A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
For many young people, pornography has become the default sex educator. Children and young people are encountering pornography in greater numbers, at younger ages, and with a wider variety of content, influencing young people’s sexual lives. Research evidence from around the world shows porn has harmful impacts on young people and adults alike. Some impacts [...]
Having your child end up in prison must be close to the ultimate fear for any parent. So it's natural that when the author of this article started running anger management groups with violent offenders in prison, she wanted to know how to help her sons avoid the same fate. Some of the things she [...]
Dr Michael Nagel breaks down the biochemical reasons why young boys in particular are almost constantly moving and exhibit frequent playful aggression. He relates how both testosterone and serotonin impact on the brain chemistry of boys in more pronounced ways than for girls, making them much more prone to restlessness, fidgeting and inattentiveness regardless of [...]
The world is reeling in the aftermath of the horrific shootings in Christchurch. The attack has also raised a number of side issues, including the ethics of broadcasting the live stream of the attack, which was later shared on other platforms. As social media is fast becoming the favoured news source among young people, concerns [...]
A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room and down the [...]
Does watching violence on TV, in movies, or video games promote aggression? With recent worry about mass shootings and gun violence in the United States, one of the questions that always comes up is whether violent media promotes violent or aggressive behavior. This is something that is especially important to think about for parents, as violent [...]
Without a doubt, this time of year is all about winning. Thanks to the last few weeks of finals fever, the media has been full of tales about underdogs triumphing and boys from the wrong side of the tracksmaking good because of the saving grace of sport. The football grand finals are one thing, but should we be concerned [...]
As a school counselor, one of the most frequently asked category of questions I receive centers around ‘how do I handle my child’s anger?’ The question is almost always spoken by parents in a voice burdened with shame and embarrassment—as if anger in childhoodwas a bad thing or that any ‘good’ parent would know how to keep their kids perpetually [...]
Teenage anger can be frightening. Parents find toddler tantrums hard enough to deal with, but when their child becomes taller than they are, and throws their weight around it is time for some serious thought into how to manage the situation. It may be useful to imagine their anger as a balloon. Many things happen [...]
"I hope she doesn't get bullied," I confided to my husband on our daughter's first day of school. "I hope she doesn't bully," my husband replied. The thought that my darling angel could bully another child had never once entered my head. And when I did think about it I dismissed it immediately. I suspect [...]
