William Gladden Foundation

Welcome to the William Gladden Foundation library of educational materials about issues affecting Teenagers. These publications are FREE to read on-line or download to hardcopy and reproduce.

Adjusting To Your Parents' Divorce, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., & Robert M. Wilson, Ph.D., 753 words, 3 pages. Making a successful adjustment to divorce takes time. The length of time differs for everyone. Adjusting to divorce means coming to terms with the change you experience when your parents separate. The younger you are, the more likely that you either consciously or unconsciously think you may have somehow caused your parents' divorce. Such thoughts are seldom true, but they can be very destructive. First and foremost, you must know that you did not cause the divorce. The problem(s) that caused the divorce are between your mother and father, not between you and them. Be careful not to be "caught in the middle" of what is happening between your parents. The turmoil they are going through is can be very painful experience for you, as your emotions may be "stretched" in many directions. Emotional, mental and physical problems can result. To protect your own health, it is usually best to keep out of your parents? conflicts.

Adolescence: A Time Of Change, by William S. Meyers, Ph.D., 4,027 words, 16 pages. Adolescence is a time of change, a transitional period in human development during which an individual gradually moves from childhood to adulthood. Beginning in puberty, children undergo many physical, psychological and social changes that help them mature. During this process of growing up, their bodies, minds and relationships stretch in many new directions. As a result, their world - and that of those around them - seems to be upside down. Adolescence is often a time of hurt feelings for parents and kids. Teens struggle to free themselves from the control of their parents who, in turn, fight just as hard to keep control. Because this struggle may reveal a side to kids that parents did not suspect, parents often feel a sense of shock and betrayal. Beginning in puberty, kids become more outspoken in their views, more critical of parents' values and more demanding of control over their lives. Parents may regard their teens' assertiveness as disobedience, insolence or disrespect. Teens may take their parents' criticisms as a refusal to grant them the freedom they seek. Neither side is probably aware that a battle for control is going on. Instead, both may engage in blame and criticism. For this reason, the potential for severely damaged parent-child relationships is strong during adolescence.

How To Improve Your Study Habits, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 654 words, 3 pages. Poor study habits are a main cause of academic problems. Many students do not know how to study wisely. They may waste time on assignments, overlook facts or quit before completing their work. Students who do not have good study habits may be "turned-off" by the educational process and thereby limit their potential to learn. On the other hand, students with good study habits raise their potential to learn and reduce the amount of time and frustration involved in studying.

Protecting Yourself From Domestic Violence, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 735 words, 3 pages. Domestic violence is violence that occurs within the family. American children are more likely to be murdered, physically assaulted, sexually abused or psychologically injured at home than anywhere else. Direct and intentional domestic violence is a deliberate and willful act carried out with the purpose of injuring a person. Examples of direct and intentional domestic violence include physical, sexual or psychological abuse by your stepfather. Indirect and unintentional domestic violence is the damage that results when a person lives with family violence. The person is not the target of the violence but must live with the suffering that results from such experiences (for example, seeing your mother abused by your stepfather).

Protecting Yourself From School Violence, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 749 words, 3 pages. School violence is any act of aggression against a school administrator, teacher, employee or student in which the offender attempts to violate, hurt or abuse the victim. The act often involves force (use of weapons or physical assault) accompanied by charged emotions. Middle schools have the highest rates of personal violence. Inner-city schools have more violence than do suburban and rural schools. However, there is an increasing rate of violence in all schools in all parts of America. Black students are the most likely victims of school violence. Boys are robbed and attacked at a rate twice that of girls. Twelfth graders are least likely and seventh graders are most likely to be victims. Most victims (75%) know their attacker(s) by name.

Stress Tips For Teens, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 648 words, 3 pages. STRESS is the body's response to the demands of life. An internal reaction allows humans to adjust to or resist changing stimuli. STIMULI are simply the many and varied events of daily life. STRESSORS are the events that trigger the body's reaction. Some are environmental (being too hot or too cold). Others are attitudinal (reacting to a homework assignment or test). Still others result from relationships (a kiss or a fight). Stressors can be small or large events. DISTRESS is the result of stress and the inability to cope with it. This "overdose" of stress may result from one or many events. The more dramatic the event, or the greater the number of events, the higher the risk for stress.

Teenage Pregnancy, by Charlotte G. Garman, Ed.D., and Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 4,680 words, 16 pages. Over 500,000 American babies are born each year to unmarried girls under age 18. Pregnant teens find themselves in a situation for which they are seldom prepared, either financially or emotionally. Many of these girls drop out of school, leave home and become dependent upon public welfare. If they try to find employment, they usually can get only the lowest-paying jobs, because they lack an education or do not have marketable skills. Perhaps the saddest result of teenage pregnancy is the loss of human potential. Many mothers who became pregnant during their teens look back and wonder, too late, what their lives might have been had they not become pregnant so early in life. Their children, too, often have to struggle and find their potential likewise limited. Parents often fail to explain the "facts of life" to their children. Some schools do not emphasize sex education to their students. As a result, many teens have learned myths rather than facts about sex and its consequences. Young people end up experimenting with and learning about sex on their own. This lack of information and understanding often leads to teenage pregnancy.

Understanding & Overcoming Your Eating Disorder, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 642 words, 3 pages. Eating disorders are disturbances in eating behavior that can harm physical and mental health. Although the symptoms center on eating behavior, food and appetite are not the main problems. A person with an eating disorder is "acting-out" other serious concerns or problems through food and eating. The exact cause(s) of eating disorders is unknown. However, food is not the central issue. The three most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating. Anorexia nervosa is an emotional problem during the course of which a large amount of body weight is lost. Anorexics deeply fear becoming fat. Bulimia nervosa is an emotional problem in which there are periods of binge eating followed by some type of purging or severe dieting. Bulimics often experience low self-esteem and depression. They usually know that their eating is out-of-control and abnormal. Compulsive overeaters use food as a response to stress. They use food like some people use alcohol, tobacco or drugs to get rid of anger, depression or other emotions. Compulsive overeaters tend to alternate between overeating and dieting. They may binge on food, especially carbohydrates and sweets, but do not purge.

What To Do If You Think You Are Pregnant, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 842 words, 3 pages. Most teens do not know what to do when they think they are pregnant. They wait weeks or months before doing anything, denying the situation or hoping the problem will just "go away." Waiting is a dumb way to deal with the possibility of being pregnant and can cause even more problems. A mature teen will face the situation right away and decide on a course of action. In this way, she will have more time to make smart decisions, thereby reducing the risks of harming herself or her baby. This publication is a step-by-step approach of what to do if you think you are pregnant.