Koy Roberts, Ph.D.

At my daughter’s Middle School the girls will be taking part in the Kind Campaign, a presentation that focuses on the lasting effects of girls’ mean behavior towards one another.   It begins with an assembly that will include viewing of the documentary, “Finding Kind,” as well as discussion and activities that encourage kindness and positive interactions. The assembly will be led by the Kind Campaign founders, Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson. To learn more, please visit www.kindcampaign.com.

At the same time, the boys will be seeing a presentation called Measured by Character, led by Wade White, whose son, Ryan, a former Denton ISD student, was killed in a car accident at the age of 18. Mr. White has made it his mission to present to young people about the importance of character, leaving a legacy, and how a person can positively impact others no matter his age. To find out more, you may visit www.measuredbycharacter.com.

What parents should know about live-streaming apps and the best phone monitoring software of 2017.

Winter Newsletter “Finding Happiness”

Most research on bullying has focused on the severe psychological problems bullied children experience.  However, a research study recently published  in the Journal of Educational Psychology indicates bullied children suffer academically as well as emotionally. Chronically bulled students suffer declining test scores, a growing dislike for school and failing confidence in their abilities.  Boys versus girls were bullied more frequently across all grade levels. Dr. Gary Ladd and his research team followed and studied several hundred students from Kindergarten through 12th Grade.  Nearly 25% of all students suffered chronic bullying through the school years.  The only positive news they discovered is that as students entered high school the bullying tended to taper off.  The key according to the research team is early intervention.  I hope studies such as this continue to receive widespread media attention to keep the spotlight on this issue.

In more than 40 years of tracking today’s adolescents are smoking and drinking less and doing fewer drugs than their predecessors.  Some researchers speculate this may be a positive side effect of video games and social media.  It keeps kids busy and away from peer pressure to use alcohol and illicit drugs.  We do not often celebrate the good and positive attributes of this generation of adolescents.  But this type of discovery is something we want to emphasize, emulate and recognize.  Teenagers need to hear we are proud of them!  Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, texting and video games are a far better use of time than what previous generations of teens were doing in their free time!

 

Statistics released by crisis and suicide prevention lines indicated calls surged after the election Tuesday evening.  Most callers said they were calling in regards to the election but typically they were dealing with preexisting depressive, anxiety or other mental health conditions.  These are the issues they ended up discussing with the crisis counselors.   Hopefully, there is also a surge in people reaching out for mental health services and treatment who might otherwise not if the election had not happened.  Please spread these resources to your friends, family and community so that those needing help will find it easier to take that step.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Crisis Text Line

Trevor Lifeline

Researchers at Syracuse University have found that 6th Graders do better and feel safer when they are in a K-8 school versus the  bottom dogs in Middle School.  Seventh and 8th Graders benefit as well.  At this age bottom dogs do worse in school and are more likely to be bullied and get in to fights.  It would be nice if north Texas school districts explore this idea.

Fall Newsletter

Actress Glenn Close  was diagnosed with Depression in 2008 and 2010 and told USA Today that  the “most powerful tool to breaking the barriers caused by stigma are personal stories.”  In addition to Close celebrities like Selena Gomez, Kristin Bell, Demi Lovato, Dwayne Johnson and Darryl McDaniels have shared their stories.  By opening up and sharing their experiences it allows for mental illness to be discussed on a larger scale which is evident in the tremendous amounts of social media activity following one of these stories. Glenn Close said “The more stories of those who have been able to start the conversation, get help and achieve a feeling of self-worth, inclusion and purpose — instead of silence, isolation and shame — the more lives will be saved. No one is their illness. Humans are social animals. To be marginalized and made to feel shame and fear can be life-threatening. We need connection. Without it, we die.”

Hope everyone had a great first day!

Here’s my own 8th Grader and 4th Grader.