility to set the number of hours your teenager works and you should restrict those hours if their grades begin to suffer. During the school months, 10 hours per week with most of the hours worked over the week-end is generally accepted to be about the right number of hours.

2. Make certain your teenager is properly trained to perform the job.
Remember, your teen is inexperienced so you can't expect them to intuitively understand how to perform tasks they don't normally perform. If their job requires them to work with power equipment (lawn mowers, for example) or hot liquids (grease fryer at a fast food restaurant) they need to understand how to safely operate the equipment. They should be able to read the owner's manual and all of the safety instructions that come with the equipment. If they are working for someone else, you might want to discuss the training program with their manager. You may not want to intrude on your teen's right of passage but do you really want them operating a deep fryer without proper instruction and/or supervision?

3. Make certain your teenager is properly trained to use safety equipment.
The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits young workers from doing tasks identified as particularly hazardous, including operating a motor vehicle, riding on the outside of a motor vehicle, working late at night, and using certain power tools. However, there might be additional safety equipment such as safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves or hard hats that are required for their job. They need to understand why protective equipment is important for the job and how to care for their equipment.

4. Make certain your teenager is prepared for emergencies.
Everyone should be prepared for emergencies and your teenager is no exception. If you have followed the concepts we established in sections on personal safety then they have already received Basid First Aid, CPR, and AED training. The American Red Cross also offers an excellent Baby Sitter's Training Course that includes:
  • First Aid Training
  • Age appropriate games and activities
  • Diaper and feeding techniques
  • Bedtime issues
  • And more!
They should also understand how to deal with unhappy customers, troublesome co-workers, and other emergencies such as power outages and fires.

5. It's not just about the money.
While their primary incentive is the money they earn, you need to stress with them that money is not the only consideration in selecting a job. Job safety and personal satisfaction go a long way in how they see themselves in their new role and how well they enjoy the job they have accepted.

6. Prohibited jobs.

Some jobs are just too dangerous for a teenager to work. A list, as outlined by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, is offered below.

Prohibited Jobs
Seventeen hazardous non-farmjobs, as determined by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, are out of bounds for teens below the age of 18. Generally, they may not work at jobs that involve:

1. Manufacturing or storing explosives
2. Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle
3. Coal mining
4. Logging and sawmilling
5. Power-driven wood-working machines*
6. Exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations
7. Power-driven hoisting equipment
8. Power-driven metal-forming, punching, and shearing machines*
9. Mining, other than coal mining
10. Meat packing or processing (including power-driven meat slicing machines)
11. Power-driven bakery machines
12. Power-driven paper-products machines*
13. Manufacturing brick, tile, and related products
14. Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears*
15. Wrecking, demolition, and ship-breaking operations
16. Roofing operations
17. Excavation operations*

* Limited exemptions are provided for apprentices and student-learners under specified standards.

Hours of work limitations:

1. Youths 18 or older may perform any job, whether hazardous or not, for unlimited hours, in accordance with minimum wage and overtime requirements.
2. Youths 16 and 17 years old may perform any nonhazardous job, for unlimited hours.
3. Youths 14 and 15 years old may work outside school hours in various nonmanufacturing, nonmining, nonhazardous jobs up to: 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours during a school week or 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours during a non-school week.

Also, work must be performed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m.

Building Credit:

Parents often make the mistake of cosigning for credit cards and loans for their children. The problem in doing that is creditors are not required in every state to notify the cosigner when the borrower falls behind on payments or exceeds their credit limit. The result is you become liable for overdue payments and penalities as well as a negative report on your credit history often without knowing there was even a problem.

Rather than cosign for them, have them consign your credit card. They still have access to the credit line and they still build a credit history. The statement will come to you so you will know much quicker if there is a problem.

There you have it. A lot of information about teenagers and the end of another article designed to keep your family safe. By following all the suggestions we have outlined, you can significantly reduce the chances that your family will be victims and if they are, they will have the training to help them survive.

It's time to move on to safety in your home. If you are ready, just click Here.

1 Susan P. Baker, MPH, LiHui Chen, PhD, and Guohua Li, MD, DrPH. (2006). Graduated Drivers Licensing Programs and Fatal Crashes of 16-Year-Old Drivers: A National Evaluation.

2 Your Child's Mental Health - What Every Family Should Know (n.d.). Retrieved March, 08, 2007, from mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/government/default.asp

3National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (2003). Brochure: 14 and Younger. The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents.

4Parents and Teen Pregnancy - What Surveys Show (n.d.) Retrieved March 08, 2007, from http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/data/parentpoll2004.asp



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