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New evidence of the benefits of arts education | Brookings

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New findings provide strong evidence that arts educational experiences can produce significant positive impacts on academic and social development for students.

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Should countries prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime? Should there be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity?

All the Yes points:

1. Child soldiers are no different from child criminals. Child soldiers have been responsible for some...

2. Many children volunteer to become soldiers in wartime out of patriotism or a desire to avenge the de...

3. Prosecutions for war crimes and crimes against humanity take place in the specific context of a post...

4. Allowing child soldiers immunity from prosecution denies victims justice. If you are a victim of an...

5. Not prosecuting child soldiers may encourage commanders to use child soldiers to commit war crimes b...

All the No points:

Child soldiers are no different from child criminals. Child soldiers have been responsible for some...

Many children volunteer to become soldiers in wartime out of patriotism or a desire to avenge the de...

Prosecutions for war crimes and crimes against humanity take place in the specific context of a post...

Allowing child soldiers immunity from prosecution denies victims justice. If you are a victim of an...

Not prosecuting child soldiers may encourage commanders to use child soldiers to commit war crimes b...

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Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted - DebateWise

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Should countries prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime? Should there be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity? Child soldiers are no different from child criminals. Child soldiers have been responsible for some...

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7 Reasons to Be Smoke-Free

Most people don't smoke. From yellow teeth to coughing, here are seven reasons why that's a good thing.

Thirdhand Smoke

When people smoke, it creates smoke that you can see (secondhand smoke) and a kind of air pollution that you can't see that's called thirdhand smoke.

Most middle school students don't smoke - only about 1 in 50 does. And most high school students don't smoke either - about 9 in 100 do.

But why do those who smoke ever begin?

There's more than just one answer. Some kids may start smoking just because they're curious. Others may like the idea of doing something dangerous - something grownups don't want them to do. Still others might know lots of people who smoke and they might think it's a way to act or look like an adult.

Fortunately, fewer people are starting smoking than a few years ago. Maybe that's because more and more people have learned that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease.

But sometimes kids can't really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for many years.

So let's talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:

yellow teeth

smelly clothes

more colds and coughs

difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports

empty wallet - cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!

Let's find out more about cigarettes and tobacco.

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What Are Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco?

Tobacco (say: tuh-BA-ko) is a plant that can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It's the same plant that's in smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is not lit or inhaled like tobacco in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Instead, smokeless tobacco is put between the lip and gum and sucked on inside the mouth.

Tobacco contains nicotine (say: NIH-kuh-teen), a chemical that causes a tingly or pleasant feeling - but that feeling only lasts for a little while. Nicotine is also addictive (say: uh-DIK-tiv). That means that if you start to use nicotine, your body and mind will become so used to it that you'll need to have it just to feel OK.

Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. Some kids get addicted right away. And adults are often addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting smoking.

Why Is It So Bad for You?

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. In fact, each day 1300 people die from smoking alone.

The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke, you hurt your lungs and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired and cranky. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

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The Other Cost of Smoking

Using tobacco eats up a lot of money, too. A pack of cigarettes costs about $6, on average. That means, even if you buy just one pack a week, you'll spend $312 in a year. Some people smoke a pack a day, which adds up to $2,190! That's a lot of computer games and clothes you could buy instead.

What's It Like?

Usually, people don't like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body is smart, and it knows when it's being poisoned. When people try smoking for the first time, they often cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their throat and lungs. This is your lungs' way of trying to protect you and tell you to keep them smoke free.

Also, many people say that they feel sick to their stomachs or even throw up. If someone accidentally swallows chewing tobacco, they may be sick for hours. Yuck.

What if My Friend Smokes?

If you have friends who smoke or use tobacco, you can help them by encouraging them to quit. Here are some reasons you can mention:

It will hurt their health.

It will make their breath stinky.

It will turn their teeth yellow.

It will give them less endurance when running or playing sports.

It's expensive.

It's illegal to buy cigarettes when you're underage.

If you think it will help, you could print out articles like this one to give to a friend who smokes. He or she may be interested in learning more about the dangers of smoking.

But people don't like to hear that they're doing something wrong, so your pal also could be a little angry. If that happens, don't push it too much. In time, your friend may realize you are right.

In the meantime, it could help to talk with a parent or a school counselor if you're worried about your friend. When your friend is ready, a grownup can help him or her quit for good. If your friend decides to quit, lend your support. You might say it's time to kick some butts!

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Everyone says smoking is bad for you. Why? Find out in this article for kids.

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The overwhelming majority of adult smokers began smoking before age 18, and many were addicted before they even finished high school. So, why do kids pick up that cigarette in the first place?

Their parents are smokers.

Peer pressure-their friends encourage them to try cigarettes and to keep smoking.

They see smoking as a way of rebelling and showing independence.

They think that everyone else is smoking and that they should, too.

The tobacco industry has used clever marketing tactics to specifically target teenagers.

The price is right-in places where low tobacco taxes have kept the price down, it is easier for kids to afford cigarettes.

Most teenagers simply like to try new things, but they aren't mature enough to think of the long-term consequences.

Nicotine is a "feel-good" drug without intoxication.

The majority of children in elementary school and the early part of middle school have never tried a cigarette. Most will tell you that they never will smoke cigarettes and they mean what they're saying. But as they get older, some will become more open to the idea of smoking.

Tobacco companies shape their marketing campaigns to portray smokers as cool, sexy, independent, fun, attractive and living on the edge-images that appeal to many teens. As a result, they try smoking and don't understand that they can become addicted after smoking as few as 100 cigarettes (five packs). Only 5 percent of high-school-age smokers believe they'll still be smoking five years after graduation, but they don't understand how difficult quitting can be. Research shows that after eight years, 75 percent of those smokers still will use some form of tobacco.

Know a teen who is ready to quit smoking? The American Lung Association's Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) program is designed for 14 to 19-year-old smokers who want to quit. Contact your local American Lung Association office to find out if N-O-T is available in your area.

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The overwhelming majority of adult smokers began smoking before age 18, and many were addicted before they even finished high school. So, why do kids pick up that cigarette in the first place? Their parents are smokers. Peer pressure-their friends encourage them to try cigarettes and to keep smoking.

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Photo credit: fuzznails

A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) and its international partners found that the younger people start smoking, the more likely they are to smoke daily as an adult, even into their 40s, and the harder it will be to quit. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers analyzed smoking information on more than 6,600 people (57% female) between the ages of 6-19 and during their 20s and 40s, from Finland, Australia and the United States. Participants were followed from childhood into middle age as part of the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort Consortium.

The study analysis found:

adolescents who smoked the most and children who started smoking at younger ages were more likely to be daily smokers in their 20s and were less likely to quit smoking by their 40s;

even children who only tried smoking at a very minimal level - a few cigarettes - were more likely to end up as a daily adult smoker;

the percentage of participants who smoked daily during their 20s was 8% for those who first tried smoking at age 18-19; 33% for those who first tried smoking at age 15-17; 48% for those who first tried smoking at age 13-14; and 50% for those who first tried smoking during ages 6-12;

only 2.6% of participants who took up smoking for the first time after their 20s smoked in their 40s;

the frequency of smoking in childhood and adolescence was similar in Finland, Australia and the United States.

"Based on our data coupled with a variety of other evidence, we found childhood smoking leads to adult smoking," said David Jacobs, Jr., lead study author and SPH professor. "Cigarette smoking, even experimentally, among children of any age should be strongly discouraged."

Although the current study was conducted in three developed nations, the researchers believe that the results likely apply more broadly.

"Even in low income and developing countries, the societal reinforcement of smoking, the basic addictive qualities of nicotine, and the maturation of children and children's judgment through adolescence are universal," said Jacobs. "As children mature through adolescence, they may have developed a better ability to resist impulses and to reject social pressures. These results strongly support Tobacco 21, a national movement to restrict all sales of tobacco products to people under age 21."

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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Kids or teen smokers are less likely to kick the habit as adults

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A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) and its international partners found that the younger people start smoking, the more likely they are to smoke daily as an adult, even into their 40s, and the harder it will be to quit.

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The sudden rise of e-cigarette use, or vaping, among youth has led to widespread concern among parents, school administrators, and the FDA. But, while research has shown an association between youth vaping and smoking traditional cigarettes, it has been less clear whether vaping leads to smoking.

Now, a new study led by School of Public Health researchers finds that youths who start out vaping are more likely to go on to smoke traditional cigarettes than their peers who have no prior tobacco or nicotine use.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that one in five youths whose first nicotine product is an e-cigarette go on to smoke traditional cigarettes.

"Our results support the view that vaping increases risk of subsequent cigarette use in youth," says senior author Andrew Stokes, assistant professor of global health. "The association was especially pronounced in low-risk youth, raising concerns that vaping may renormalize smoking behaviors and erode decades of progress in reducing smoking rates."

While previous studies have suggested that vaping increases the likelihood of smoking, the authors wrote that prior research may not have gotten a clear picture of vaping leading to smoking. Most of these studies have looked only at youths who had never smoked, identified those who vaped and those who did not, and then checked back in later to see whether those who vaped were more likely to now smoke. This method may have missed those who had already gone from vaping to smoking at baseline, or those who started vaping after the first round but were already smoking by the second round.

Instead, for the new study, the researchers looked at what tobacco or nicotine product youths used first. To do this, they used data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (PATH) to follow 6,123 US youths 12-15 years old who had not used any tobacco or nicotine products in 2013-2014.

By 2015-2016, 8.6 percent of the study participants reported that they had used an e-cigarette as their first tobacco or nicotine product, 5.0 percent had first used another non-cigarette product like hookah or chewing tobacco, and 3.3 percent had first used traditional cigarettes.

Of those who had vaped first, 20.5 percent reported that they had ever smoked cigarettes, while 21.1 percent of those who had first used another non-cigarette tobacco product first had ever smoked cigarettes. The researchers found that the study participants were three times more likely to go from vaping to smoking cigarettes than to go straight to smoking cigarettes. They also found that this pattern was more pronounced among youth who appeared lower-risk for smoking and other substance use based on the data collected by PATH.

Based on their findings, the researchers estimated that, nationally, 178,850 US youths aged 12-15 years vaped and then went on to ever smoke a cigarette during the study period, and 43,446 went from vaping to reporting that they currently smoked cigarettes in 2016.

But the study might not show the full scope of the problem today, says study lead author Kaitlyn Berry, a research fellow in the Department of Global Health. "Recent estimates from the National Youth Tobacco Survey report that current e-cigarette use among high school students increased by 78 percent between 2017 and 2018," she says. "Regardless of the exact number, youth who initiate cigarettes through vaping represent a substantial public health challenge that may warrant stricter regulation of youths' access to e-cigarettes."

The study was co-authored by Emelia Benjamin , professor of epidemiology at SPH and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the School of Medicine. The other co-authors were: Jessica Fettermanof the School of Medicine; Aruni Bhatnagar of the University of Louisville; andJessica Barrington-Trimisand Adam Leventhal of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

- Michelle Samuels

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Teens Who Vape Are More Likely to Start Smoking | SPH

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The sudden rise of e-cigarette use, or vaping, among youth has led to widespread concern among parents, school administrators, and the FDA. But, while research has shown an association between youth vaping and smoking traditional cigarettes, it has been less clear whether vaping leads to smoking.

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Twelve-year-olds whose parents smoked were more than two times as likely to begin smoking cigarettes on a daily basis between the ages of 13 and 21 than were children whose parents didn't use tobacco, according to a new study that looked at family influences on smoking habits.

The research indicated that parental behavior about smoking, not attitudes, is the key factor in delaying the onset of daily smoking, according to Karl Hill, director of the University of Washington's Seattle Social Development Project and an associate research professor of social work.

Hill said other elements that influenced whether or not adolescents began daily smoking were consistent family monitoring and rules, family bonding or a strong emotional attachment inside the family, and parents not involving children in their own smoking behavior. The latter includes such activities as asking their children to get a pack of cigarettes from the car or having them light a cigarette for the parent.

"All of these factors are important in delaying or preventing daily smoking, but parental smoking is the biggest contributor to children initiating smoking," said Hill. "It really is a matter of 'do as I do' not 'do as I say' when it comes to smoking."

The study is one of the first to look at the initiation of daily smoking rather than the experimental use of tobacco. It defined daily smoking as smoking between one and five cigarettes daily in the previous 30 days at the time of each interview.

The research is part of the ongoing Seattle Social Development Project supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that is tracking the development of positive and antisocial behaviors among 808 individuals. They originally were recruited as fifth-grade students from elementary schools in high-crime Seattle neighborhoods.

For this study, the individuals were interviewed at ages 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 21. The group was nearly equally divided among males and females. Forty-six percent were white, 24 percent were black, 21 percent were Asian Americans, 6 percent were American Indians and 3 percent were from other ethnic backgrounds.

The study found differences in daily smoking rates both by gender and racial background.

Over all, 37 percent of the individuals reported daily smoking by age 21 - 42 percent of the males and 32 percent of the females.

Whites (43 percent) were more likely to have begun regular smoking by 21 than were blacks (35 percent) and Asian Americans (24 percent). However, Indians (54 percent) were the group most likely to have begun daily smoking by age 21.

Smoking rates predictably increased as the individuals got older. Just a little more than 2 percent had ever smoked daily at 13. That rate increased to 5 percent at 14, 12 percent at 15, 18 percent at 16, and 27 percent at 18.

"Parents may feel that they don't matter to their teens, but this study indicates, they really do," said Hill. "It shows that such factors as not smoking, having good family management skills in setting rules and monitoring behavior, and having a strong emotional relationship with their children matter until the end of adolescence."

Smoking prevention programs, he said, need components focused on parents, something they generally ignore, to help reduce adolescent smoking. Such programs are important since tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 440,000 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Keeping children from smoking starts with parents and their behavior. Some parents say they disapprove of teenage smoking, but continue to smoke themselves. The evidence is clear from this study that if parents don't want their children to start smoking, it is important for them to stop or reduce their own smoking," Hill said.

Co-authors of the study published in the current issue of Journal of Adolescent Health are J. David Hawkins, UW professor of social work; Richard Catalano, UW professor of social work and director of the Social Development Research Group; Robert Abbott, chairman of educational psychology at the UW; and Jie Guo, a former UW research scientist.

For more information, contact Hill at (206) 685-3859 or khill@u.washington.edu

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Children whose parents smoked are twice as likely to begin smoking between ages 13 and 21 as offspring of nonsmokers

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Twelve-year-olds whose parents smoked were more than two times as likely to begin smoking cigarettes on a daily basis between the ages of 13 and 21 than were children whose parents didn't use tobacco, according to a new study that looked at family influences on smoking habits.

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The more a parent smokes, the more their teenage son or daughter will also smoke. Teenagers are much more likely to smoke and be dependent on nicotine if a parent is dependent on nicotine, especially daughters if their mother is dependent on nicotine. Results of the study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute appear online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers used data between 2004 and 2012 from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which interviewed annually more than 67,000 persons over the age of 12. The study itself focused on 35,000 parent-adolescent pairs and analyzed their responses regarding the smoking status and nicotine dependence of parents and adolescents. Additional data were collected, including parent and adolescent perceived risk of smoking, depression, adolescent use of alcohol or other drugs, and perceptions of the quality of parenting, such as parental monitoring, level of support, and instances of conflict.

The authors found that 13 percent of adolescents whose parent never smoked said they had ever smoked at least one cigarette. By comparison, 38 percent of teens whose parent was dependent on nicotine had smoked at least one cigarette. Among teenagers who had smoked at least one cigarette, 5 percent were dependent if their parent never smoked, but 15 percent were dependent if their parent was dependent. The effect of parental smoking and dependence persisted after controlling for factors such as adolescent use of alcohol and other drugs. Overall, teens had three times the odds of smoking at least one cigarette, and nearly twice the odds of nicotine dependence, if their parent was dependent on nicotine.

Daughters were almost four times as likely to be dependent on nicotine when their mothers were dependent on nicotine but were not affected by fathers' nicotine dependence. Sons' dependence was not affected more by either parent's dependence.

A number of other factors increased the risk of adolescent lifetime smoking and nicotine dependence, including parent education, marital status, quality of parenting, and adolescent beliefs about the risk of smoking, perceptions of schoolmates' smoking, marijuana use, and mental health. The researchers did not look at the effects of both parents being smokers, smoking by siblings or close friends, community norms, or exposure to pro-tobacco advertising.

What accounts for the strong parental influence as it relates to adolescent smoking? The fact that adolescent smoking was more strongly affected by parents who were current smokers than by parents who had quit, the authors write, suggests a role-modeling effect. In other words, teens imitate their parents. But since former parental smoking did not eliminate risk, other aspects of the family environment or genetic factors probably play a role. The specific effect of parental dependence on adolescent dependence suggests that genetic factors may be more important for the intergenerational transmission of heavy smoking and dependence than for smoking onset.

"Most smokers start smoking when they are teenagers. As this study shows, parents are a powerful influence," says lead author Denise Kandel, PhD, Professor of Sociomedical Sciences in Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and the Mailman School of Public Health, and Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. "To prevent teens from starting to smoke and becoming addicted to tobacco, we need to do a better job of helping parents quit smoking." One way of doing this, she adds, is by reaching out to parents during pediatric visits. This might be a promising strategy because intervention would occur early in a child's life and would reduce the incidence of early smoking onset, which is related to sustained smoking and addiction.

Co-authors include Mei-Chen Hu, PhD, from the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, and Pamela C. Griesler, PhD, from the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

This research was partially supported by Grant 6032 from Truth Initiative (formerly the American Legacy Foundation) to D.B. Kandel. The authors declare no conflicts.

About Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including ICAP (formerly the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs) and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit www.mailman.columbia.edu.

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If Mom or Dad Is a Smoker, Their Teenager Is More Likely To Be a

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New studies have shown teenagers are much more likely to smoke and be dependent on nicotine if a parent is dependent on nicotine. Read more about the study.

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10 Reasons Recycling Should Be Mandatory | Planet Renewed

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There’s a puzzling trend gaining popularity in current sustainability circles. Questions are being raised as to the true efficacy of recycling. These discussions usually revolve…

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4 Reasons why recycling should be mandatory? | Growing City

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It's important that every individual contributes to recycling efforts. For this reason, recycling should be mandatory.

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The world would look a lot different if everyone recycled. Most likely, it would be cleaner and make more use of available resources. Landfills would shrink tremendously. Recycling plants would be an epicenter of activity.

"As a society, if everyone recycled we will have moved from a linear 'take, make, waste' economy to one that is more circular by keeping materials in our economy and not allowing them to waste away in landfills," Brenda Pulley, senior vice president of recycling with Keep America Beautiful, wrote via email. "It would contribute enormous environmental, economic and social benefits across the country."

Here are a few ways the world might change if everyone recycled:
Plastic water bottles, aluminum cans and plastic bags would go a lot farther.
Keep America Beautiful compiled data to imagine what just one act of recycling by everyone in the U.S. might look like:

If everyone in America recycled just one plastic bottle, those materials could make more than 54 million T-shirts or about 6.5 million fleece jackets, according to Repreve data.

If everyone recycled one aluminum can, 295 million new aluminum cans could be made, according to Aluminum Association data. Also, everyone recycling just one can would reduce green house gas emissions equivalent to taking 6,750 passenger cars off the road and save energy equivalent to 80 thousand barrels of oil. Keep America Beautiful used the EPA WARM model to calculate energy estimates.

If everyone recycled one plastic bag, those materials could be reused in making 28,906 park benches or, according to Tex data,144,530 16-foot composite deck boards. Right now, plastic bags must taken to a drop-off location for recycling and shouldn't be mixed in with other recyclables.

With so many substances flowing through recycling plants, new products would be created. Chaz Miller, director of policy/advocacy with National Waste and Recycling Association, said that extent of recycling would create "products you and I haven't dreamed about."
Everyone could save money.
The Bureau of International Recycling, a global recycling organization based in Belgium, believes recyclables should be recognized as the seventh most important resource, behind water, air, coal, oil, natural gas and minerals. BIR President Ranjit Baxi said recycling has not only environmental benefits, but also paramount economic ones.

"The recycling industry, whilst continuing to promote sustainability, is also projected to add about 850 billion USD to the global GDP by 2025," Baxi said in an email. "It is time that all global stakeholders [recognize] the huge carbon emission savings our industry continues to contribute."

Efficient recycling practices could save companies millions. In Apple's latest Environmental Responsibility Report, the company said it recovered more than a ton of gold from recycled devices - that's an estimated worth of $40 million.
Recyclables would always go in the proper cans.
The greatest obstacle of recycling in America is contamination: People mixing recyclables and trash, unsure of the process. Here are current EPA guidelines on how to recycle.

"The chance that all of us would be perfect recyclers is pretty slim," Miller said. "For us to recycle everything implies that we've figured out a way to take all of the recyclables out of mixed garbage."

Everyone would have to know and abide by a streamlined recycling process.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex, would be no more. ( However big or small it is.)

Miller estimates the U.S. would need "a couple thousand" facilities to process materials, which could also effect the workforce. If the U.S. alone reached a recycling level of 75%, 1.5 million new jobs would become available, Recycle Across America reports.
Recycling is in trouble - and it might be your fault There would still be waste.
"Waste is inevitable in any ecosystem," Miller said. "Every time you recycle something, there's a little bit of loss."

For example, Miller said paper fibers can only be recycled seven times. After that, the fibers are too small to use.
Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets

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Sometimes when we are faced with a decision, it is clear to us what the right thing to do is.

But at other times, we may struggle to decide whether or not we should do something, although we may not be able to clearly explain why. We may even feel compelled to do something that we know is wrong. What is behind these feelings? Peer pressure.

Peer pressure is an invisible - but powerful - force acting upon us that can do serious damage to our mental health. It has no practical benefits to our daily lives.

Peer pressure can invade our minds. It can prevent us from seeing things or making decisions the way we normally would. It can stop us from thinking critically or acting compassionately.

Peer pressure can cause us to lose our freedom of thought, something which is fundamental to our integrity as an individual.

We stop thinking about what is right, or what is best for us, and begin focusing on what is most accepted by society. This can make us feel very anxious and uncomfortable.

While peer pressure may not be seen as much of a threat to society as a whole, it is a lot more harmful to individuals - and especially young people, as they are often more susceptible to this type of pressure.

Critics say that peer pressure can be beneficial to individuals, as it may be used to push someone to do something good, like recycle or quit smoking.

But this surely means that by the same token, peer pressure can be used to make someone do something bad, or something they aren't comfortable with, like trying a cigarette in the first place.

In conclusion, we can never assume peer pressure is beneficial; it depends entirely on how it is used - and more often than not, it used to make people do things they don't want to do. As young people still trying to form our identities, peer pressure is a source of stress we simply don't need in our lives.
Peer pressure is difficult to handle so we asked a psychologist for expert advice on how to deal with it Cheang Kai U, 17, Macau Anglican College
Peer pressure can certainly be beneficial. It can motivate someone to do something that they may not otherwise have had the strength or willpower to do. It can also help them to make a decision based on the input of those in similar circumstances.

Most students form a very close bond with their peers at school and care about what they think.

Because of this, the words and actions of our peers can have a great impact. For instance, when a student sees one of their peers achieving awards and scholarships because that person works hard to get good grades, it might motivate the student to do the same.

Similarly, students may be able to convince their friends to make time for volunteer work, which can benefit both society and the individual.

Peer pressure also allows us to better understand our options. Our peers can understand us better than, say, our teachers or parents, because they are of a similar age, and are going through the same experiences as us.

For example, when considering what to study at university, parents may insist a student study majors that they think may be more lucrative in the future. But peers may think differently because they see first-hand what their friends most enjoy studying, or which subjects they excel in.

Regardless of how good or bad peer advice may be, it makes us more conscious of the choices available to us.

Too often, the positive effects of peer pressure get swept under the carpet while the negative influences are exaggerated. Part of the problem is that when good things happen, such as achieving good grades, it is attributed to a strict upbringing and good teachers - but peers may have played an equally important role. Despite being a subtle influence, peers often motivate people to do things that are beneficial to them.

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Face off: Is peer pressure more harmful than beneficial?

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Sometimes when we are faced with a decision, it is clear to us what the right thing to do is. But at other times, we may struggle to decide whether or not we should do something, although we may not be able to clearly explain why.

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Peer pressure can be positive as well as negative. Read on to know more about the positive and negative effects of peer pressure.

Peer pressure is all about being accepted by the group. Just like adults, teens too get caught in the mesh of this urge to fit in. In the process they often fail to realise that they might be indulging in activities that are either directly or potentially harmful to their well-being.

Negative peer pressure can wreak havoc in the life of any individual. The adolescent or a teen mind is still in the process of development thereby, they are not really equipped to realise the harmful effects of peer pressure in a clear manner. Here it is important to understand that all peer pressure is not bad. Peer pressure can both be positive and negative and so are their effects.

Effects of Positive Peer Pressure

Here are some of the positive effects of peer pressure at school.

Improvement in Academic Performance

If the peer group happens to be in school, you will discover a lot of positive changes happening in your teenager. Since the urge to 'belong' to a peer group is all about feeling included and accepted, there is also this natural tendency to behave and become 'like' other members of a peer group. Therefore when the members of the peer group believe in doing well in class and doing their regular lessons with care, you will find your child also following suit.

The direct effect can be observed in the grades. The teenager will not only learn to focus on his studies but will also show an inclination in getting involved and participating is several extra curricular and sports activities in school.

Improvement in Communication Skills

Whether the peer group comprises of school friends, neighborhood friends or cousins of an extended family, the effect can always be seen on your child. Amongst the other apparent effects, you will find that the communication skills of the teen improving significantly. His approach, attitude and behavior will always be positive.

Development of Human Skills

He will learn to value relationships and will learn that it is important to become and responsible individual. This way you will find him making informed choices, where is aware of the fact that values needs to be protected and upheld. Their natural confidence helps them to grow up with strong leadership skills as well.

Effects of Negative Peer Pressure

Here are some negative effects of peer pressure on your child.

Alienation From the Family

The direct effect of negative peer pressure is alienation from the family. The teen will just not like to be in the company of his parents as he feels that their values are standing in the way of his desires. A negative peer pressure is always antagonistic to the values that are promoted by the family. Thereby, the first thing that the teen does is to compromise the values and then indulge in activities that are contrary to them.

Disinterest in Studies

Negative peer pressure teaches and encourages the teen to ignore studies. He will thus bunk classes and be completely uninterested in academics. The grades would naturally fall the teen would find it difficult to cope up in high school or get admission in colleges. This will naturally affect his career.

Negative Behaviour

Negative peer pressure renders an impact in his behaviour and attitude. They feel that it is a mark of independence to disobey and disregard the opinion and values of their parents. They turn hostile and it affects their relationship with their parents, social circle and later in their personal lives also succumbs to this negativity.

Amongst the other common effects of negative pressure is indulgence in smoking, alcohol, drugs and early sexual activities. If the negative peer pressure is not timely taken care of, it can damage the future life of the teen in a major way leading to behavioral and psychological disorders, not to forget the physical harm ensuing from it.

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common effects of negative peer pressure

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The effects of peer pressure are manifold. Peer pressure can be positive or negative. Positive peer pressure helps the child to bloom and boosts overall development of the child. Negative peer pressure gradually makes the child a loner as it alienates from the family. Get to know more about the effects of peer pressure.

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Peer Pressure

No. 104; Updated March 2018

Peers play a large role in the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. Their influence begins at an early age and increases through the teenage years. It is natural, healthy and important for children to have and rely on friends as they grow and mature.

Peers can be positive and supportive. They can help each other develop new skills, or stimulate interest in books, music or extracurricular activities.

However, peers can also have a negative influence. They can encourage each other to skip classes, steal, cheat, use drugs or alcohol, share inappropriate material online, or become involve in other risky behaviors. The majority of teens with substance abuse problems began using drugs or alcohol as a result of peer pressure. This pressure can happen in person or on social media.

Kids often give in to peer pressure because they want to fit in. They want to be liked and they worry that they may be left out or made fun of if they don't go along with the group.

The following are tips about peer pressure to share with your kids:

Stay away from peers who pressure you to do things that seem wrong or dangerous.

Learn how to say "no," and practice how to avoid or get out of situations which feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Spend time with other kids who resist peer pressure. It helps to have at least one friend who is also willing to say "no."

If you have problems with peer pressure, talk to a grown up you trust, like a parent, teacher, or school counselor.

Parents can also help by recognizing when their child is having a problem with peer pressure. The following are tips for parents to help your child deal with peer pressure:

Encourage open and honest communication. Let kids know they can come to you if they're feeling pressure to do things that seem wrong or risky.

Teach your child to be assertive and to resist getting involved in dangerous or inappropriate situations or activities.

Get to know your child's friends. If issues or problems arise, share your concerns with their parents.

Get to know how your child interacts with friends and others online. Communicate openly about safe internet and social media use.

Help your child develop self-confidence. Kids who feel good about themselves are less vulnerable to peer pressure.

Develop backup plans to help kids get out of uncomfortable or dangerous situations. For example, let them know you'll always come get them, no questions asked, if they feel worried or unsafe.

If your child has ongoing difficulties with peer pressure, talk to his or her teacher, principal, school counselor or family doctor. If you have questions or concerns about your child's mood, self-esteem or behavior, consider a consultation with a trained and qualified mental health professional.

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Peers play a large role in the social and emotional development of children and adolescents.

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good morning mister David and my friends, let me introduce my self, my name is renissa ayu rahmayanti, and I
would like to present about how badly peer pressure can affect an innocent soul.

Purpose : the purpose of my presentation is...

To tell that peer pressure for a bad cause will always lead you to a disastrous situation. Therefore it necessary for a
person to not get influenced by the people around them. They should analyze the outcome of the deed in a strict
manner. So that they no may commit anything harmful for themselves. But, if a person is a peer pressuring you for a
good cause then it is motivation. Motivation is essential for the growth of a person. so you need to be careful before
trusting anybody.

Because if a person is a peer pressuring you for a good cause then it is motivation. Motivation is essential for the
growth of a person. While peer pressure for a bad cause will always lead you to a disastrous situation. Therefore it
necessary for a person to not get influenced by the people around them. They should analyze the outcome of the
deed in a strict manner. So that they no may commit anything harmful for themselves. As this world is full of bad
people, so you need to be careful before trusting anybody.

Content :

What is peer pressure?

Peer pressure is the influence on people by their peers. As a result, people start following their opinions and lifestyle.
Furthermore, it is considering a person or his opinion above all and giving him the priority.

Tekanan teman sebaya adalah pengaruh teman sebaya mereka. Akibatnya, orang mulai mengikuti opini dan gaya
hidup mereka. Lebih jauh, itu mempertimbangkan seseorang atau pendapatnya di atas segalanya dan memberinya
prioritas.

Which sector of the society is the peer pressure adversely affecting?

Sektor masyarakat mana yang dipengaruhi oleh tekanan teman sebaya?

Peer pressure has adverse effects on the youth of society. Some false influencers are playing with the minds of the
youngsters. As a result, the youth is going in the wrong direction and ruining their career opportunities.

Tekanan teman sebaya memiliki efek buruk bagi kaum muda masyarakat. Beberapa pemberi pengaruh palsu sedang
bermain-main dengan pikiran para anak muda. Akibatnya, kaum muda menuju ke arah yang salah dan merusak
peluang karir mereka.

Is peer pressure harmful or beneficial to individuals?

Peer pressure is more harmful than beneficial. It is beneficial as long as individual know their limits . When an
adolescent gets more influenced by his/her peer groups, it leads to disastrous consequences such as doing drugs,
smoking etc which affects health. During the period of adolescence, teenagers are actually confused being. They
often start taking advice from their friends even if its wrong.They are basically unable to distinguish between right
and wrong. So peer pressure can only be avoided if the adolescent with greater maturity disagree with the wrong
opinion of the peer group and simply walk away. It is not always individual have to conform to everything people say
or believe.

Negative effects of peer pressure:

Go against your will

Sometimes peer pressure can change a good person into a bad person. There have been several incidences in the
past where an innocent person in the company of bad friends, got addicted to bad habits such as smoking, drinking,
drugs etc. If you do not live a life like them, then you will be left alone. They will tease and make fun of you. You will
feel how backward you are. So, finally you will have to succumb to their pressure and do things against your will.
Destruction of life

Peer pressure can be very devastating to your life. Any wrong decision that you take in pressure of your peers can
lead you to a feeling of deep remorse, and sorrow. In some cases, it destroys the entire life of the person.
Sometimes, by blindly following your peers, the addiction to bad habits does not leave you for the whole life.

Loss of self-respect

Bad influence of peer results in losing your identity, self-worth and dignity by surrendering to their pressure. By
adopting their way of living, you lose your own existence and lifestyle. You feel that they govern your life. You are
forced to do things and like things what your peer wants to do. In this way, peer pressure yields a wide range of
negative consequences for your life.

And that a point of negative effect

But, Peer pressure cannot be termed bad always. It can also lead you to adopt good habits in life. Your peers may
teach you some good things about life and encourage you to follow them. This will help you to change yourself for
the better. And I would like to show you what a positive effect of peer pressure

The Positive Effects of Peer Pressure:

Help you to adopt good habits

Peer pressure is not always bad. It can be good too. If you have a positive and motivating peer who focuses on
healthy living and shows cultured behavior, and good traits, then such company can be very beneficial for you. Such
benefits can be in terms of health, investment, lifestyle or any other thing. A friend who is health conscious, would
encourage you on healthy eating and regular exercising. With his company, you can learn to stay fit and healthy. If
your friend has a good habit to save money every month, then in his company you can also make small savings that
can turn out big investments in future.

Help you excel in studies

If your friends are scholars, or champions, and you are average in all spheres of life, then this can also act as a peer
pressure. You will feel motivated to challenge them in studies, sports or any other field. Such type of peer pressure,
where you engage in healthy competition to compete with your friends to enhance your capabilities is considered
good. You can hone your talent like playing guitar, singing, dancing etc. and showcase them your skills, to get
appreciation and feel at par with them. Such competition is beneficial for the growth of the person.

Makes you a better person

With good friends, you become a better person. Peer pressure can assist in analyzing yourself and also contemplate
on the methods of life. So, you become a better version of yourself. Pick your group selectively, so as to bring
positive changes in your life. Your peers can teach you a lot of good things about yourself and life. They would bring
positive changes in yourself, that can benefit you for the whole life.

If you have been a materialistic kind of person, and live in the company of a spiritual friend, then he can take you to
the inner journey of the soul. You will learn that money is not the only thing that can buy you happiness, but doing
noble works, and service can give you deep sense of fulfillment.

Help you live a fulfilling life

If you have been an introvert person, with a laid-back personality, and your friends are quite social and extrovert,
then they help you a bit to enhance your personality. They bring positive makeover in your look and lifestyle to make
you feel better about yourself. Peers can inspire you to bring a constructive variation in your life. They have a
positive impact on the life and lead you to form the correct choices for yourself.
How to respon to negative peer pressure ?

-The key to dealing with negative peer pressure is self-confidence

-Be yourself. Make your own decisions, regardless of what other think.

-Learn to feel comfortable saying "no". "Just say no" has become a slogan sometimes used to tell youngsters how to
respond when they feel pressure to drink or smoke or engage in a harmful activity.

-Hang with people who feel the same way you do. getting involved in a new activity with a new group of people

-If a situation seems dangerous, don't hesitate to get an adult's help. getting help from a trusted adult (for example,
a coach, counselor, or family member).

Read more: http://www.humanillnesses.com/Behavioral-Health-Ob-Sea/Peer-Pressure.html#ixzz6e437EenL

From our discussion I can conclude that

Conclusion :

Choosing friends is very important for us. We can't live without friends but we also can't have a bad peer pressure.
Good pressure can improve us but bad one won't. having a true and good friend is important. We should choose our
friends carefully.

know who is the good peer and who is the bad.

Thank you for your attention

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how badly peer pressure can affect an innocent soul

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good morning mister David and my friends, let me introduce my self, my name is renissa ayu rahmayanti, and Iwould like to present about how badly peer pressure can affect an innocent soul. To tell that peer pressure for a bad cause will always lead you to a disastrous situation.

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In the wake of the Phoebe Prince tragedy, many are questioning whether schools should be more responsible for bullying.

While campus violence and bullying have been heated topics in recent years, the wake of a young teen's suicide, allegedly prompted by aggressive bullies, is forcing community members to reexamine the responsibility of schools in the fight against bullies.

Should Schools Pay the Price for Bullying?

In the most recent high school tragedy, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince sadly ended her own life after nine teenagers allegedly harassed and bullied the young girl. According to Slate News, District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel has filed charges against the nine alleged bullies, further asserting that Phoebe Prince endured three months of extreme bullying under the awareness of some school leaders. According to Scheibel, "The investigation has revealed that certain faculty, staff, and administrators of the high school also were alerted to the harassment of Phoebe Prince before her death."

In fact, supporting these claims are reports from Phoebe's mother, as well as fellow students, who reported obvious struggles endured by the teen. For example, Phoebe's mother was so concerned about her daughter's depression at school that she contacted school officials on multiple occasions, asking about whether or not students were making threats and attacks against her daughter. Furthermore, some students reported seeing Phoebe crying in the hallway outside her classroom, as well as crying in the nurse's office on the day she took her life.

However, many argue that school leaders could not have been fully aware of Ms. Prince's harassment, and furthermore, they are in no way responsible for the young girl's unfortunate death.

Ultimately, in the wake of this unsettling tragedy, citizens are arousing the debate over whether or not schools are responsible for the misconduct of their students.

Are Schools Truly Responsible for Student Conduct?

In further examining the Phoebe Prince case, some local parents have demanded that the school's principal resign, while others believe that some school board and administration members should resign as well. While attorneys are sifting through the claims and accounts of witnesses, none of the current evidence proves any correlation between the high school leaders and Phoebe's death; in other words, even though she was bullied at the school, the school may not legally be responsible.

Those who argue that the school cannot be responsible for Phoebe's tragedy believe that bullying occurs beyond the boundaries of school walls, especially given the prevalence of social networking today. With technologies such as texting, blogging, email, chat rooms, and other online social networking sites, the opportunities for students to potentially tease and torment each other is seemingly uncontrollable.

While the school's legal accountability is still in question, the Boston News reports that several bullying experts believe that the school's leadership should have shown greater regard for Phoebe's safety and wellbeing, given the multiple reports of threats and harassments. Further supporting this stance, Elizabeth Englander, director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, argues that schools must implement standardized procedures to foster communication among staff members and parents. A better system of communication can prevent students from falling through the cracks in a flawed system.

Education specialists also criticize the school's weak response efforts, stating that the "school's poor response is not unusual and highlights the need for mandated reporting laws and training on bullying prevention," as reported by the Boston News.

While Phoebe Prince's former South Hadley High School is being criticized for its lack of bullying policies and consequences, many public school leaders also are reacting to this recent event by reevaluating their own practices.

Whether or not South Hadley High School's current efforts to review and revise their bullying standards will be effective, in the meantime, the public anxiously awaits the legal ramifications of the responsibility the school's leaders may hold in the death of Phoebe Prince.

Questions? Contact us on Facebook. @publicschoolreview

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Bullied to Death: Should Public Schools be More Responsible for Mean Girls? | PublicSchoolReview.com

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In the wake of the Phoebe Prince tragedy, many are questioning whether schools should be more responsible for bullying. While campus violence and bullying have been heated topics in recent years, the wake of a young teen's suicide, allegedly prompted by aggressive bullies, is forcing community members to reexamine the responsibility of schools in the fight against bullies.

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According to the research done by Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, nearly 200,000 students that are victims of bullying are estimated to bring weapons to school. Additionally, victims of bullying are 31 times more likely to bring a weapon to school than students who have never been bullied. It makes sense that with the number of victims bringing a weapon to school, bullying is one of the main reasons that many school shootings occur.

However, not every bullying victim inflicts violence upon others, many inflict it upon themselves. A Yale University study shows that bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than those who have not been bullied. There is no question that the shooter should be held responsible for their actions, as the taking of lives is unforgivable. But, is the shooter entirely responsible? And what about the victims that took their own lives? While they may not have pulled the trigger, the bully is still the force behind many horrible events that could push someone to perform such horrifying actions, and they should be held accountable for them.

In the US, constructive manslaughter is a sentence given to a person who causes the death of another while committing a violation of the law that is not a felony. In many US states, bullying is now considered, while not a felony, illegal. As such, aren't the deaths of those caused by the actions of bullying victims deaths caused by an action that violates the law?

In New Jersey, there is a Social Host Liability law, which states that if someone serves alcohol to a guest, and allows that guest to leave drunk, the host is just as guilty as the guest if the guest ends up injuring someone in a car crash or any activity that causes death or injury to a third party. That's extremely similar to what's happening in school shootings caused by bullying. The bully causes pain and anger in t his or her victim, then that victim causes death or injury to a third party. If a law gives liability to a host at a party for getting his or her guest drunk, then there should be a law that gives liability to a bully for causing their victim suffering to the point of violent retaliation.

Additionally, researchers have found that there is a strong link between bullying and depression. People afflicted with clinical depression often have low self-esteem, suffer from chronic anxiety, and often have thoughts of suicide. Unable to cope with the pain they feel, suicide may seem like the only option to some bullying victims, especially since many bullying victims do not tell anyone about what is happening to them, for fear of what their bully would do if told on. As such, the bully is somewhat responsible for the suicide, as they are partly the reason why the victim did not receive the help or treatment that was needed.

Unfortunately, the likelihood of a law like this being effective is slim. Most school shooters don't give an explanation for their actions, and no one would willingly say that they were responsible for someone taking their life or the lives of others. Unless the victims calls out their bullies themselves, any conviction would be impossible. Most of the evidence that would be brought to a trial would be witness testimony, most convictions needing physical evidence. Otherwise, the trial would just become a case of "he said/she said," which most often results in a hung jury or the defendant being found not guilty of the crime.

Bullies should be held accountable for the violence actions of their victims, as they are partially responsible for their victims performing the heinous acts that they do. However, due to the circumstances that surround the crimes that are committed coupled with the overall lack of physical evidence, the chances of bullies being held responsible for the devastation created by their torment is slim to none.

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According to the research done by Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, nearly 200,000 students that are victims of bullying are estimated to bring weapons to school. Additionally, victims of bullying are 31 times more likely to bring a weapon to school than students who have never been bullied.

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A former pupil is suing her Victorian school for the psychiatric harm she allegedly suffered from bullying.

There is now a strong body of evidence that demonstrates the severe psychiatric and emotional damage bullying can cause, and the significant impact it can have on life's expectations. And its harm is widespread - the sufferers, the bullies and society as a whole.

Investigations of school shootings such as Columbine speculate that they are acts of retaliation. Not infrequently there are reports of suicides of students who are bullied. Tolerance in schools can lead to bullying in workplaces, families and other areas of life.

We have come a long way to recognise bullying as intentional, often criminal behaviour, which would be treated as such outside the schoolyard. It should never be tolerated, especially now that we are aware of the harm it causes.

Does failure to take action render schools liable for harm?

The courts believe so. In 2003, following the successful action of former student Lisa Eskinazi against her Victorian school, incredulity turned to concern in the education community.

Doubt was further cast aside when the New South Wales Supreme Court and Court of Appeal decided that former students Benjamin Cox and Jazmine Oyston (2007 and 2013 respectively) were entitled to damages from their schools.

Firmly buried was the traditional notion that bullying should be endured as part and parcel of school years. More recently, though, technology has provided ample opportunity for a widespread, remote and more cowardly form of bullying - cyberbullying. This clouds the question as to the extent of a school's responsibility.

It makes the position of schools more difficult, or alternatively perhaps (though yet to be tested), it affords them greater escape from liability.

So what is the basis of a school's responsibility to deal effectively with wrongful actions by one student against another? In legal terms, liability relies on a breach of a duty of care causing the harm suffered.

Schools clearly owe a duty of care to students. A long line of precedents where students have suffered physical injury is testament to this. It becomes hazier when psychiatric and emotional harm is alleged many years later.

In simple terms it relies on a school's lack of effective action in the face of knowledge, and on a causative link between that inaction and the harm suffered.

This is easy to determine in the case of playground accidents, but decidedly more difficult in cases of school bullying, particularly with a long period of time intervening. However, as demonstrated above, it's not impossible.

The question of liability misses the point

A much wider and more pressing question is what may be done to erase this huge blot on the landscape of schools and society. Taking the problem seriously is the first step.

Most would agree that a school that has knowledge of bullying behaviour within its grounds or online but arising out of school relationships, and fails to take remedial action, is complicit.

But what to do? Most reactions, such as excluding of perpetrators from school, may be more damaging. There are many suggestions that any disengagement from schooling can lead to increasingly bad behaviour from bullying perpetrators.

A short term fix with no long term gain

A quick flick through the websites of schools and state education departments reveals endless anti-bullying programs and policies. But are these helping the child now being excluded from games, being called names, receiving hate messages or having nasty material about them circulated on social media?

More importantly, are they leading to changes in school cultures? The biggest challenge is how to break the cycle from the very beginning - at family, preschool and school level. This is not an easy overnight fix. It requires all members of the community having equal responsibility for a peaceful, hostile-free learning environment.

On one level this includes a "bystander" responsibility and encouragement of "telling". It also requires each member of the school community showing respect, responsibility and developing the communication skills for dealing with differences.

It requires assisting young people to put themselves in another's shoes, to see the harm they have caused, to repair it and restore relationships. For many schools there is evidence of success but it is easy to say and hard to do, especially given meagre resources in many cases. A highly commendable initiative is Bullying. No Way and its mantra: Taking a Stand Together. There's a long way to go but the journey must be taken.

Wrongs must be redressed and the threat of legal action in many instances may lead to galvanising action. It would be lamentable, however, if this was the main driver of action. The better view is that modern educators see bullying as serious anti-social behaviour which has a severe impact on all children's right to education, and are working on creating school cultures where bullying cannot exist.

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It shouldn't take legal action for schools to act on bullying

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A former pupil is suing her Victorian school for the psychiatric harm she allegedly suffered from bullying. There is now a strong body of evidence that demonstrates the severe psychiatric and emotional damage bullying can cause, and the significant impact it can have on life's expectations.

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Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments - Death Penalty - ProCon.org

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Legality Life without Parole Deterrence Retribution Victims’ Families Methods of Execution Innocence Morality Medical Professionals’ Participation Federal Death Penalty 1. Legality The United States is one of 55 countries globally with a legal death penalty, according to Amnesty International. As of…

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Here is a summary of the complex issue of the death penalty, and an opportunity for readers to share their views about the pros and cons of capital punishment.

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Capital punishment, also dubbed the "death penalty," is the planned taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that legally convicted person.

Passions in the United States are sharply divided and run equally strong among both supporters and protesters of the death penalty.

Quotations from Both Sides

Arguing against capital punishment, Amnesty International believes:

"The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to life...It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. There can never be any justification for torture or for cruel treatment.​"

Arguing for capital punishment, the Clark County, Indiana, prosecuting attorney writes:

"There are some defendants who have earned the ultimate punishment our society has to offer by committing murder with ​aggravating circumstances present. I believe life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but the duty to act in self-defense to protect the innocent."​

And Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, wrote:

"The death penalty diminishes all of us, increases disrespect for human life, and offers the tragic illusion that we can teach that killing is wrong by killing."

Death Penalty in the United States

The death penalty has not always been practiced in the United States, although Time magazine, using research from M. Watt Espy and John Ortiz Smykla ﻿﻿﻿and data from the Death Penalty Information Center, estimated that in this country, more than 15,700 people have been legally executed since 1700.﻿﻿

The Depression-era 1930s, which saw a historic peak in executions, was followed by a dramatic decrease in the 1950s and 1960s. No executions occurred in the United States between 1967 and 1976.﻿﻿

In 1972, the Supreme Court effectively nullified the death penalty and converted the death sentences of hundreds of death row inmates to life in prison.

In 1976, another Supreme Court ruling found capital punishment to be constitutional. Since 1976, almost 1,500 people have been executed in the United States.﻿﻿

Latest Developments

The vast majority of democratic countries in Europe and Latin America have abolished capital punishment over the last 50 years, but the United States, most democracies in Asia, and almost all totalitarian governments retain it.

Crimes that carry the death penalty vary greatly worldwide, from treason and murder to theft. In militaries around the world, courts-martial have sentenced capital punishments also for cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny.

Per Amnesty International's 2017 death penalty annual report, "Amnesty International recorded at least 993 executions in 23 countries in 2017, down by 4% from 2016 (1,032 executions) and 39% from 2015 (when the organization reported 1,634 executions, the highest number since 1989)."﻿﻿ However, those statistics do not include China, known as the world's top executioner, because the use of the death penalty is a state secret. Countries in the table below with a plus sign (+) indicate that there were executions, but numbers were not received by Amnesty International.

Executions in 2017, by Country

As of 2020, capital punishment in the United States is officially sanctioned by 29 states, as well as by the federal government.﻿﻿ Each state with legalized capital punishment has different laws regarding its methods, age limits, and crimes that qualify.

From 1976 through October 2018, 1,483 felons were executed in the United States, distributed among the states as follows:

Executions from 1976-October 2018, by State

Source: Death Penalty Information Center ﻿﻿

States and U.S. territories with no current death penalty statute are Alaska (abolished in 1957), Connecticut (2012), Delaware (2016), Hawaii (1957), Illinois (2011), Iowa (1965), Maine (1887), Maryland (2013), Massachusetts (1984), Michigan (1846), Minnesota (1911), New Hampshire (2019), New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009), New York (2007), North Dakota (1973), Rhode Island (1984), Vermont (1964), Washington (2018), West Virginia (1965), Wisconsin (1853), District of Columbia (1981), American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Source: Death Penalty Information Center ﻿﻿

The Moral Conflict: Tookie Williams

The case of Stanley "Tookie" Williams illustrates the moral complexities of the death penalty.

Williams, an author and Nobel Peace and Literature Prizes nominee who was put to death on December 13, 2005, by lethal injection by the state of California, brought capital punishment back into prominent public debate.

Williams was convicted of four murders committed in 1979 and sentenced to death. Williams professed innocence of these crimes. He was also co-founder of the Crips, a deadly and powerful Los Angeles-based street gang responsible for hundreds of murders.

About five years after incarceration, Williams underwent a religious conversion and, as a result, wrote many books and created programs to promote peace and to fight gangs and gang violence. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize and four times for the Nobel Literature Prize.

Williams admitted his life of crime and violence, which was followed by genuine redemption and a life of unusually good works.

The circumstantial evidence against Williams left little doubt that he committed the four murders, despite last-minute claims by supporters. There also existed no doubt that Williams posed no further threat to society and would contribute considerable good. His case forced public reflection on the purpose of the death penalty:

Is the purpose of the death penalty to remove from society someone who would cause more harm?

Is the purpose to remove from society someone who is incapable of rehabilitation?

Is the purpose of the death penalty to deter others from committing murder?

Is the purpose of the death penalty to punish the criminal?

Is the purpose of the death penalty to take retribution on behalf of the victim?

Should Stanley "Tookie" Williams have been executed by the state of California?

Exorbitant Costs

The New York Times penned in its op-ed "High Cost of Death Row":

"To the many excellent reasons to abolish the death penalty-it's immoral, does not deter murder and affects minorities disproportionately-we can add one more. It's an economic drain on governments with already badly depleted budgets.
"It is far from a national trend, but some legislators have begun to have second thoughts about the high cost of death row." (September 28, 2009)

In a 2016 California had the unique situation of having two ballot measures up for a vote that purported would save taxpayers millions of dollars per year: one to speed up existing executions (Proposition 66) and one to convert all death penalty convictions to life without parole (Proposition 62). Proposition 62 failed in that election, and Proposition 66 narrowly passed.

Arguments For and Against

Arguments commonly made for supporting the death penalty are:

To serve as an example to other would-be criminals, to deter them from committing murder or terrorist acts.

To punish the criminal for his/her act.

To obtain retribution on behalf of the victims.

Arguments commonly made to abolish the death penalty are:

Death constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment," which is prohibited by the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Also, the various means used by the state to kill a criminal are cruel.

The death penalty is used disproportionately against the poor, who cannot afford expensive legal counsel, as well as against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

The death penalty is applied arbitrarily and inconsistently.

Wrongly convicted, innocent people have received death penalty sentences, and tragically, were killed by the state.

A rehabilitated criminal can make a morally valuable contribution to society.

Killing human life is morally wrong under all circumstances. Some faith groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church, oppose the death penalty as not being "pro-life."

Countries that Retain the Death Penalty

As of 2017 per Amnesty International, 53 countries, representing about one-third of all countries worldwide, retain the death penalty for ordinary capital crimes, including the United States, plus:﻿﻿

Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

The United States is the only westernized democracy, and one of the few democracies worldwide, to not have abolished the death penalty.

Countries That Abolished the Death Penalty

As of 2017 per Amnesty International, 142 countries, representing two-thirds of all countries worldwide, have abolished the death penalty on moral grounds, including:﻿﻿

Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Holy See (Vatican City), Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia (including Kosovo), Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

Some others have a moratorium on executions or are taking strides to abolish death penalty laws on the books.

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Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty and Capital Punishment

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Capital punishment is the taking of a human life by a government in response to a crime committed by that convict. See arguments for and against.

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Key points

Depressive and anxiety symptoms in youth have doubled during the pandemic.

Teens today report spending 75 percent of their waking hours on screens during COVID-19.

More than a quarter of teens would welcome reasonable screen time limits.

As the U.S. continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, many American teenagers are battling demons of their own. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General went so far as to issue a public health advisory on the mental health challenges that children and teenagers are facing in the midst of the pandemic.

According to the Surgeon General's report, depressive and anxiety symptoms in youth doubled during the pandemic, with 25 percent of youth experiencing depressive symptoms and 20 percent experiencing anxiety symptoms.

In a 2020 survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by the National 4-H Council, the majority of teens (7 in 10) reported experiencing struggles with mental health. Most teens (61 percent) said that the pandemic has increased their feeling of loneliness. And even more teens-79 percent of those surveyed-said that they wish there was an inclusive environment or safe space for people in school to talk about mental health.

Stigma and Shame

Today, parents are facing challenges in finding help for their children, many of whom were healthy and thriving just a few short years ago. Teens that perhaps were honor roll students and excelling in their sports or other activities may now be isolated (while spending the majority of their time online), withdrawn, and failing. Some have even turned to drugs or self-harming. Many good teens are making bad choices.

Mental health is an essential part of overall health. Yet some teens are not willing to get help or consider therapy for fear of being stigmatized or even shamed. In the same way, some parents believe that mental health problems will work themselves out; there are also others who let their egos get in the way, adopting an attitude of "not my child." They may blame it on their teen's peers or the pandemic itself, but placing the blame elsewhere doesn't negate the fact that their child is struggling emotionally.

What's more, there is hardly a shortage of judgy parents who are quick to take aim and shame other parents who are making difficult choices during these challenging times. Whether it's planning a family trip, deciding on counseling, or making the tough decision to pursue residential therapy, parents must do what is best for their teenagers. Getting them help is a priority; getting distracted by parent shaming is wasted time and energy.

According to the Harris Poll discussed earlier, teens report spending 75 percent of their waking hours on screens. Parents' behavior (both online and off) can impact a teen's emotional wellness, as can other negative experiences such as being bullied, finding harmful information online, and negatively comparing themselves to others.

The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory reminds us that technology can be closely tied to mental health. In light of this, parents should take time to examine their own digital life as well as their child's. They can do this by asking:

How does my child feel about the time they spend online?

Is my child engaging because they want to, or because they feel like they have to?

How can I create space for open conversations with my child about their experiences online?

How do I feel about my own use of technology?

How can I be a better role model for my child?

Signs of a Distressed Youth

Teens may not answer questions about their mental health to parents' satisfaction. Look for telltale signs of stress and depression such as:

Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or exhaustion

Loss of interest in activities or loss of appetite

Irregular sleep habits

Difficulty focusing or making decisions

Withdrawal, seclusion, or apathy

How Parents Can Help Teens at Home

If your child seems to be struggling with these issues, you can employ several strategies to help them manage their stress and anxiety:

1. One of the most important is to create a peaceful environment in your home. Even the most functional families can overreact in stressful times, especially during a pandemic. However, you can choose to react calmly when in times of crisis. When you feel the urge to lose your temper because of your teen's behavior or actions, take a step back and breathe for a few moments before engaging them. Show how to handle a difficult situation instead of telling them to calm down when they are angry.

2. Communicate openly and frequently with your child. Invite them to offer their opinions, input, and ideas on everything from planning family traditions to current events. Be honest with them about your feelings as well. And when you see them accomplish their goals or share their experiences, take the time to acknowledge and encourage their efforts.

3. Encourage and help your teens to take ownership of their health. Exercise, proper sleep, and nutritious food choices can reduce anxiety. When these habits improve how they feel, they will make them part of their routine.

4. Reducing screen time. The majority of teens (and likely parents) are on their devices too much. Take time for the entire family to consider a digital diet that is healthy for everyone. More than a quarter of teens (26 percent) wish that someone (either their parent or school) would impose reasonable screen time limits on them.

During these challenging times (and always), parents need support, care, and compassion from family, friends, and others.

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Depressive and anxiety symptoms in youth have doubled during the pandemic. Teens today report spending 75 percent of their waking hours on screens during COVID-19. More than a quarter of teens would welcome reasonable screen time limits. As the U.S. continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, many American teenagers are battling demons of their own.

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[ A guest post by Arnie Swartz, Denver divorce mediator] The degree to which children should be involved is controversial.
Parents who are going through separation and divorce face a dilemma: Do they want to include their children in decision-making about the parenting plan? And if so, how should their voices be included?

Some people believe that children should have full participation in the decision-making about with whom they will live when, and how to divide their time. Other people believe children should have no say at all. There also is a full range of perspectives between these two extremes.

One question is when children's input is likely to prove helpful. For instance, children can be encouraged to voice their concerns prior to the parents' creating a plan. Alternatively children can offer suggestions regarding what kinds of arrangement they would prefer.

Do children want to add their input? The answer seems in most cases to be a resounding yes. In a recent study, 29 children ages 7-17 whose parents were involved in custody disputes had been asked by divorce professionals if they wanted to give input. Some were represented by an attorney, some met with a mental health professional, and some had been interviewed by a judge. The researchers found that "many children want to be heard and want a say in how they are to be involved in the legal process, but few want to make the decisions about their future." (Bala and Birnbaum)

Joan McWilliams, in her book on parenting plans, talks about a child-inclusive parenting plan which she defines as "one that incorporates your child's ideas and preferences. It is a way to acknowledge your children and include them in the formation of your post-divorce family. Children usually want to speak - especially older children. Even younger children have good ideas about things that affect their lives. We need to listen to them." (McWilliams, page 101)
What are some of the factors to consider in deciding whether, when and how to provide children with an opportunity to add their voice to the process?
Other divorce professionals however believe that children should never be involved in parenting decisions, regardless of their age and maturity level. Their concern is that asking children for their opinion may automatically put them in the middle. No matter how the situation is structured, this line of thinking assumes, children who are given a say end up feeling like they have to choose between their parents, which is an ultimate loyalty bind.

One factor is age. The older the children, the more weight should probably be given to what they say. It is unlikely that a child younger than seven or eight would be asked for input. The opposite is true for an adolescent.

Another factor to consider is the child's maturity level, which may not match his/her chronological age.

A third factor is the quality of the relationship between each parent and each child. If the overall family relationships are positive and relatively conflict-free, children's input can be both valuable and unlikely to invite retribution from a parent or loyalty issues from the children. On the other hand, if the relationship between a child and a parent, or between the two parents, has been contentious, the input may be tainted by fears and otherconsiderations that are more about the family's dynamics than about the best interests of the child.

An additional factor to consider is the child's temperament. A resilient child who copes well is likely to be able to add significant information. Children who are having a hard time adjusting may be more likely to have a view of the situation that is torqued by anger, by wishful thinking or by having become a mouthpiece for one or the other parent.

One concept that can be helpful is to distinguish between concerns and solutions. It may virtually always be helpful if children can voice their concerns. Poposing solutions, by contrast, is where loyalty and safety issues are most likely to be potential difficulties.

It is important for parents to be clear about how the children's input will be utilized.

Do parents want to give the children the ultimate authority to decide? In most instances this strategy is imappropriate as it invites collapsed hierarchy, that is, a hierarchy in which the children run the family.

At the same time, mature adolescents sometimes know best what will work for them. They also may benefit from being able to initiate adjustments in the arrangement as changes evolve in what they need from each parent or in their school schedules.

Do parents want to present a proposed parenting time schedule and use their children's input to fine-tune it?

Do parents want to elicit information about their children's underlying concerns? Would they like to seek ideas from their children about possible parenting plan solutions? If so it can be important to clarify to children from the outset that in addition to their concerns and solution ideas, both parents' concerns plus input from divorce professionals all will be factored in to the eventual solution.
Avenues for information gathering.
Finally, it's important to clarify to the children who will make the decisions: for instance, will the decision be made by a judge? by the parents themselves with a rubber stamp from the court system? oby the parents with the help of a mediator? If children know in advance that the decision is not in their parents' hands alone, they are less likely to blame a parent for a plan that displeases them.

To obtain input from children one avenue is to get their viewpoints via a psychotherapist, especially if they already are engaged in therapy. This strategy may help to minimize children's feelings of being caught in the middle.

Another option is for children to participate in mediation by speaking directly to both parents with the mediator's help.

A Child and Family Investigator or a Child's Legal Representative can prove to be a helpful neutral person to whom children can voice their concerns and suggestions.
References
While there are some valid concerns (loyalty, safety, etc) about giving children an opportunity to have a voice in the process, overall the benefits of a better plan, more closely tailored to the child's needs and preferences, often outweight the risks, particulalry when their input is structured in a manner that is sensitive to children's needs and that minimizes the potential dangers.

Bala, Nicholas and Birnbaum, Rachel, Listening to Children in Custody Disputes. Lawyers Weekly, April 8, 2011 issue, LexisNexis, Canada.

McWilliams, Joan, Parenting Plans For Families After Divorce (2011). Denver: McWilliams Mediation Group.

-----------------------------
Further reading 8 Guidelines for a Friendly Divorce Divorce and Children Causes of Divorce
Arnold Swartz is a Denver mediator, consultant and trainer who has been mediating divorce, business and organizational matters for 30 years.

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Should Kids Have a Voice in Post-Divorce Planning?

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A guest post by Arnie Swartz, Denver divorce mediator] The degree to which children should be involved is controversial. Parents who are going through separation and divorce face a dilemma: Do they want to include their children in decision-making about the parenting plan? And if so, how should their voices be included?

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As parents and/or as mental health professionals, we might assume divorce always has a negative emotional impact on children. When children are exposed to chronic conflict between their parents, however, divorce may be a better choice for parents than staying together and continuing to expose children to the chronic conflict.

Living under one roof can be extremely stressful for parents who might otherwise consider divorce but are working hard to both keep the family together and meet financial obligations. The impact of this stress often contributes to chronic conflict among the parents, and when children are exposed to this conflict and stress, they experience stress themselves.

Often the chronic conflict that occurs while the family is under one roof becomes the norm for children, who can be compared to barometers, or little instruments that measure atmospheric pressure. Children "measure" the conflict and stress, and their behavior often reflects what they experience.

How Are Children Affected by Chronic Conflict?

Children who experience distress as a result of chronic conflict between parents may be impacted negatively in a number of ways. As they grow up, they may lack role models for healthy relationships. When parents put all of their energy into the conflict existing between them, both the relationship with the children and the ability to parent may be impacted. If conflict is particularly harsh or volatile, children may learn and model a lack of respect for others. Often, children may also find it difficult to trust others or develop faith in healthy, positive relationships, and these effects may impact their adult relationships.

Children do much better when their parents are happy and doing well, physically and mentally. Sometimes finding this state of well-being and happiness requires ending the marriage or partnership.

When parents project the negative energy created by chronic conflict, children are more inclined to feel pressure to take sides, and they often absorb the negative energy projected by vocal fighting and arguing. Thus they are then placed in the position of having to deal with adult problems they shouldn't be exposed to.

Separation of the parents can often relieve the stress at the root of the chronic conflict. When parents separate or divorce, there are certainly transitions and adjustments to be made by the children, and indeed the whole family, but the stresses of daily living under one roof are often relieved, and relationships among family members are likely to improve.

What Factors Determine How Well Children Adjust?

Parents who model positive relationship behaviors, including ending partnerships that are unhealthy, toxic, or simply not working out, can show their children everyone deserves to be in happy and healthy relationships. By not settling for less themselves, they can help their children learn to make similar choices.

Children do much better when their parents are happy and doing well, physically and mentally. Sometimes finding this state of well-being and happiness requires ending the marriage or partnership. If there is no way to reduce the level of conflict between parents, the children are unlikely to derive any benefit from their parents staying together when levels of relationship conflict are high and unlikely to lower.

Through my work with individuals in my practice, I have found three key factors typically determine how well children will adjust to divorce:

1. The quality of the relationship the children have with each parent prior to the divorce

2. The length of time the chronic conflict has occurred as well as the intensity of the conflict

3. The ability of the parents to make the needs of the children a priority during the divorce

Per my professional experience, it is the conflict and the quality of communication between the divorced parents, not the divorce itself or who the children live with, that is the largest factor determining how well children will adjust to the divorce. The mother's attitude toward the father has a significant impact on the amount of time and the quality of time fathers have with their children after divorce. This is not to say it is the mother's responsibility to ensure that fathers step up for their children. However, when one parent openly display a negative attitude toward the other parent, the likelihood of that parent withdrawing more from the children's lives is increased. If this happens, the children will likely experience a negative emotional impact.

It is just as important for both parents (of any gender) to remain openly respectful and collaborate regarding the needs of the children. It is important for the parent without primary custody to make seeing their children consistently a priority, in order for a quality relationship to endure. Further, the parent paying child support should make certain to pay it in a timely manner and continue to take responsibility for continued involvement with their children's schooling and activities (sports, lessons, performances, and so on).

Adolescents who have difficulty adjusting to divorce have typically experienced a lengthy period of high conflict both before and during the divorce. Adolescents who are able to adjust well typically come from a situation where parents collaborated and negotiated based on what was in the best interest of the children.

Positive Outcomes for Children

Per my observations from working with families affected by divorce or separation, the following are some positive results that can be the outcome for some children after divorce:

Children often become more resilient and adaptable because they must develop coping strategies for adapting to different situations and to change.

Due to the change in income often experienced, children often have to become more self-sufficient, as both parents are most likely working. Even when one parent was able to stay at home before the divorce, that parent will most likely need to work after the divorce, and children, accordingly, must often take more responsibility for household chores.

Children who experience divorce are more likely to have increased empathy for others. When children who experience divorce observe others they care about having difficulty, it often resonates more, and they become more accepting of the various problems and situations experienced by others.

Children are often able to have more quality time with each parent. Children from more traditional families often report being able to spend more time with their fathers after the divorce and experience benefit from that.

Children develop a recognition for the significance of the commitment marriage requires. Children from divorce sometimes develop a deeper understanding of the stakes involved when deciding to marry. Some children, especially as they reach young adulthood, often decide they do not want to repeat the dynamic they saw in their parents' relationships in their own relationships. They will often make special efforts to ensure their relationships are more stable and healthy as a result of experiencing chronic conflict between their parents and the resulting stress they experienced while growing up.

The bottom line is this: the happiness of our children, now or in the future, does not rest solely on the institution of marriage or divorce in and of themselves. Their happiness is based on routine, confidence in their relationships with their parents, and their perceptions of their parents as people of strong character. The fear of parental abandonment puts children at the greatest risk when there is chronic conflict and/or when divorce happens. Therefore, parents need to ensure, whether they stay married or decide to divorce, their relationships with their children are a top priority, primarily by including self-care and modeling healthy relationships. A qualified and compassionate professional can often be of assistance here!
References:

1. Mohi, G. W. (2015, September 22). Positive outcomes of divorce: A multi-method study on the effects of parental divorce on children. University of Central Florida Undergraduate Research Journal, 7(2). Retrieved from from https://www.urj.ucf.edu/docs/mohi.pdf.

2. Positive effects of divorce on children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://divorce.laws.com/positive-effects-of-divorce-on-children

3. What are the effects of divorce on children? (n.d.). FamilyMeans. Retrieved from https://www.familymeans.org/effects-of-divorce-on-children.html

© Copyright 2017 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved.

The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below.

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Kathy Hardie-Williams, MEd, MS, NCC, LPC, LMFT

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Stay Together for the Kids? When Divorce Might Benefit Everyone

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As parents and/or as mental health professionals, we might assume divorce always has a negative emotional impact on children. When children are exposed to chronic conflict between their parents, however, divorce may be a better choice for parents than staying together and continuing to expose children to the chronic conflict.

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Divorce can be a difficult and emotionally turbulent experience for parents. For children who may not understand the process or fully grasp the gravity of its impact on their futures, divorce can also be a confusing and tumultuous time.

While most adults approach divorce with the intent of reshaping their lives in the future, children don't always have the foresight or life experience to know that there is life after divorce - especially their parent's divorce. What's more, they recognize they have little or no control over the process. To children in divorce, the only family they have ever known is disintegrating, and it may seem like their primary source of safety and protection is slipping away. In divorce, probably more than at any other time, children need parents to comfort and reassure them, and can let them know they are loved.

Unfortunately, divorcing parents are usually in the midst of such emotional turmoil themselves that they lose some of their ability to be what their children need. Worse, they may put their children into the middle of the divorce, treating them as just another card to be played in the battle with their spouse. Putting kids in the middle of a divorce is not only potentially harmful to a child's emotional health, it's not viewed favorably by Judges who oversee divorce cases, and see this type of behavior every day.

When navigating a divorce, it's important for parents to find the strength to separate themselves from what's happening, work on themselves, and find their support networks so they can minimize the impact of divorce on children. While taking the time to speak with your children about divorce is important, simply talking to children may not be enough, and some cases may invite parents to speak with children about adult matters that shouldn't be discussed.

Helping You Help Your Children

At The Harris Law Firm, our attorneys are well aware that the rights, interests, and well-being of children should always be a priority in family law cases. It's why we work diligently to protect the children in divorce, child custody, and other related legal matters, and encourage parents to explore available resources that can help them help their children during these difficult times.

With many of our lawyers being Guardian Ad Litems, or court-appointed lawyers who advocate for children who are often unable to voice their own needs, we have the insight and special training to address the emotional and psychological needs of children, and help parents insulate them from the harsh realities of hostile litigation.

In addition to working with experienced attorneys who prioritize children, divorcing parents can also explore therapy, classes, and other avenues of support that help both them and their children process what's happening around them. Our attorneys are happy to discuss what parents can do to help their kids. We also have many resources about children and divorce on our website:

Challenges in Divorce: Potential Pitfalls for Parents

A divorcing parent's most immediate challenge is to assure children they are not responsible for the divorce. When bad things happen, many of us tend to ask ourselves whether we are responsible. A child under the stress of divorce has even less ability to make sense of adult behavior than the adults, and often has a dangerous tendency to blame him or herself for the divorce.

Because financial survival is usually a primary issue in divorce, custodial parents may be tempted to deny parenting time to a parent who is denying them money, especially child support. Colorado law explicitly separates the issues of child support and the exercise of parenting time. This is because judges and the Legislature recognize the importance of children having frequent contact with both of their parents, particularly when they are divorced or divorcing.

Parents who look to manipulate parenting time in this manner demonstrate for their children first-hand the potential dysfunction of a married relationship. As such, parents risk damaging their children's own abilities to create cohesive families when they become adults. There are plenty of legal strategies for dealing with unpaid child support other than making the children pawns in ongoing divorce battles - and caring lawyers can help you explore them.

In addition to navigating legal pitfalls, parents should be careful of over-reliance on their children. Some parents faced with being alone for the first time in a long time may turn to their children for comfort and support, even relying on the children to act as counselors. First, by being put in this position, children may learn more about the divorce than they should; and second, the pressure of being given this role adds even more stress to the child's divorce experience.

Divorce is an adult problem, from which children should be protected. There are healthier therapeutic options for lonely parents. The Harris Law Firm has compiled a number of resources for parents during divorce and post-divorce:

Divorce, Communication & Children

A remarkable percentage of divorced and divorcing parents fail to see the potential damage they can cause their children and their relationships with their kids by communicating with each other through the children. Parents may even use their children in attempts to gain information about each other. In such communications, the children again see first-hand the dysfunctional relationship their parents have created. Additionally, the children may feel they are being forced to choose sides. Witnessing such turmoil can make the hope of finding a healthy relationship, as an adult, seem even more remote.

Making children active participants in the divorce also provides them opportunities to play parents against each other for the children's own purposes. What may have been relatively good parent-child relationships can deteriorate as children seek to meet their own heightened needs at their parents' expense, or seek attention and support in unhealthy ways.

In some cases, a frustrated divorcing or divorced parent may be tempted to disparage the other parent to the children. They forget they are talking about one of only two biological parents their children will ever have. No one, not even a parent, has the right to destroy a child's relationship with another parent, no matter how inadequate they believe that parent may be. The day will come when the child is capable of making his or her own decisions about the parents.

Help Is Available. Speak With A Caring & Compassionate Attorney

Divorce certainly has the potential to change the lives of parents and children, and while it is a difficult process, it is not insurmountable. Help and support is available.

At The Harris Law Firm, our award-winning attorneys have been trusted by individuals and families across Colorado not only because we have the experience to guide them through the legal challenges of their cases, but also because we take the time to help our clients address their emotional needs, and the emotional needs of their children. Our attorneys have extensive resources and connections to a network of therapists, family counselors, and community resources, and can help you find the support you need to get through these difficult times.

If you have questions about how our firm can help you navigate divorce while protecting your children, please call or contact us online to request an initial consultation.

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The Dangers of Putting the Kids in the Middle

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Divorce can be a difficult and emotionally turbulent experience for parents. For children who may not understand the process or fully grasp the gravity of its impact on their futures, divorce can also be a confusing and tumultuous time.

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While running in his P.E. class in Florida last year, a young seventh grade boy, Nick Senske, halted in the middle of his tracks as asthma kicked in and he struggled to breathe, according to an article in jacksonville.com. Later, Senske, formerly an all-A student, found that he had received a 60 percent on the running assessment and was likely to receive a B in the class despite his usual 100 percent effort.

Like Senske, some students at SCHS give their full effort in physical education classes but perform poorly on skills assessments. It is not their choice to be unathletic; they were just born this way. Therefore, the grading standards for physical education should be replaced with ones based on effort, participation, and improvement of each individual.

According to the SCHS physical education department's policies, participation, sportsmanship, attitude and behavior take up about 50 percent of a person's grade. The other 50 percent is based on the skills, knowledge, and the approximately 2-mile Bruin Run.

The flaw with this system is that if a student consistently tries hard but is exceptionally unathletic, he or she could still flunk.

As a general evaluation, the current standards can be very unfair. For instance, SCHS students taking P.E. Core 9 are required to jump a certain distance in order to pass the long jump standards. The problem with this is that a student who is 5 feet tall has to jump the same distance as someone who is 6 feet tall in order to get the same grade. Obviously, the taller student has the advantage.

Each student has different limits, and no one knows what those specific limits are better than the students themselves. Therefore, instead of being graded based on how well they do compared to others, students should be graded solely on participation, sportsmanship, attitude, behavior, improvement, and effort. Although these qualities already account for 50 percent of P.E. grades, this percentage isn't enough.

Some people might argue that there is not an accurate way of measuring qualities such as participation, but that simply is not the case, especially if students were trusted more.

At the beginning of each quarter, students should have a pretest on the topic the class is going over that quarter. After they analyze their pretest scores, they should be able to set their own goals based on these scores. As the class progresses, the students would try to beat their initial scores and surpass their goals. If they improve significantly and achieve their goals, they definitely deserve a good grade.

In addition, self-evaluations can be used to determine how much effort is put in by the students. After all, they are already in high school so if they are expected to act like adults, shouldn't they be treated as such?
Unjust physical education grading systems should not be the reason why hard-working students like Senske have their grades lowered. Grading systems for P.E. should be based on effort and improvement instead of athleticism.

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OPINION: P.E. classes should be graded on effort, not athletic ability

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While running in his P.E. class in Florida last year, a young seventh grade boy, Nick Senske, halted in the middle of his tracks as asthma kicked in and he struggled to breathe, according to an article in jacksonville.com. Later, Senske, formerly an all-A student, found that he had received a 60 percent on the...

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There is an ongoing debate in schools around the world about whether students in Physical Education (P.E.) classes should be graded differently depending on the amount of effort they put, but this is a controversial topic with many varying opinions weighing in.

Of course, P.E. is so essential these days, especially with the growing concerns of medical problems such as obesity, other weight-related medical conditions, increasing sedentary lifestyles, and more, especially when it comes to children and teenagers. Today, we're going to explore both sides to ensure you can make up your own mind.

A Case Study

Back in 2019, Nick Senske, a seventh-grade student in Florida, was running around his school track when he succumbs to an asthma attack and couldn't breathe. He was fine after going to the hospital, but it sparked the discussion where it was discovered he was planned to receive a B in the class. The running assessment he had been given a 60% mark in, although he was giving 100% effort.

This is a very interesting idea because not people are made for sport. Some people are naturally athletic, and others really enjoy getting involved in sports. However, this doesn't equate to everybody, and some people just don't enjoy sports or will be the fastest nor the most successful from a competitive standpoint, but that doesn't mean they don't put the effort in to try.

This can be discouraging for students even to try at all, and they won't focus on being healthy. If your children or students resemble this, you can find information on braceyourhealth that could help.

So, with this in mind, should students who are less physically able be penalized for this?

The Student Comparison

To take this idea a little deeper, consider the current long jump criteria. To get an A, students must jump a certain distance, but this distance is the same for each child. If you compare the jumping abilities of a six-foot child and a five-foot child, of course, the taller student is going to have the physical advantage.

Every child has a different limit to their abilities, and nobody knows this better than the child themselves. With this in mind, it's argued that students should be graded on their personal performance, not in comparison to others or based on averages.

Some of the key areas students should instead be graded on include; sportsmanship, participation, behaviour in lessons, effort, rate of improvement and traits of similar ilk. While it's hard for teachers to grade on these subjects, a level of trust is needed with the students, and teachers need to be more aware of the needs and abilities of each individual student.

While difficult at the beginning of the year, teachers and students will form a relationship over the year in which it should be easy to tell, as well as being able to use their experience as a teacher gained over the years. Of course, schools could also introduce self-evaluations that can allow for this process to happen more successfully and easier for all involved.

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Should P.E. Classes Be Graded Based on Effort Instead of Athletic Capabilities? - Tasteful Space

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As you can see, there are many ways schools in the modern-day could better evaluate and grade students during their P.E. lessons. With a better grading system, this could be so much when it comes to encouraging children to be healthy and live fulfilling lives that matter.

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Pros of repeating a grade

Cons of repeating a grade

Kids who've missed a lot of school due to illness, emotional trauma or a move may benefit from repeating a grade.

A child who's just been absent often is already at higher risk for dropping out of school. Repeating a grade increases the risk.

Kids who are much younger than grade-level peers and who have a history of struggling academically can benefit from repeating a grade. It can be a better fit emotionally and age-wise.

Kids who are already the oldest in their grade will be almost two years older than the rest of the class.

For kids who are developmentally immature (either physically or emotionally), repeating a grade may reduce the stress of trying to "keep up."

For kids who are physically large for their age, repeating a grade can make them stand out more.

Kids who are far enough behind that it's unlikely they'll catch up in the next grade may benefit. However, they'll still need supports in place to help them master skills.

Kids who will be taught the same skills in the same way without any different supports in place typically don't benefit from repeating. And kids who stay back tend to lose the positive gains within two to three years after being held back.

Kids who have behavior issues or stress that's clearly related to schoolwork may benefit from another year.

Kids who have behavior issues or stress related to the classroom environment typically don't benefit from staying in the same class another year.

Kids who can tell you they feel like another year in the same grade will be helpful are good candidates for repeating a grade.

Kids who are strongly opposed to staying back are more likely to find ways to make it not work.

Keep in mind that kids won't outgrow learning and thinking differences by repeating a grade. And there are more things you can do:

About the Author

About the Author

worked as a classroom teacher and as an early intervention specialist for 10 years. She is the author of Amanda Morin The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education. Two of her children have learning differences.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.

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Pros of repeating a grade Cons of repeating a grade Kids who've missed a lot of school due to illness, emotional trauma or a move may benefit from repeating a grade. A child who's just been absent often is already at higher risk for dropping out of school.

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Grade retention or social promotion -- which is best? Read what the experts have to say.

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Cooking with children in schools promotes the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age. A California Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of fourth to eighth graders said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks. However, youth who lack healthy cooking knowledge may rely on packaged foods or prepared foods containing questionable nutrition value. Introducing healthy cooking in schools has many benefits:

Children may try new and healthy foods. Recent research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that children engaged in tactile experiences, such as handling foods, have less food neophobia (food fear) and greater acceptance of eating a variety of foods.

A kitchen is a learning lab for children that can involve all of their senses. While kneading, tossing, pouring, smelling, cutting, and feeling foods they have fun and learn without being aware of it.

Children who cook at home indicate a "sense of accomplishment," self-confidence, and feeling of contributing to their families.

They spend time cooking instead of engaged in screen time.

Children tend to skip less healthy prepared or processed snack foods as they prepare their own food more.

Recent research indicates that nutrition knowledge may be incomplete without the experiential learning or hands-on activities associated with food preparation that involves handling food and cooking equipment.

Children learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills such as counting, weighing, measuring, tracking time; they also gain social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen.

Teaching cooking to youth is an opportunity to teach nutrition education such as planning meals and make smarter food choices.

Cooking can aid children in acceptance of responsibility. Each child has a task to complete to contribute the meal preparation and cleanup.

Cooking in schools can build positive memories that promote future healthy, enjoyable cooking elsewhere.

Children ate more fruits and vegetables after participating in culinary classes according to some research studies.

Many research studies show improved changes in cooking knowledge, food safety behaviors, and cooking self-efficacy.

Other studies indicate that teaching nutrition education with food preparation in science class is more effective than in nutrition education science classes without food preparation.

Many school faculty are beginning to embrace cooking to teach and promote healthier eating. To get started in your school, below are recommended web resources about cooking programs and curriculum occurring at public schools.

Recommended Resources
Common Threads
Cook for Kids, Wellness in the Schools

Cooking Matters, Share Our Strength

Cooking with Kids, Illinois Extension
FoodMaster Lesson Plans
Teen Cuisine, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Contributor
Mary Ann McFarland, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University South West District Extension Office
Resources

A Call for Culinary Skills Education in Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions: Current Status and Peer Influences, JAND: Vol.113:8, pages 1031-36.

Enjoyment of Tactile play in as associated with Lower Food Neophobia in Preschool Children, JAND: Vol.115:7, Pages 1134-1140.

Teacher Tips: Cooking with Kids, California Department of Education

The Impact of Cooking Classes on Food-Related Preferences, Attitudes, and Behaviors of School aged Children: a Systemic Review of the Evidence, 2003-2014, Prev. Chronic Dis 2014:11 140267.

Trend in US Home Food preparation and Consumption, Nutrition Journal, Vol. 12:45

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Cooking with Kids in Schools: Why It Is Important

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Cooking with children in schools promotes the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age. A California Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of fourth to eighth graders said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks.

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Guest post by Michelle Stern.
It's hard to fathom asking a teacher to integrate even one more activity into their already overflowing curriculum. But what if it was something that could accomplish multiple learning objectives at the same time? On the surface, cooking is something that seems to be more suited to a home kitchen - when parents have the time, space, and the inclination to do a fun activity together with their children. In reality, though, it's the perfect vehicle through which kids can practice math skills, learn new vocabulary, see science in action, and develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. By cooking in the classroom, students can learn math, language arts, science, and social studies. It's the epitome of the common core.

Math:
* Students can SEE relative quantities and can learn about "more" and "less" through the manipulation and measurement of ingredients.
* They can experiment with what approach is suitable to solve a problem.
* They can practice division or multiplication by halving or doubling a recipe.

Language Arts:
* Reading and following recipes helps students to learn about sequencing, following directions, communicating with their peers and asking relevant questions.
* Plus, cooking has a language all it's own - so little chefs can learn lots of new vocabulary in the process.

Science:
* Cooking is chemistry in action. Have you ever noticed that a raw egg is runny but then becomes solid when cooked? And what about shaking cream in a jar to make butter - how does that happen?
* Students can learn where their food comes from. Hint - it's not from a grocery store!
* Of course, they can learn about healthy eating habits that will last their entire lives.

Social Studies:
* Cooking is an excellent opportunity for students to practice following the rules and being an overall good citizen.
* It's a delicious way to explore the cultures of their peers! Sign me up!
* Learning about how food is grown is a fantastic introduction to business, economics, and the distribution of goods - in our own country and across the world.

Want to get The Kids Cook Monday started at your school? Check out our School Program!
About the author: Michelle Stern is a former high school biology teacher and also founded and ran What's Cooking with Kids, a popular certified green cooking school for children in the SF Bay Area. She is the author of The Whole Family Cookbook, and was invited to the White House to be a part of the launch of Michelle Obama's Chef's Move to Schools Program. With 16 years of combined teaching experience, Michelle is uniquely qualified to integrate cooking activities into curriculum that educators and homeschoolers are already doing. Her home on the web is whatscookingkids.net. You can also find her on Facebook and on Instagram.

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4 BIG Reasons that Students Should Cook in the Classroom - The Monday Campaigns

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Guest post by Michelle Stern. It's hard to fathom asking a teacher to integrate even one more activity into their already overflowing curriculum. But what if it was something that could accomplish multiple learning objectives at the same time?

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Economists break down why consumer prices are so high right now.

Americans across the country are seeing higher prices at the mall, grocery store and gas pump, causing new pain for their pocketbooks right as the holiday shopping season is set to commence.

Inflation has risen at its highest rate in three decades, data released by the Labor Department earlier this week indicates, as consumer prices soared by 6.2% compared to the same period last year. This is the biggest one-year jump seen in the government's consumer price index since 1990.

As inflation tightens its grip on the economy, the Federal Reserve has begun walking back previous assurances that it will be a temporary, post-pandemic blip. Economists at Goldman Sachs warned in a research note last week that inflation is "likely to get worse before it gets better," and could persist well into next year.

Many Americans now are too young to remember the pain and uncertainty inflation wreaked on the country in the 1970s, a period economists dub as "The Great Inflation," when wages and prices snowballed and the purchasing power of savings dwindled before a painful correction that led to a recession and double-digit unemployment rates in the early 1980s.

A generation later and under very different circumstances, prices are again surging at a rapid clip. While economists say policymakers now are much better-equipped to respond to inflation than the last time it struck the U.S., consumers are already feeling the pressure -- particularly those with limited means to absorb higher prices for essentials.

Here is what Americans should know about inflation, why it is so high right now and when they can expect relief.

What is inflation?

"Basically, inflation measures the rate of increase in consumer prices," Itay Goldstein, a professor of finance and economics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, told ABC News. "At the end of the day, it measures the extent to which the cost of living is higher."

The Federal Reserve, America's central banking system, defines inflation as the "increase in the prices of goods and services over time."

"Inflation cannot be measured by an increase in the cost of one product or service, or even several products or services," the Fed states. "Rather, inflation is a general increase in the overall price level of the goods and services in the economy."

Policymakers evaluate changes in inflation by monitoring several different price indexes. One of the most commonly used barometers of inflation is the Consumer Price Index, which is released by the Labor Department each month and measures the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services.

The CPI has surged by 6.2% since last October, according to DOL data. The so-called "core index," or measure for all items except the more volatile food and energy indices, rose 4.6% over the last 12 months, the DOL's data indicates. This represents the largest one-year increase since August 1991.

"Inflation means that your dollar won't stretch as far," Laura Veldkamp, a professor of finance at Columbia Business School, told ABC News. She used Christmas presents as an example, saying that if you wanted to buy a sweater as a gift last year for $100, this year, that price might be closer to $105.

If the prices of some goods and services increases and the prices of others fall, but the overall prices that consumers pay for the bundle of goods and services does not increase, then this is not referred to as inflation.

What causes inflation, and why is it so high right now?

Inflation is determined by the interaction of total demand (aggregate demand) and total supply (aggregate supply) in the economy. If total spending in the economy exceeds the total amount that the economy can produce, then production cannot increase but instead prices will rise.

"When you have a higher demand, the price tends to go up. When you have lower supply, the price also tends to go up," Goldstein told ABC News. "At the end of the day, the price is a combination of these forces."

But monetary policies also affect inflation, he said. Keeping interest rates low and injecting a lot of money into financial markets -- actions the Fed took to help buoy the economy during the health crisis -- can also be linked to the high inflation we are now seeing, according to Goldstein.

Stimulus checks boosted total demand, and at the same time the ability to supply goods and services have been restricted by the pandemic. While the impact of stimulus money on inflation is now waning, many of the other factors that created these imbalances between supply and demand are persisting, Goldstein said.

"People feel that they have money to spend, they want to spend it on things that they haven't done in the last year," Goldstein said. "You basically have limits on supply at the same time that you have an increase in demand, and that certainly pushes prices up."

Veldkamp also stressed the impact that the supply chain issues have on driving up prices. Using the Christmas sweaters metaphor again, Veldkamp added, "Let's say those Christmas sweaters are stuck on a boat somewhere, then the few sweaters that are here, lots of people want them."

"So, stores can charge more for them, because they're scarce," she explained.

Costs of doing business have also risen during the pandemic, Veldkamp noted, as companies had to spend more to make it safe to do business while COVID-19 spread.

"Lastly, workers are asking for higher wages," Veldkamp said. "Which may be perfectly justified, but it does make the cost of doing business higher. Say if a restaurant waitstaff wants a 5%, 10% raise, those restaurants are going to have to pass some of that additional cost to their customers, otherwise they won't turn a profit."

The economic phenomenon known as the "wage-price spiral" can develop when prices increase and then workers ask for higher wages -- which can then lead to further increases in the prices of goods and services, and these can lead to a further increase in wages and so on. In this manner, inflation can become a self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts. This ever-intensifying wage-price spiral characterized the U.S. economy in the '70s, ultimately resulting in double-digit inflation.

How does the rise in inflation affect consumers?

If consumers' wages increase with the rise in prices, they should be able to continue purchasing the same amounts of goods and services as usual. This will not be true for all consumers, however, meaning some may struggle to purchase what they used to.

"Your dollar doesn't go as far, so it's going to be a little bit harder to buy all the things on your list with the same amount of money," Veldkamp said. "And that sounds pretty bad, but at the same time, wages are rising, and returns rise with inflation, too."

Goldstein reiterated that the effect of inflation on consumers is that "when prices go up, people will have to pay more for whatever they want, and as a result, they can afford less."

He also mentioned the wage-price spiral to show how inflation "might get out of control."

"What could happen is everyone has to pay more, so they go back and start demanding increases in wages," he said. "And if wages start to go up, then the whole process can get additional amplification and kind of like a snowball eventually gets very tough to control -- and then it becomes very difficult to bring things back."

How does inflation impact the stock market?

Stocks are a claim on the future earnings of firms, so in principle, firms should be able to raise their prices in line with inflation so their earnings should not decrease.

Historically, however, inflation has been linked to negative impacts in the stock market. One reason for this is that inflation restricts the ability of the Federal Reserve to take action. After stricter policies defeated the spiraling inflation in the U.S. in the early 1980s, the Fed has been able to ease monetary policy following stock market crashes and adverse events such as the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. When inflation is increasing, however, then the Fed no longer has as much freedom to implement expansionary monetary policy, and when the Fed contracts its expansionary policies, this can decrease stock prices.

Inflation is also often accompanied by uncertainty, which can be bad for the stock market. Investors do not know how long it will last and do not know what to expect from monetary policy, meaning they might be less likely to invest in it.

In the near-term, investors will likely see higher returns on stocks in times of inflation, Veldkamp said, driven by prices increasing.

Goldstein warns, however, that, once inflation starts rising, the Fed will have "no choice but to increase rates abruptly."

"And when this happens, this will tend to have a negative effect on the stock market," he said.

What can the government do to reduce inflation?

The Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates and ease the pandemic-era expansionary monetary policies that injected liquidity into financial markets, according to Goldstein, though he added that this is a "tough balance" as the economy still teeters toward a recovery.

"On the one hand, you want to provide stimulus to the economy and to markets to get over the crisis," he said of the Fed. "But on the other hand, you don't want to overdo it, so that things don't overheat and cause inflation."

Echoing Goldstein's sentiments, Veldkamp told ABC News, "We're probably going to see some interest rate rises."

"So, if somebody hasn't already refinanced their mortgage, now would be the time to do that," she added. "We will probably see the Federal Reserve boost interest rates, because that's their primary tool to constrain inflation, and what that does is it encourages people to save their money."

But Goldstein warns that "the government cannot do a whole lot" when it comes to inflation.

Policies that have been tried in the past around the world, such as instituting price caps, can quickly backfire, Goldstein said, because they can bring about a whole new set of issues when the government intervenes like that in the economy.

In the short-term, anything the Biden administration -- which operates independently of the Fed -- can do to help ease the supply-chain bottlenecks will also help with keeping prices of goods down.

Veldkamp said that less government spending is the "traditional remedy to bring down inflation," though adds that is not what we're seeing happening at the moment with Biden's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

This bill can help reduce inflationary pressures, however, "if that infrastructure helps to reduce the cost of doing business," Veldkamp added.

"If fixing the potholes means that fewer delivery trucks are blowing out tires and things get to where they need to go on time -- things run more smoothly," she added. "If they can reduce the cost of doing business, they can bring down inflation."

How can people protect themselves from the impacts of inflation?

"When you are dealing with inflation, you have to think about how you protect your investments," Goldstein said. Just keeping money in your bank account could hurt, he said, "because you're not getting compensated for the inflation."

Some people choose to invest in the stock market, but as Goldstein mentioned, the stock market can be a bit of a mixed bag "because there could be overall macroeconomic implications that will push the stock market as a whole down."

Veldkamp said her advice for Americans is: "Don't leave your money in cash."

"The value of cash is going to get eroded," she said. "You want to look for, at the very least, a savings account that offers some interest. You might want to ask about money market mutual funds, those are financial products that are usually really safe, but give you a little bit more interest."

"Things are getting more expensive, but if you protect the money that you have by putting it in interest-bearing accounts, you should do just fine, because your money will grow even faster than the price level is growing," Veldkamp added.

"On the flip side, anybody who's got a mortgage should be loving inflation," Veldkamp said "If you owe somebody something, then inflation is eating away at the value of that debt, it should get easier and easier to pay back that loan."

Will the inflation we're seeing now be temporary?

In short, only time will tell.

In past months, policymakers including Fed Chair Jerome Powell have stressed that the inflationary pressures are expected to be "transitory" in the wake of the pandemic.

In a press conference earlier this month, however, Powell said that "supply constraints have been larger and longer lasting than anticipated."

Powell said that "the drivers of higher inflation have been predominantly connected to the dislocations caused by the pandemic, specifically the effects on supply and demand from the shutdown, the uneven reopening and the ongoing effects of the virus itself" and stressed that the Fed's tools "cannot ease supply constraints."

Still, Powell said that he believes "our dynamic economy will adjust to the supply and demand imbalances, and that as it does, inflation will decline."

"Of course, it is very difficult to predict the persistence of supply constraints or their effects on inflation," Powell said. "Global supply chains are complex; they will return to normal function, but the timing of that is highly uncertain."

Goldman Sachs economists, in their research note warning inflation will get worse before it gets better, said their core view remains that the underlying supply-demand imbalances will work themselves out as Powell has said.

"But it is now clear that this process will take longer than initially expected, and the inflation overshoot will likely get worse before it gets better," the researchers warned.

The Goldman Sachs team said they expect the process of supply chain disruptions easing, inventories being rebuilt and the lingering impacts of pandemic-era fiscal boosts fading to "start by the second half of next year and to extend into 2023."

Veldkamp told ABC News that she is only "modestly" concerned about inflation spiraling out of control like what was seen in the 70s.

"I do think it's a possibility, I'm watching out for it," she said. "At the same time, I think our central bankers know a lot more about how to contain inflation than they did in the 1970s. Economics has evolved a lot since then, and so I have confidence in the professionals running our monetary system, that they're going to work hard to promote that."

Goldstein echoed Veldkamp's sentiments, saying that he doesn't think the "nightmare scenario" of what happened in the '70s is a likely outcome at this point.

"A lot has been learned from the past and how to deal with those situations," he said. "And I think the Fed is ready to act, and if they see it is getting to that point, they can very quickly raise rates, and I think that will likely help."

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What Americans should know about inflation as it hits a 30-year high

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Economists break down why consumer prices are so high right now. Americans across the country are seeing higher prices at the mall, grocery store and gas pump, causing new pain for their pocketbooks right as the holiday shopping season is set to commence.

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President Biden Joe Biden Biden expected to call for nixing normal trade relations with Russia Senate averts shutdown, passes .6B in Ukraine aid GOP senators urge Biden to expedite transfer of airpower, air defense systems to Ukraine MORE on Wednesday argued that a key action to combatting rising inflation in the U.S. is making more goods in America.

"We have a choice. One way to fight inflation is drive down wages and make Americans poor. I have a better way to fight inflation: lower your costs, not your wages," Biden said in remarks at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

The visit to Minnesota and Wisconsin comes a day after he delivered the State of the Union address, which focused largely on tackling rising prices, an issue that has taken a toll on Biden's approval ratings and puts Democrats at risk of losing their congressional majorities in the midterm elections.

"We're going to make more cars and semiconductors in America, more infrastructure innovation in America, more goods moving faster and cheaper in America, more jobs that you can earn a living, a good living by here in America. Instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let's make it in America again," he added.

The president mentioned his "Buy American" initiative and companies that are building factories in the U.S., like Intel, which invested $20 billion to build chip factories in Ohio.

"I am truly more optimistic about America today than I've ever been, and I really mean it. We're on a path to win the economic competition of the 21 st century that we face with the rest of the world," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Biden and first lady Jill Biden Jill Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent - Biden, Congress take aim at Russian oil Jill Biden issues message of support for Ukrainian women, Russian protesters The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Emergent - US weighs Russia oil ban. Will Europe follow? MORE visited the John Blatnik Memorial Bridge in Duluth, which connects Minnesota and Wisconsin, and spoke to ironworkers and members of Congress.

In his remarks, Biden said that the bridge is 61 years old and "the corrosion over the years has lowered the weight it can sustain and safely handle."

He compared it to the bridge in Pittsburgh that collapsed in January, just hours before he was set to visit the city to discuss the infrastructure law.

"For the same reasons, this bridge is in trouble," he said.

He said that 979 bridges in Wisconsin and 661 bridges in Minnesota are in poor condition, and nearly 7,000 miles of highway between the two states need repair.

The bipartisan infrastructure law, which the president signed in November, funds $400 billion total in bridge repairs and $12.5 billion to fix the most economically significant bridges, like the Blatnik Bridge.

"I sure don't want you to miss any of the Vikings and Packers game. Oh man, you guys talk to one another? We don't much in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but that's another story," Biden quipped.

Over the next five years, the infrastructure law is expected to provide Minnesota and Wisconsin with $5.4 billion each in funding for highway and bridge repairs.

"Now after years of talking about infrastructure, we're finally getting it done. Finally," Biden said.

"By the way, instead of infrastructure week, we're going to have an infrastructure decade. Decade," he added, repeating a line from his State of the Union address.

Biden began his remarks in Wisconsin talking about the "premeditated and unprovoked" Russian invasion into Ukraine and the coordinated response from the U.S. and allies against Russian President Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Hogan, Maryland legislative leaders agree to halt state gas tax for 30 days Overnight Defense & National Security - Senators grill Biden officials on Ukraine Biden warns Democrats it will be a 'sad two years' if Republicans take control of Congress MORE .

"He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond, he thought they could divide us at home, but he was wrong. We were ready," he said. "Now the free world is holding him accountable."

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Biden argues key to fighting inflation is buying American

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President Biden Joe Biden Biden expected to call for nixing normal trade relations with Russia Senate averts shutdown, passes .6B in Ukraine aid GOP senators urge Biden to expedite transfer of airpower, air defense systems to Ukraine MORE on Wednesday argued that a key action to combatting rising inflation in the U.S.

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Every day, (Good) P.E. teachers evaluate effort, and grade students on participation. Let's examine just how difficult that is to do well.

[Side note: regarding my use of (Good). Earlier today I was thinking about how tough it must be to be a police officer right now. This led me to wonder what the perception of teachers, or any profession, would be if the bottom 1% of the profession were filmed doing their job badly and those clips went viral. This led me back to my original thought - cops (and P.E. teachers) need better PR.]

Where is the line between acceptable effort, and unacceptable? It would have to vary from student to student, right? You're evaluating effort on a scale, and that scale depends on a bevy of variables. You cannot grade based on natural ability, that would be the equivalent on grading academics based on current IQ (whatever that means *eye roll*). You can't make a "test" that everyone has to pass at a certain rate. When it comes to effort, not only is it tough to come up with a percentage via observation, but the percentage you're looking for differs greatly - there is no predetermined universal rate. When it comes to grading, classroom teachers have it easy.

All the P.E. teachers at my school grade on effort. There are occasional quizzes, too, but the grade is participation-grounded. Students are given a certain allotment of points per day, and they can only lose them. Losing points affects your grade real quick. As far as I know, the grading philosophy of every P.E. teacher at our school can be traced back to our first-ever Grammar School P.E. teacher. She had a Masters in Physical Education, and is a bit of a legend (RIP Cami).

Here's a snippet of my first-ever interaction with her, paraphrased:

Her: ...and then I got my Masters in P.E.

Me (before a single day of being a P.E. teacher): Wait, you can't get a Masters in P.E., can you?

Her: I have a Masters in Physical Education.

I still wince, thinking about it. I knew nothing.

Anyway, the system I stole from her is CPR. Cooperation, Participation, Respect. Three points per day. It allows a lot of flexibility for the teacher, which is good and bad. Good, because the teacher has a lot of control over grades. Bad, because the teacher has a lot of control over grades.

Okay, imagine this. Students are running the mile in P.E. This is a required class and a mandatory activity. How slow is too slow? At what point do you call someone out for dogging it, and dock their grade?

Just so we're clear, you have to draw the line somewhere. You can't just "punt" on making a decision. If you don't hold students accountable, eventually someone is going to just stay there at the starting line until class ends. And if they get away with it, then more students will move that direction or adopt that strategy. If you understand that is the inevitable outcome of an incentive structure flawed in that particular way, you address the potential flaw before it becomes a perverse incentive.

Once you realize you have to draw a line, the next step is to realize the line is in different places for different students. To do your job well, you have to know where the line is for every student in your class, for every activity.

One thing I consistently tell students in my mandatory P.E. classes is this: I'm looking for you to prove your brain is in control of your body. Prove it to me. Once you prove it, my standards change.

Example: if you're on the cross country team and run several miles a day at practice, I'm not going to expect you to push for a PR in the mile every other week in P.E. In fact, the best thing for you might be to run the P.E. mile at a recovery pace. Compare that to someone who is terrified of the mile and has never managed to complete it without walking. If I'm doing my job, I'm going to find ways to motivate that student to keep getting better/faster, and, more importantly, not be afraid of physical discomfort. If you're running one mile two times per month, I want you to beat or approach your PR every time.

Seriously, I'm up front about this. "This is not the Olympics. I'm not expecting you to collapse and/or throw up after you finish the mile every week. I am expecting you to give a reasonable effort." The definition of "reasonable effort" varies from situation to situation, and every week I do have students who give their all and collapse after finishing. My students also have a notebook where they record various repeatable physical tests, the best use of it being our weekly "distance day". I mix in different things, including sprints and fartleks, but the two we lean on are the mile and the "progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run" ( PACER) test. My hope is if 1) their teacher is highly invested in their numbers and improvement, and 2) they are recording it themselves, then they will start to pay attention and care about those things themselves.

Let's take that same varying standard to injuries. Imagine a student who loves P.E. and competes hard day after day. That student comes up to you one day and says "Coach, I rolled my ankle at home yesterday, can I sit out today?" Sure.

Compare that to a student who openly hates P.E. and does everything they can to avoid participating. That student comes up to you one day and says "Coach, I rolled my ankle at home yesterday, can I sit out today?" Hmm...

To be consistent, the teacher needs to ask for a parent and/or doctor's note in both of the above situations. But, most of the time, you know - the note is just a technicality.

This is the jumping off point from my previous post / critique of #BelieveAllWomen. If someone is benefiting by faking/lying, the worst response is to let them take advantage of the system, over and over. And when I say "worst", I literally mean it tears apart the fabric of society. The obvious solution is in this case is bringing in a third-party. The first tier is a parent, but I've certainly had cases where the student and parent are conspiring against participating in P.E., and if that's what you suspect is happening, you should certainly get a medical expert involved.

If P.E. teachers took a #BelieveAllInjuries approach, a significant percentage of their class would never participate. Maybe it's a quarter of the class or less, depending on the group, but it's definitely a large chunk. A certain percentage love P.E., a big middle percentage are neither enthused nor disenchanted and could go either way depending on the teacher and environment, and a certain percentage come into the class determined to do the absolute minimum (#resist).

[Side note: At the start of this year I had a brief conversation with our other P.E. teachers about the best approach to having a "distance day" every week. Should the day be predictable or unpredictable? My approach is predictable. Cons: students can plan their injuries (and doctor's appointments) in advance. Pros: you can coach the class into having a healthy mental approach (/resignation), and the inevitability makes it impersonal. If it's unpredictable, the class's first reaction is going to be to attempt to convince you to pick any other day, and once that fails, a negative mood, then effort, will prevail.]

Grading participation is tough when you are evaluating individuals doing individual tasks. When it comes to team competitions, it's even more difficult. It's nearly impossible to force students to play team sports when they don't want to. For example, when we play dodgeball, I almost always provide an alternative. (Same thing when we go outside in *extreme* temperatures. It's just a good idea to make those sorts of things voluntary. #separateblogpost) But think about it. If the coach is splitting up teams, it's pretty important to know what level of effort the individuals will be competing at. Playing to win the game is sacred, and if anyone on either side is not playing to win, the competition is undermined. For this reason, I have developed the following policy: if you don't want to compete, tell me before I split up teams. You can walk laps around the field/gym instead, and you won't lose any points. If you don't compete with adequate effort during the game, I'm going to kick you out of the game to walk laps, and in that case you do lose a point (at least). On top of those options, when we do play games, there are at least two options, one in the gym and one on the field. This entire system changes in the fourth quarter, when I have students assigned to permanent teams (#separateblogpost).

When I kick students out of team competitions for lack of effort, they are often incredulous, and for good reason. By doing so, I am claiming to 1) know their intentions and 2) understand their potential. It's borderline crazy to assert you have a grasp on either of those things, but I do. And that's the beautiful thing about my current situation. I have spent my life competing and watching other people compete. I spend most of my everyday life working with these students. I do understand effort and potential, and I do understand my students. Do I get it right every time? No. Is it an effective way to encourage their level of effort to stay well above the grey area? Yes.

Something is "Good" if it fulfills its purpose. A "Good" P.E. teacher is one who teaches students to give their best effort, to be a "sweaty try-hard". The rest is just details. Grade participation.

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Every day, (Good) P.E. teachers evaluate effort, and grade students on participation. Let's examine just how difficult that is to do well. [Side note: regarding my use of (Good). Earlier today I was thinking about how tough it must be to be a police officer right now.

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Early childhood education is a term that refers to the period of time from a child's birth to when they enter kindergarten, according to Dr. Jessica Alvarado, academic program director for the BA in Early Childhood Development at National University. According to Alvarado, it is an important time in children's lives because it is when they first learn how to interact with others, including peers, teachers and parents, and also begin to develop interests that will stay with them throughout their lives.

But Alvarado says it's a common misperception that early childhood education is only about learning basic skills. "It's so much more than that," she says. "It's a time when children learn critical social and emotional skills and a partnership is formed between the child, their parents and the teacher. When this is done successfully, it lays the groundwork for it to continue throughout the child's education."

Nations around that world are becoming aware of the importance of early childhood education as well. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is an international governing body whose mission is "to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education." Here's what the organization says about the importance of early childhood education:
"Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. ECCE has the possibility to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens."
What Specific Outcomes Does Early Childhood Education Have on a Child's Future?

The outcomes vary, as Alvarado explains, but all have been positive. "Studies have looked at everything from the broad social benefits of early childhood education, to something as specific as STEM learning outcomes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and how introducing children to these topics early on can have a lasting impact," she says.

She also stresses the importance of encouraging early childhood educators to really get to know their students and each of their specific interests. "When [teachers] do that, that relationship can really influence the students day to day and build trust - and studies have shown that when children are comfortable and trust the people around them, they learn more quickly and successfully," she says.

Parental involvement is also a big component of this relationship-building process, and Alvarado says its important for teachers at this level to work closely with the families."When the partnership between teachers and the family is successful, we see that echoing positively throughout the child's life," she explains.

What Is It Like to Work in Early Childhood Education?

According to Alvarado, someone who enjoys working with children and wants to make a lasting impact on their lives will probably be happy with a career in early childhood education. "Helping children to learn and grow is a big part of it, but this field also provides lots of opportunities to grow yourself - not just in your knowledge but overall in your social emotional growth as well. It can help you develop leadership skills and to become a reflective practitioner."

If you're interested in pursuing a career in early childhood education, the first step is to earn a bachelor's degree. In addition to what's required in your degree program, there may be state or country-specific coursework. Depending upon where you'd like to work, whether in the U.S. or abroad, you should contact the state Department of Education or the country's Ministry of Education to learn about any location-specific course or licensure requirements.

What Are Some of the Biggest Challenges People Working in Early Childhood Education Face?

Alvarado says that one of the biggest challenges educators face is finding the right balance between working one-on-one with children and managing the larger group as a whole. "For example, if you're working in a classroom, you could be really focused on learning what a child's specific interests and needs are - meanwhile you've got lots of other children who also need your attention."

Figuring out how to apply and implement classroom standards can also be an issue for new teachers. "I went a little crazy with making charts in my first year," she says, "But the longer I was in the field, the more I was able to take a deep breath and realize that I didn't need to be so hard on myself."

She recommends that teachers not beat themselves up if they make a mistake. "Don't try to be perfect," she says. "It's more important that you just keep going."

How Can Teachers Maximize Learning Outcomes for Children at This Age?

In order to get the best outcomes in early childhood education, Alvarado strongly suggests working students' natural curiosities into lesson plans. "Yes, we want to look at standards," she says. "Yes, there are boxes we need to check, but a huge part of what we do with young children is looking at their interests and using those interests to better engage them in learning."

Alvarado explains that teachers can take the topics or subject areas that fascinate individual students and expand on it through in-class or at-home activities.Targeting these areas can help students develop critical thinking skills, allowing them to give more complex answers than "yes" or "no." To illustrate this technique, Alvarado describes a student who showed a passion for insects. At first, she says she was caught off guard and didn't know what to do, but then she realized she could use this interest in bugs to engage the child in a number of other subjects besides science. "There could be math in there, language arts - it was really about using the child's specific interest to open new doors for them."

Why Should Students Pursue a Career in Early Childhood Education?

Early childhood education is a wide and varied career path. If you enjoy working with children and are willing to put in the work necessary to earn your degree, Alvarado believes you will find it rewarding.

It is also a growing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for individuals working in early childhood education is strong, with employment of preschool teachers expected to grow 10 percent over the next eight years.. In 2017, the median annual salary for preschool teachers was $28,990,with the highest 10% of earners making more than $54,000. The median in California is $36,760. (According to BLS statistics, "median" salary is the midpoint between half of workers who earn more than that amount and half of workers who earn less.)

But a preschool classroom isn't the only place you can go with your degree. Alvarado started her career in a children's shelter near San Diego. "It was a 24-hour facility," she recalls. "The children lived there and went to school on site. Sometimes the site served as a transition between families and foster care."

Alvarado adds that in addition to finding positions at schools, some of her past students have joined the teams at education-related non-profits - and fell in love with the work they do there.

According to the BLS, the top employers of preschool teachers are:

State, local, and private schools.

Individual and family services.

Religious, grantmaking, professional and similar organizations.

Child day care services.

Other career options are available with additional education in early childhood education.

"[I]f you go on to get your master's, you can work as an assistant director of an early education program or teach at a community college," Alvarado says.

According to the United States Department of Education, graduates of early childhood education programs can be qualified for a variety of positions beyond teaching preschool, including:

Family service staff.

Early learning and development programs.

Infant and toddler specialists.

Early intervention specialists.

Early childhood special educators.

Home visitors and related service providers.

Administrators.

Head Start and Early Head Start teachers.

Before joining the full-time faculty at National, Alvarado served as an adjunct professor for eight years. What struck her most about the program during her early years at the university was its focus on the students and the commitment level of faculty members.

"My program director called me all the time to check in on how my classes were going," she says. "He would say things like, 'We're thinking of changing something for this class you're teaching, what do you think?' He always wanted my input no matter how small of a matter it was."

National's BAECE program is aligned with national standards so students can be certain they will graduate with the right set of skills to enter the workplace. You'll learn from education professionals with first-hand teaching experience, including full-time and adjunct faculty members who are either still teaching in early childhood education or have taught in the field in the past.

"We are eager to share our own experiences with our students. Even in the online classes I'll bring up examples of what went really well and what didn't in a classroom setting," Alvarado says.

Another component of National's BAECE program that is popular with students is field experience. National students complete approximately five hours of field experience for each class they take. Alvarado explains the field experience learning component is always tied to a specific assignment in class. For example, if an in-class topic is learning how to create lesson plans, a student could then go into an actual classroom to put that concept into practice.

"Students love the field experience," she says. "It can be a little intimidating at first but afterwards my students always thank me because they see immediately where they are strong and where they need to put in work."

Alvarado also takes pride in National's online learning format. "It's never just read and write," she says. "There are videos, activities, and discussion boards. My students are never just thinking about what a book says about a topic; we're always challenging them to think about what it would be like to put it into practice."

What Are Some of the Most Important Classes in National's BAECE?

Alvarado cites two examples of classes that, while different from one another, have been critical in giving her students the skills and confidence they need to succeed as early childhood educators.

In Early Cognition , one of the first courses in the program, students learn about the nature and tasks of early cognition including social, cultural, and biological foundations. They also learn how to collaborate with families and staff in supporting active learning environments. Students look at current research implications in brain development and cognition and how they can affect classroom instruction. Students also learn how to use that research to assess a student's progress.

Play as Pedagogy is a case study class that focuses on play as the primary learning modality for young children. The course reinforces how impactful it can be for teachers to observe children at play. Each week students learn how to design lesson plans on an aspect of play, as well as learn how to explain play as a teaching tool and how to extend it through art, music, and dance.

"It's a fun course and it's important to talk about 'play' in general when it comes to early childhood education and to look at 'play' as education," Alvarado says.

In addition to its BAECE, National also offers a Early Childhood Education which teaches students how to evaluate early childhood teaching practices and policies and examine their impact on children, family, schools, and the community. The master's degree opens up additional career possibilities such as teaching at the college level or directing an early childhood education center or program.

What Role Does Licensure Play in Your Career as an Early Childhood Educator?

As in most teaching careers, additional credentials beyond a related degree are often needed to be employed at a specific type of school or in a specific city, state, or country.

For example, in California, those seeking to become early childhood educators are required to apply for a permit from the state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Permits come in a variety of levels based on job responsibilities (such as if you'll be supervising others), and, thus, requirements vary for each.

What Does it Mean When a Class is Offered in a Precision Learning Format?

In order to make sure students get the most out of their classes, some (including the aforementioned '"play" course) are offered in a "precision learning format." Precision learning is a personalized way of instructing that allows students to get any support they need early on. Alvarado, who was one of the founders of this learning format, believes this format is critical to a student's success in the class; they'll understand how they learn and then can strategize their studying accordingly.

"In a precision learning format, students are given opportunities for learning in a more personalized way," she explains. "We set it up so they get the help they need, when they need it, and can thrive as a result."

According to Alvarado, the answer to "why is early childhood education important" lies in the fact these are critical development years. During this time, valuable relationships are formed in children's lives, and partnerships developed between teachers, peers, and parents.

If you are interested in taking the first step toward a rewarding and in-demand career, please visit the program page for National University's Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education available on campus and online to learn more. You can also get additional information and speak to an advisor by filling out the Request for Information form on the same page.

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Why Is Early Childhood Education Important? - National University

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Early childhood education is a term that refers to the period of time from a child's birth to when they enter kindergarten, according to Dr. Jessica Alvarado, academic program director for the BA in Early Childhood Development at National University.

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Dr. Jennifer Coates graduated with honors from the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and has practiced in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado in the years since....

Adopting a dog is exciting-especially if you're a first-time pup parent. However, there's also a learning curve. Here, you'll find a convenient list of need-to-know information, from the importance of wellness visits to the benefits of training to expectations as your new pet settles in.

Finding the Right Dog

Dogs come in all different sizes, ages, breeds and personalities, and it's very important to find one who will be a good fit for you, your family and your lifestyle. These considerations can also have a big effect on the time commitments and costs associated with your new dog. Consider the following:

Do you want to take your dog to the groomer every six to eight weeks? If not (and if shedding isn't a deal breaker), you might want to look at dogs with short hair.

Can you afford to feed a 120-pound (or more!) Newfoundland?

Do you dream of your young kids taking walks with their new pet? Perhaps an older, more sedate dog is a better option than a rambunctious puppy.

Once you know the type of dog you're looking for, it's time to look for the right individual. Local shelters and breed rescues are great resources for adopting a dog. If you have your heart set on adopting a puppy of a particular breed, you may have to go through a breeder, but make sure to choose a responsible breeder.

Preparing Your Home

Before you bring your new dog home, you'll need to prepare your space. Purchase all your supplies including a crate, gates, beds, bowls, a collar and leash, identification tags, food, treats, toys, and grooming and cleaning supplies.

Next, dog-proof your home. Remove dangerous chemicals, foods, medications and other potentially hazardous objects from areas that your dog could access. Tuck electrical cords out of the way behind furniture or under rugs.

Healthy Eating

Find out what your new dog is eating where he currently lives, and ask if you can bring some food home or purchase the same type to have on hand when he arrives. With all the changes going on in his life, an abrupt change in diet is the last thing your new dog needs.

When you and your dog are ready, you can then gradually transition to your dog food of choice. The best options are age-appropriate, made from high quality ingredients, and provide complete and balanced nutrition for dogs. Feed two measured meals a day (three or more for young puppies) and adjust the amount you offer to maintain a lean body condition.

Selecting a Veterinarian

Any newly adopted dog should see a veterinarian within a few days of arriving home. The doctor will review any medical records that came with your dog to determine whether vaccinations or other preventive care is due. A physical exam may also reveal health problems that you need to address.

Find a veterinarian who is not only a skilled practitioner, but also a good match for both you and your dog. Wellness visits need to occur at least annually (more frequently for puppies and older dogs), and you want to be working with someone you trust, especially if your dog develops an illness or is injured.

First Impressions Matter

Before the big day arrives, figure out how you are going to introduce your new dog to other pets and family members in your home. Try not to overwhelm the newcomer. Keep initial interactions short and positive but relatively low-key. Make sure your dog has a special area, like their crate or a secluded room, to which they can escape for a break. Consider limiting your dog's access to just one part of your home-use gates to close off doorways-and then gradually give him more freedom as he settles in.

Budgeting and Insurance

Caring for a dog can be costly. The ASPCA estimates that the annual cost of owning a dog typically ranges from $737 to $1040, with first year expenses falling between $1471 and $2008. Pet insurance can help with unanticipated veterinary expenses, but it's still a good idea to set some money aside that is dedicated to pet care.

Socialization Is Key

Well-adjusted dogs are comfortable in a wide variety of environments and interacting with all different sorts of people and animals. They act as if they've seen it all before, and that's because they have! Dogs need to be socialized, particularly during an important period that usually falls between 8-12 weeks of age. Positive experiences at home, in puppy classes, with friends and in parks are vital to avoiding fearful reactions in the future.

Training Basics

Dog training that includes how to walk on a leash and basic cues such as "sit," "stay," "come" and "drop" it will help keep your dog safe and prevent conflicts. All training, whether done by you in your home or with the help of a professional, should use only positive reinforcement, like praise and treats to encourage the behavior you want.

Potty training dogs presents some additional challenges, but using your dog's crate and his natural inhibition against soiling his "den" can help. Whenever you can't monitor your dog's actions during the potty training process, keep him in his crate. After a couple of hours, he'll probably have to "go," so take him straight outside and then praise him wildly when he does. By limiting the chances for accidents and always being there to praise good behavior, you will help your dog quickly learn where to relieve himself.

Mental and Physical Exercise

Dogs need both mental and physical exercise to be happy and healthy. Play with your dog and go for walks at least daily. Provide opportunities for supervised chewing on appropriate items. When you have to be gone for a period of time, a food puzzle or visit from a dog walker can help ease boredom.

Travel

As much as you love your new dog, there will come a time when you need to be apart due to work or travel. Sometimes these occasions come up with little warning. Make plans with friends or family, develop a relationship with a pet sitter and keep your dog up to date on the preventive care required for a stay at a boarding or doggy day care facility. This way, you'll be able to make appropriate arrangements quickly.

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10 Things Every New Dog Owner Should Know | PetCoach

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Dr. Jennifer Coates graduated with honors from the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and has practiced in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado in the years since.... Adopting a dog is exciting-especially if you're a first-time pup parent. However, there's also a learning curve.

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Going to college is a big decision-and it has become more accessible than ever before. Whether you're attending a university for the first time or returning to finish your degree, you have the opportunity to choose online vs. in-person classes.

Extended closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced most institutions to migrate to online learning in 2020. Though campuses have reopened, many students are opting to continue their studies online. According to the BestColleges 2022 Online Education Trends Report, 60 percent of remote learners are choosing to enroll in online courses regardless of whether their campuses maintain normal operations.

Upon reviewing the advantages of online education, it's easy to see why. Universities like Concordia University Texas (CTX) give you the ability to earn a high-quality degree completely online, without sacrificing the student support services you've come to expect from in-person learning.

Still, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons of online learning for yourself to determine if it's the best decision for you. Keep reading to learn about some important considerations.

The Pros of Online Learning

When you partner with a university that is well-versed in serving online students, you'll have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally in a format that works in tandem with the responsibilities of your busy life. Consider the following benefits to online learning:

1. Flexibility

Online programs like the ones at CTX are designed to allow busy students to continue their education without interrupting personal commitments outside of school. Accessible from almost anywhere, as long as you have internet access and can commit to meeting weekly deadlines, you'll be able to complete your assignments in the morning, at night, or any time between.

2. Balance

The flexibility that online learning provides is key if you're balancing multiple responsibilities at once. Today's students don't necessarily have the ability to drop everything when pursuing their degree. The freedom to complete your school schedule around the other priorities in your life can help you maintain much-needed balance as you tend to family and work needs in addition to advancing your education.

3. No Commute

The fuller your plate gets, the more you find yourself doing the mental gymnastics required to ensure you make it to each appointment, meeting, class, sporting event, or recital on time. Factoring in the commute needed to get from place to place only adds to the endless cycle of "busyness." One of the major advantages of online learning is that it eliminates the need to commute to campus. With the time you save, you can finish your coursework sooner and allocate more time toward the other priorities in your life.

4. Strong Time-Management Skills

One primary difference of online vs. in person classes is that online students are responsible for managing their time. You may be provided with a list of due dates for assignments, asynchronous class discussions, quizzes, and exams. It will be up to you to ensure you keep up with the course load and hit those deadlines.

As an online student, you'll need to develop a study routine that's right for you. This will help provide you with a strong sense of independence and initiative, while developing and refining your time management skills-all of which can be directly applied to your career, improving your efficiency and productivity at work.

5. Options for every Learning Style

People learn differently. Some are visual learners, while others are avid note-takers. There are also individuals who need to hear the material to absorb it. And for many, some combination of all three is needed to retain the material. One of the undeniable advantages of online learning is that it enables you to employ the learning methods that work best for you.

At CTX, for example, students have the option to download online course content into a variety of file formats, such as ePub (e-book file format), electronic braille, audio, BeeLine Reader (which adds color gradient to text to help you read more efficiently), and translated versions. Online learners have the unique benefit of tailoring their experience to fit their needs.

6. Immediate Accessibility

Another pro of online learning is the immediate accessibility students have to their faculty, peers, and class documents. While those taking on-campus classes are typically regulated to specific class times and office hours, online students at CTX can instantly reach out to their professors with questions, connect with their peers on a project, and view all of their class documents online.

Each of our online classes has a Microsoft Teams channel where students can message faculty and classmates, share files for group work, and schedule meetings.

7. Increased Affordability

Typically, online programs have lower tuition costs than in-person programs. This is due to a number of different factors. For starters, because you don't have to pay for transportation (e.g., gas, public transportation, etc.), meal plans, and other costs often associated with in-person learning, you're likely to experience fewer out-of-pocket costs.

Some institutions offer a lower price-per-credit for online courses, as well. For example, the tuition per credit hour for online undergraduate students at CTX is about half the cost for in-person undergraduate students.

8. Access to Academic Support Resources

One element that often keeps people from enrolling in online programs is the preconceived notion that you'll be largely left to fend for yourself as an online student. This couldn't be further from the truth for online students at CTX.

It's important to seek out an institution that offers the same quality of comprehensive student support services to online learners as it does to those attending courses onsite. At CTX, online students have access to the same robust suite of supportive resources. Some examples include tutoring opportunities, counseling services, technology help, assistance with financial aid, and accommodations for students with disabilities, such as extra time to take tests.

The Cons of Online Learning

While the benefits are clearly numerous, it's helpful to keep in mind that there are both pros and cons of online learning, depending on what you're looking for in your education. In examining some of the potential drawbacks, consider how the online programs at Concordia University Texas address them.

1. Less In-Person Interaction

When learning online, you can see your professors face-to-face virtually, but you don't typically interact with them in person. Some wonder if this could act as a barrier to high-quality, interactive education.
The CTX solution:
Our online classes do not require students to sacrifice that important element of person-to-person interaction. Because everyone in an online class is required to participate, the discussions actually become much more engaging. The online environment provides a format for everyone to contribute, from the most introverted to the most extroverted students.

Many find this to be a distinct advantage, as it allows them to sort through their thoughts before engaging in the group discussion. "Online discussions provide 'wait times' for everyone to reflect and think of questions, which creates amazing dialogue," says Dr. Alex Herron, the associate vice president of digital operations at CTX.

2. You're Limited to Certain Majors

Not every major is eligible for online learning, so the degrees you can choose from are limited. Some programs, especially the disciplines that require hands-on experience, simply cannot be translated into an online format.

For example, the Music major at CTX requires in-person classes. Students need one-on-one interaction with their professors to receive immediate feedback and help with playing an instrument or mastering a solo.
The CTX solution:
While not all programs can be offered online, the University does offer online degrees in a wide range of disciplines. Additionally, CTX offers all its graduate programs online-although in some cases, a brief on-campus residency may be required.

3. Increased Autonomy

Classes on campus require students to meet in person multiple times per week and finish coursework within specific deadlines. These factors work together to create a daily routine for students. While online learning also has regular deadlines, students aren't held to the same regimented course schedule that requires them to meet at a specific time each day.

As highlighted above, this flexibility affords some undeniable perks. But it's also true that with more freedom comes more responsibility. Online students must develop a personal routine to ensure they complete coursework on time while balancing their other priorities.
The CTX solution:
The professors in CTX online programs make themselves easily accessible and encourage students to attend optional virtual meetings. Regular check-ins of this nature help faculty gain a clearer understanding of whether their students might be struggling. "I always tell my students, 'I don't know how you are doing unless you tell me,'" Dr. Herron explains.

4. Technological Requirements

Success as an online student is dependent on access to a computer and reliable internet. Some students find they have to spend more money on devices, like a faster computer or one with more memory. And since everything you do for online classes is on the computer, you'll likely encounter more technological issues that may be difficult to overcome from afar (e.g., connection problems, server errors, etc.).
The CTX solution:
To minimize technological obstacles, all of our online courses are web-based. This means all you'll need is access to an internet browser, eliminating any requirement to download various programs and/or applications to your computer.

The University also gives online students access to the entire Microsoft Office 365 Suite (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams) so that you don't have to purchase the programs independently. Finally, for any issues that do arise, the Personal Support Center is available 24/7 via phone, chat, or email to help students with technological issues.

5. You Might Experience Distractions

Physical classrooms help to minimize distractions and allow professors to see if you're paying attention. When you take online classes, you're responsible for finding a workspace that provides an environment where you can learn effectively and without unnecessary interruption.
The CTX solution:
Online students who live locally are always welcome to come to campus. Set on 440 beautiful acres in Northwest Austin, there are plenty of quiet places to study, such as the CTX Library, outdoor areas, or empty classrooms.

If you do find it difficult to concentrate, make sure to let your online professors know. The more they know, the better they can support you.

6. Fewer Networking Opportunities

Students taking virtual classes have plenty of chances to connect with their peers through discussion boards and other online tools. But one of the obvious cons of online learning is that it doesn't provide as many opportunities to network with the entire campus community.
The CTX solution:
Our Career Services Center, regularly posts events on Blackboard (the University's online learning platform), allowing online students to see and sign up for both in-person and online networking events.

Experience the best of online learning at Concordia University Texas

While there are both pros and cons of online learning, the online classes at CTX maximize the advantages while providing innovative solutions for any potential challenges. Our online learning programs deliver the same impactful experience that in-person students enjoy.

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The Pros and Cons of Online Learning and Online Classes

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Considering an online college program? Review these pros and cons of online learning to determine if the virtual classroom is right for you.

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Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Classes for Higher Education [Updated 2023]

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Read the Kaltura blog for great tips on how to use video better!

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"We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society."
Pam Runquist, Executive Director of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association

In addition to the burgeoning of spring and new life, April honors our animal friends with Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. The annual 30-day campaign is hosted by the American Society of the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (ASPCA) and offers opportunities for the public to become involved in safeguarding the wellbeing of animals.

The ASPCA combats animal cruelty with advocacy efforts focused on dogfighting, the commercial puppy industry, animal hoarding, farm animal welfare, horse slaughter, cockfighting, and greyhound racing. Actions to address the effects of these practices include animal rescue, placement, and protection.

Veterinary professionals are needed in animal welfare not only to care for animals subjected to cruelty but also to participate in animal protection initiatives. This is the work of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA). The organization involves veterinary professionals in a variety of ways by providing opportunities to participate in animal welfare education; animal protection initiatives; community and field service work; and animal welfare programs.

However, preventing cruelty to animals requires a dedicated citizenry, too. The ASPCA and other animal welfare nonprofits like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) lead animal protection policy-making efforts as well as the prevention of animal harm inflicted by industries like agriculture, entertainment, fashion, and cosmetics. But their efforts depend on the support of concerned individuals and volunteers willing to lend their time (and/or money) to the cause.

Two experts generously offered their knowledge on the topic of preventing animal cruelty: the executive director of the HSVMA, Pam Runquist, and Laura Link, public information manager of the Oregon Humane Society.

Meet the Experts: Pam Runquist and Laura Klink

Pam Runquist has held a leadership role with the HSVMA since its inception in 2008. She began as director of veterinary advocacy and moved on to senior director of veterinary outreach before taking her place as executive director three years ago.

Ms. Runquist's career in animal welfare began prior to her work with the HSVMA with positions at the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights and a national animal protection group, RedRover. She enjoys feral cat trapping in her free time and has a collection of animals that include four rescue cats and a senior lab (pictured above).

Laura Klink has been the public information manager of the Oregon Humane Society since 2018, but her relationship with OHS began 20 years prior. Ms. Klink began volunteering for the organization in 1998 and over the next 17 years served in a variety of roles including dog walker, magazine writer, foster parent, and founder of the "Running with Dogs" program.

In recognition of her service, Ms. Klink was awarded the Oregon Humane Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Cruelty Toward Animals in the 21st Century

Animal cruelty takes many different forms and ranges from unintentional neglect to acts of intentional harm or killing. The majority of investigated neglect cases are unintentional and resolved through education. Cases of intentional cruelty towards animals, on the other hand, are indicative of psychological distress. Such individuals have often been victims of violence themselves and may be prone to perpetrating further acts of violence towards animals or people.

In fact, research compiled by HSUS has shown evidence for a strong correlation between cruelty towards animals and other forms of abuse such as child, spousal, and elder abuse. In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets. Another study found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of families under supervision for physical abuse of children. Animal cruelty is also one of the criteria used by the American Psychological Association to diagnose conduct disorder.

Neglect and direct abuse of animals may be caused by:

Hoarding

Lack of veterinary care

Inadequate shelter

Chaining (of dogs)

Abandonment

Pets left in cars

Beating and physical abuse

Animal fighting and other forms of organized cruelty

On the state level, Laura Klink and Veronica Broadley of the OHS Humane Law Enforcement team shared their thoughts on one of the biggest threats to animal welfare currently faced in Oregon. "The economic hardship brought on by the pandemic is a big concern," they explained. "Will pet owners be able to feed their pet, provide vet care or find affordable housing?"

The Response to Animal Cruelty

In light of the alarming number of ways harm is inflicted on animals today, Runquist shed light on how the HSUS is responding:

We protect all animals through legislation, litigation, investigation, education, science, advocacy, and fieldwork. And together with our affiliates, we rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year...We take on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing, and other cruel industries. We rescue and care for thousands of animals every year through our Animal Rescue Team's work and other hands-on animal care services.

The HSUS has animal welfare initiatives focused on ending animal cruelty of all kinds by providing animal rescue, wildlife protection, and farm animal protection. While animal rescue involves saving victims of animal fighting operations, puppy mills, and large-scale cruelty and neglect, the wildlife department protects animals in the wild from egregious forms of killing. The farm animal protection team improves conditions for animals used for food.

Animal rescue and care teams rely on the time and expertise of veterinary professionals who participate in animal welfare advocacy through the HSUS veterinary affiliate, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA). Runquist shared that in 2019 alone, 200 veterinary and veterinary professional students received hands-on training through the HSVMA's rural area veterinary services program and an additional 3,000 veterinary professionals attended their educational presentations on animal cruelty and other animal welfare-related topics.

Rundquist related that current students of veterinary medicine "who have demonstrated an interest in and commitment to animal welfare, animal rights, or animal protection issues in veterinary medicine" are eligible to apply for the HSVMA's Compassionate Care Veterinary Student Scholarship.

The organization also provides training to animal welfare agencies, law enforcement, and prosecutors in addition to:

Promoting public education

Advising local agencies and providing grants to support local cases

Direct intervention and rescue in large-scale cruelty cases

Conducting investigations for institutionalized agribusiness cruelty

Lobbying for stronger animal protection laws

Offering rewards for information leading to animal fighting or cruelty convictions

Klink highlighted OHS's efforts to help families with pets experiencing financial hardship to continue to care for their animals: "Preserving the animal-human bond and keeping pets with their families is a priority in animal welfare," she said.

Some of the ways OHS has facilitated this is by hosting free pet food banks and distributing pet food around the state which further revealed the enormous need for such services. Klink shared is that OHS is currently breaking ground on a Community Teaching Hospital to provide veterinary care for under-resourced pet owners.

Prevention and Advocacy

Since South Dakota joined the fight in March of 2014, animal cruelty laws now include felony provisions in all 50 states. Iowa is currently the only state that does not have a law providing felony penalties for animal torture on the first offense.

Runquist urges concerned individuals to become familiar with the protections that currently exist in their communities and states and to speak up to their appropriate local agencies when they suspect cruelty in their community. She also explained the importance of individuals engaging at state and local levels to advocate for legislation or ordinances to better protect animals when existing protections fall short.

Klink also called attention to this, explaining that, "Current laws require evidence that the animal was injured in addition to evidence the animal was abused. Due to delays in reporting and other factors, evidence of the injury cannot always be gathered before the animal has healed."

She further emphasized the importance of reporting animal cruelty for the good of animals and humans alike:

The general public may not be aware that there is a strong connection between domestic abuse of people and animal abuse, and children living in abusive environments sometimes model what they see. If people witness a child abusing animals, they should report to local authorities who can evaluate the safety of the child as well as the animals.

How to Get Involved in Animal Advocacy
April Is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers ways for everyone to honor animal welfare throughout the month of April including National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (April 8) and Help a Horse Day (April 26).

Take action any time of year on behalf of animals everywhere through volunteer opportunities with the advocacy center, the national field response team, or the horse action team. Information is also provided on learning how to report animal cruelty and make decisions that help farm animals.
Humane Society of the United States
Donate, fundraise, or volunteer in a variety of ways with HSUS. Find virtual and local volunteer and internship opportunities with animal rescue; the legislative fund; policy, outreach, and engagement; media relations; farm animal or wildlife protection; rural area veterinary services (for vets and vet techs); and continuing education.

A variety of ways for everyone to participate in animal welfare are also provided, such as Meatless Mondays, going fur-free, purchasing cruelty-free cosmetics, and pledging not to support captive marine mammal shows.
Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association
Veterinary professionals, including veterinary technicians and vet tech students, can join HSVMA and participate in the prevention of animal cruelty.

Direct care volunteer opportunities include Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS); Pets for Life; Animal Rescue Team; Animal Care Centers; Humane Society International. Advocacy and outreach volunteer opportunities are also available with the HSVMA with the state representative program, advocacy, the speaker's bureau, and the student mentor program. Interested veterinary professionals can email for more information.
Oregon Humane Society
Adopt or sponsor a pet through the Oregon Humane Society, get involved in fundraising, or support animal legislation efforts. Local to the Portland area? Consider volunteering when COVID restrictions lift or volunteer from home from anywhere using this guide. Don't forget to check out the special offers on the Shop to Help Pets page of the website!

Finally, here are just a few places to donate on behalf of preventing animal cruelty:

Runquist shared these closing thoughts: "Our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. The public can support these efforts by visiting our website www.humanesociety.org and getting involved by donating, volunteering, or learning more about how to be an advocate in their community."

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A Guide to Preventing Cruelty to Animals: How to Get Involved

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"We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society." Pam Runquist, Executive Director of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association In addition to the burgeoning of spring and new life, April honors our animal friends with Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month.

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When a person or a corporation has the right of the freedom of speech, then they are able to express any opinion without restraint or censorship. This approach to society is a democratic institution which dates back to the ancient Greek culture.

In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech for all people. Through this fundamental right, Americans have the freedom to protest, practice the religion they want, and express opinions without worrying about the government imprisoning them for criticism. It was adopted on December 15, 1971, as part of the Bill of Rights.

As with all modern democracies, even the United States places limits on this freedom. There are specific limits placed on this principle that dictate what people can or cannot say legally. The First Amendment does not specifically say what is or is not protected, but the Supreme Court has ruled that there are some forms which are not allowed.

Here are the freedom of speech pros and cons to consider with this element as part of a democratic society.

List of the Pros of Freedom of Speech

1. Freedom of speech protects each of us from the influence of special interests.
When people have power, then they do whatever they can to retain it for as long as possible. That may include a change in the government's constitution, a shift in a company's Board of Directors, or the suppression of a minority group that threatens the way of life for the people involved. Having the freedom of speech reduces this power because it allows individuals to express criticism of those who are in power. There is no fear of losing personal freedom with this right because your opinion contributes to the overall conversation.

2. Freedom of speech eliminates compelled actions.
When you have the freedom of speech, then the government cannot compel your actions in such a way that you are required to speak a specific message. You stay in control of what you say and how those words are expressed to the rest of society. Even if the government attempts to alter your words to their advantage, you will always have the opportunity to address the situation and correct the "mistakes" that others create in your work.

3. Freedom of speech promotes the free exchange of ideas.
When a society operates in an area where free speech is given to all, then there is a more significant exchange of ideas that occur. It becomes almost impossible for those who are in power to suppress truths that they may not want to let out in the open. This process allows for progress to occur because people can learn from the experiences and perspectives of one another without worrying about the dogma of a "Big Brother" element in society, either corporate or government-based.

4. Freedom of speech can expose immoral or unlawful activities.
When Edward Snowden decided to leak numerous state secrets to the press, he created an interesting question about the freedom of speech that we are still attempting to resolve in our society. Was such an action inflicting damage against the legitimate actions of the government? Or was the information he offered a way to bring light to actions that the government shouldn't have been performing in the first place? It is tricky to find the line which exists when you must protect information or protect others. Having this right in society allows us to at least have that conversation.

5. Freedom of speech prevents the requirement to behave specific ways.
Some people today might say that any speech which someone finds offensive should be banned. Imagine then that someone became offended by the mention of same-gender marriage - or the opposite, that they were offended by the mention of opposite-gender marriage. Freedom of speech allows people to make up their minds about what to share with others. Some people might be brazen with their approach, but that also means they might not have as many friends because of their attitude.

6. Freedom of speech advances knowledge for a society.
When you have a chance to ask questions or share perspectives, then it creates more learning opportunities in society. This right makes it easier for all individuals to make a new discovery, suggest ideas, or exchange information freely without worrying about potential political consequences. Even if some of the ideas do not work after you get to try them, the process of testing contributes to the advancement of society as well. Thomas Edison famously made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at the invention of the light bulb - each idea was a new step toward success.

7. Freedom of speech allows for peaceful changes in society.
Some people use their freedom of speech as a way to incite hatred or violence. Others use it as a way to create the potential for peaceful change. Providing facts to individuals while sharing your opinion can persuade them to consider your perspective, even if they do not agree with it at the time. When this is your top priority with this right, then you are less likely as an individual to use violence as a way to create change. Although this process requires patience from all of us to be successful, it will usually get us to where we want to be.

8. Freedom of speech gives us an opportunity to challenge hate.
Peter Tatchell is a human-rights activist who suggests that the best way to move forward as a society is to challenge the people who have differing views. He told Index in 2016 this: "Free speech does not mean giving bigots a free pass. It includes the right and moral imperative to challenge, oppose, and protest bigoted views. Bad ideas are most effectively defeated by good ideas, backed by ethics and reason, rather than bans and censorship.

9. Freedom of speech creates resiliency.
Although exposing people to hate speech is hurtful and creates fear in some individuals, it also creates a resiliency in the debate. Instead of making your voice louder when confronting these ideas, you are improving your argument. When this action occurs, the action of observation and counter-observation make it possible to create an outcome where progress toward the greater good occurs. When we lack tolerance for differing, uncomfortable opinions, then it weakens the rights that so many people take for granted when there is something that they want to say.

List of the Cons of Freedom of Speech

1. Freedom of speech does not mean the freedom to have "all" speech.
The concept behind the freedom of speech is that you should be able to express anything in a way that does not create legal consequences for you. Even if your opinion is unsavory, rude, or unpopular, this right gives you the option to express it. In the United States, there are four forms of speech which are not protected under the First Amendment.

* You cannot make an authentic threat against another individual.
* It is illegal to defame others, including libel and slander.
* You cannot plagiarize any copyrighted material.
* It is illegal to share some obscene material, such as child pornography.

If you say something in the United States which insights illegal actions or solicit others to commit a crime, then your speech is not protected by the First Amendment either.

2. Freedom of speech can spread false information.
Thanks to the rise of the Internet, the freedom of speech makes it easier for individuals to spread false information and outright lies, but then still pretend that this data is true. Research does not prove that vaccinations increase the risk of autism in children, but you will find "information" online that says this is true. Even though it is protected speech when this right is present, it could also lead to people getting or transmitting a preventable disease. In 2019, over 60 people in Washington and Oregon contracted the measles, with almost all of the cases being unvaccinated children.

3. Freedom of speech can incite violence against other people.
People must be held responsible for the personal choices that they make. When someone commits an act of violence against another because they were incited by hate speech to do so, then they made the choice to break the law. The person who created the outcome through the encouragement of their language holds some responsibility here as well. If online radicalization causes people to join ISIS, then shouldn't political radicalization that causes individuals to attack journalists be treated in the same way?

4. Freedom of speech creates a paradox.
When we look at the modern idea that creates the foundation for freedom of speech, it really isn't free. The government is still dictating some of the things that we can or cannot say. This freedom, and this writer, cannot exist if people are not allowed to make assertions that are distasteful to the majority, even if the statements are hurtful to other people.

5. Freedom of speech can create a mob mentality.
In 2012, Oatmeal and FunnyJunk had a dust-up over the use of images that author Matthew Inman did not authorize for distribution. Charles Carreon made a public splash as the attorney for FunnyJunk, which created a back-and-forth which eventually led the Internet to turn against him. In return for those actions, Carreon labeled everyone he thought of as an "instigator" as a "rapeutationist." When one person offers an opinion that others find to be believable, it creates a mob mentality on both sides of the equation. When this happens, it can destroy a person's livelihood quickly.

6. Freedom of speech can cause people to endure verbal abuse.
Voltaire's biographer summed up the views of the philosopher like this: "I don't agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." When freedom of speech is treated this way, then it creates a situation where people must endure sexist or racist verbal abuse. Is it really beneficial for society to allow individuals to use derogatory terms for the purpose of causing discomfort?

We already know that there can be poor health outcomes associated with the fear of violence and crime. Dr. Erin Grinshteyn of UCSF conduced an online survey platform that asked students to rate their fear of experiencing 11 different crimes that included physical assault, hate speech, vandalism, and microaggressions among others. Her findings showed that students in racial minority groups feared violence more than Caucasians. Ongoing fear is a risk factor for mental health declines as well.

7. Freedom of speech will eventually polarize society.
When people are allowed to express their opinions freely, then it creates three primary outcomes. Some people will agree with the statement, others will disagree, and a middle group won't care one way or the other. People tend to hang out in circles where others think and feel in similar ways, which means they will gather around like-minded individuals to spend most of their time.

Pew Research found as early as 2014 that 92% of Republicans are to the political right of the median Democrat, while 94% of Democrats were to the left of the median Republican. 36% of GOP supporters even felt that members of the opposite party were a threat to the wellbeing of the country. When there are ideological silos created from free speech, it eventually polarizes society into groups that struggle to get along with each other.

28% of people say that it is important to them to live in a place where most others share their political views. For people who label themselves as "consistently conservative," that figure rises to 50%, and 63% of that same group says that most of their close friends share their political views.

8. Freedom of speech reduces the desire to compromise.
Pew Research also discovered that when people are consistently liberal or conservative with their freedom of speech, their idea of what compromise entails begins to shift. Instead of believing that both sides must have a give-and-take to create an outcome, the definition becomes one in which their side gets what they want while the other side gets as little as possible. This perspective makes it a challenge for society to function because those on each extreme are consistently battling the other extreme because each views themselves as being the superior contributor to society.

A Final Thought on the Pros and Cons of Freedom of Speech

The pros and cons of freedom of speech suggest that there should be some limits in place for the general good of society. Allowing people to say or do whatever they want at any time increases the risk for harm. Do we really want to live in a world where the creation and distribution of child pornography is a protected right?

Once we start deciding "good" and "bad" speech, it opens the door for abuses to occur. That is why the Supreme Court in the United States has worked hard for over 200 years to create rigid definitions of what is helpful and what is harmful. The goal is to allow people to express contrary opinions without the threat of legal reprisal. This structure promotes an exchange of ideas, which then encourages the learning processes for everyone.

Author Bio
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.

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When a person or a corporation has the right of the freedom of speech, then they are able to express any opinion without restraint or censorship. This approach to society is a democratic institution which dates back to the ancient Greek culture. In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech for all people.

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In the early days of civilization and for a very long time afterward, the mentally ill lived at home for the same reasons that everyone else lived at home: there was no place else to live. Certainly there were no institutions in which those so afflicted could be housed together and treated by a staff specially trained and specially committed to their care. But there came a time-in fact, different times in different places- when public note was taken of the neglect with which these unfortunate people were treated within their homes, and consequently facilities were built in which they could live together away from the stresses of life.

Over the course of the last thirty years some compassionate persons have looked into the modern counterparts of these institutions and discovered to their surprise that the mentally ill who live there are still treated with neglect. With the support of many psychiatrists, they have sought to close these institutions and return these patients to their communities and to their families. The fact is, the careless disregard that is usually the lot of those who are chronically and seriously ill mentally does not come from improper living arrangements but from improper care. Nevertheless it is true that there are certain times when a particular patient is better off in a hospital and other times when he is better off at home. Those considerations that are relevant in determining whether to hospitalize someone include the following:

1. The potential of a patient to commit suicide or to injure himself in some other way. In general, patients who are actively suicidal should be in the hospital, although it must be noted that patients not infrequently kill themselves even in that relatively protected setting, so that even there they need to be observed closely.

2. The potential of a patient to injure others. People have an exaggerated conception of the potential of most psychotic patients to do violence; but some such patients do exist, and they should be admitted to a hospital for their own benefit as well as that of society.

3. The response that the patient has already shown to treatment. Hospitalization should be considered for a psychotic person who is unaware that he is sick, who does not cooperate in his treatment, or who has worsened despite treatment. Admission can serve as a signal to him and the people around him that something more needs to be done. Some patients need to be brought into a hospital simply to keep them away from substances of abuse such as alcohol or drugs.

4. The patient's need for treatments or tests that may be undertaken more easily within a hospital. Electric shock treatments, for example, are given more commonly and conveniently to someone as a hospital patient than as an outpatient.

5. The physical needs of the patient. Some patients need special diets or special programs of physical rehabilitation that can only be provided in a hospital. Some other patients need extra attention for physical illnesses, which may be both a cause and a consequence of a mental illness.

6. The merits of the particular hospital balanced against the alternative, which is usually the patient's home and family. Some hospitals are so awful - cruel and demeaning - that no one should be admitted to them. Yet some families are just as bad, and no one who is emotionally disturbed should be allowed to remain subject to their influence. Similarly the benefits of a good hospital must be measured against the benefits ofa good family.

Ideally admission into a hospital brings the patient into a therapeutic community, every aspect of which is designed to have a beneficial effect upon him. He is protected from those influences in the outside world that have caused him to become ill. He is offered psychotherapy, individually and in groups; occupational therapy; recreational therapy; work therapy, perhaps; and the therapeutic attention of dozens of trained specialists. He is encouraged to express himself. He participates in decisions concerning his own treatment program. He receives as much medicine as he needs and no more. Although in a protected setting, he exerts himself to the limits of his ability. And so he becomes stronger.

Unfortunately in practice a hospital is a different sort of place. The presence of restraints, locked rooms, and locked wards suggests strongly to the patient that he is locked away not for his own benefit, but for the convenience of society. Upon admission he is cut off not only from the conflicts of ordinary life, but also from its supports. He sees his family infrequently and perhaps not at all. His letters and telephone calls may be limited or monitored. He can perform no real work. And rather than receiving special attention, he is likely to receive no attention at all: he may spend days or weeks with no more contact with staff than a perfunctory greeting in the morning.

The hospital patient is expected to conform to a stereotype of proper behavior that may not resemble at all the behavior of a normal person. He is supposed to be passive, agreeable, and above all quiet. He should not quarrel with staff or take issue with his physician. He should engage fully in the "treatment program," which means, among other things, confiding his private anxieties and anguish to strangers, some of whom are themselves emotionally disturbed. He is supposed to entertain himself by drawing pictures or watching television-and do these things always in concert with the other patients. He should not try to stay up later than everyone else or read a book when everyone else is taking a walk. Although he may have trouble controlling himself, that ¡s precisely what he must do. He should not cling to the nurses, or violate their sanctuary, the nursing station. Certainly he must not express in action any sexual feelings that he may have.

All behavior of the patient, however reasonable, is likely, if inconvenient to the staff, to be explained as an aspect of deranged thinking. Even the commonplace urge to leave the hospital is interpreted in terms of the patient's inability to understand his condition or interpret reality. In this regard, a peculiar logic governs clinical decisions: a patient who wants very much to leave the hospital may be presumed to need further treatment, while a patient who wants to stay is presumed to have become too dependent, and is encouraged to leave. Sometimes there is no making sense out of medical judgments.

A twenty-two-year-old man was admitted to a well-known state hospital affiliated with a well-known medical school. The reasons for his admission were somewhat vague: "to give him a chance to pull his life together." He was told to expect to stay at least six months. Within only a few weeks, however, he found himself bored by the endless routine of hospital life, and he asked to be discharged. That was out of the question, he was told. He was too sick to leave the hospital. He left anyway that afternoon for a beer, returning, though, within the hour. In order to "set limits" for him, the doctors then transferred him to a locked ward. The patient, a vigorous man, responded to this punishment by determining once and for all to leave the hospital, if necessary against medical advice. This time he struck an attendant, took away the man's keys, and left. The police were called and with their help the patient was forcibly returned to the hospital a few hours later. He was placed in a locked room for the remainder of the day. Over the next month he escaped repeatedly and was recaptured each time until his psychiatrist, in exasperation, warned him that if he escaped one more time, he would not be permitted to reenter the hospital! The patient escaped forthwith and did very well during the next two years with no treatment whatever.
Of course, a mental hospital can be made to approach the ideal somewhat more closely. But even under the best of circumstances, hospitalization cannot by itself be regarded as a definitive solution to anyone's emotional problems. The less time spent in the hospital, the better. It is only an episode in the long-term course of an illness, and its principal purpose, therefore-besides coping with the acute phase of the illness-is to begin a course of treatment that will continue during the longer and more important period of aftercare.

There are advantages to conducting treatment in the patient's home when possible, rather than in the hospital or, for that matter, in the psychiatrist's office. The therapist who sees the patient in his home becomes something more than a functionary of a clinic or a social agency, more even than the knowledgeable but aloof clinical specialist that is the facade of a psychiatrist or a psychologist. He becomes a real person and, to an extent, a guest. The patient, in turn, becomes a friend rather than a supplicant. Consequently, he is more willing to communicate openly.
A home visit, which always takes time, is an unmistakable expression of interest to which the patient and particularly his family invariably respond. Family dynamics may be seen directly in the home instead of merely being inferred. Sometimes, even, the psychological causes of the patient's emotional disturbance can be seen and sometimes dealt with. Other members of the family who are present can be enlisted into the treatment process, and those who are emotionally disturbed, but not yet labeled as such, can receive special attention. Also the therapist learns by looking around him enough about the actual circumstances of his patient's life to avoid making recommendations that sound reasonable in theory but could never be implemented, for reasons that are plainly in view. For instance, a mother cannot be encouraged to spend more time by herself when she lives in two rooms with a family of six. A phobic patient cannot be encouraged to walk at night through the streets, if the streets of his neighborhood are very dangerous, and so on.

Many psychotherapists find all sorts of reasons for not visiting a patient at home, but the real reason is that they are uncomfortable outside of the structured confines of their offices.
Nevertheless, it has become conventional practice for psychiatric patients to be seen exclusively in the offices of professionals. (c) Fredric Neuman (excerpted from "Caring: Home Treatment for the Emotionally Disturbed.") Follow Dr. Neuman's blog at fredricneumanmd.com/blog or ask advice at fredricneumanmd.com/blog/ask-dr-neuman-advice-column.

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Psychiatric Hospitalization vs. Treatment at Home

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In the early days of civilization and for a very long time afterward, the mentally ill lived at home for the same reasons that everyone else lived at home: there was no place else to live. Certainly there were no institutions in which those so afflicted could be housed together and treated by a staff specially trained and specially committed to their care.

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Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. The U.S. Supreme Court often has struggled to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. The following are examples of speech, both direct (words) and symbolic (actions), that the Court has decided are either entitled to First Amendment protections, or not.

The First Amendment states, in relevant part, that:

"Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech."

Freedom of speech includes the right:

Not to speak (specifically, the right not to salute the flag).
West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943).

Of students to wear black armbands to school to protest a war ("Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.").
Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 U.S. 503 (1969).

To use certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages.
Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971).

To contribute money (under certain circumstances) to political campaigns.
Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976).

To advertise commercial products and professional services (with some restrictions).
Virginia Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Consumer Council, 425 U.S. 748 (1976); Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977).

To engage in symbolic speech, (e.g., burning the flag in protest).
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989); United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990).

Freedom of speech does not include the right:

To incite imminent lawless action.
Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969).

To make or distribute obscene materials.
Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957).

To burn draft cards as an anti-war protest.
United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968).

To permit students to print articles in a school newspaper over the objections of the school administration.
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).

Of students to make an obscene speech at a school-sponsored event.
Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 (1986).

Of students to advocate illegal drug use at a school-sponsored event.
Morse v. Frederick, __ U.S. __ (2007).

Disclaimer: These resources are created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for use in educational activities only. They may not reflect the current state of the law, and are not intended to provide legal advice, guidance on litigation, or commentary on legislation.

DISCLAIMER: These resources are created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for educational purposes only. They may not reflect the current state of the law, and are not intended to provide legal advice, guidance on litigation, or commentary on any pending case or legislation.

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Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. Learn about what this means.

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Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

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10. Can Protect You

Education can protect you more than you know, not only on a financial level, but it can help prevent you from being taken advantage of by knowing how to read and write, such as knowing not to sign any bogus documents.

Education Is Important For Children

Children are the future of our world, making education crucial for them. Their knowledge is what's going to keep our world alive and flourishing.

At Childhood

During the childhood development stages, the importance of education is stronger than ever. It's a time for children to learn social and mental skills that will be crucial for their growth and success in the future. Education at childhood also offers a chance for self-discovery and to learn about their unique interests.

The Role

The importance of education in our lives goes far beyond what we can read in a textbook. Education also provides childhood with knowledge such as how to produce artwork and make music. Education allows us to analyze what's in front of us, and even learn from our mistakes.

Goal Building

By learning from a young age, children are given the chance to start building goals for themselves. Education means having the logic to set your mind to something and achieve it.

Importance Of Education In Society

For a modern society, education is of utmost importance. There are so many influences coming from all directions, and education can help us decipher what we should take as true, and what we should take with a grain of salt. Education can mold people into functional members of society with the right kinds of values.

Productivity

Education is needed for a productive society. Our population only continues to increase, and in turn, so do our needs. We need a strong and efficient workforce of educated people to provide us with the services we need for everyday life.

Why Is Education Important For a Nation?

The importance of education is seen in every aspect of life, and is especially crucial for the growth of a nation.

The Impact Education Has On The World

With education, people can become better citizens, knowing right from wrong, allowing for a better society where laws are followed. An educated nation knows about the importance of voting, doing so with the knowledge not blindly, but also having an understanding of what their party truly stands for. Education can also help people get jobs, which is what a nation thrives on.

Inspiring Quotes On What Education Truly Is

Why is education important, and what is it exactly? While every person has a different understanding of its true meaning, here are some of the most inspiring quotes by some legendary people.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." - John Dewey

What Are Some Other Reasons Why Education Is Important?

There are endless reasons why education is so important, especially since it also has endless connotations and meanings.

Mind And Body

Our mind and bodies are connected more than we know. With a powerful, well-educated mind, so too are our bodies.

Health

We can not only know how to best take care of ourselves, but we can feel confident and good about ourselves, which will likely have a positive effect on our physical well-being. Education has even been proven to add years to our life. To be exact, each additional year of education was found to add as much as 1.7 years to our lives at the age of 35.

Personal Growth

The importance of education even extends itself to our personal growth. By constantly educating ourselves, asking questions and wanting to know more, we can move forward and achieve things we never imagined before.

Get To Know Yourself

Education can allow us to get to know ourselves better than ever. We can learn things about ourselves, whether it be through books, courses, or even consulting with a professional.

Worldwide Value

Education is the best way to ensure a positive world value and view. Without a proper education, how else do we know what's considered appropriate and how to behave?

Peace

While world peace may unfortunately seem like a far-fetched concept, with education we can get closer to this goal than we know. Education can teach us about our place in this world, and about our responsibility to humanity.

Teaches Values

Values are taught through education! Education exists far beyond the classroom or an exam. It's taught at home, through what our parents and peers show us, and although not necessarily written down somewhere, such a teaching method is still a large aspect of what education entails.

Sharpens Your Thinking

Education is needed to think sharply and clearly!

Makes You Informed

Education makes you informed about the world around you, what's going on and what kind of people are around you. Education can help you be more self-aware about your strengths and weaknesses, showing you were to shift your focus.

Logical Reasoning

When in an argument, if you aren't well educated and don't have your facts straight, then you aren't likely to win. If you get upset about something, then being educated can also help you logically work through the situation and make sense of it, understanding all aspects.

Stay Focused

Education can help you stay focused and on track in the right direction by knowing what the right path is for you.

Allows For Innovation And Creativity

When it comes to being creative, in any way, shape, or form, the mind can only really reach its full potential if it's been fed with the knowledge it needs to think outside the box.

Develop Life Skills

Education is the foundation of basic life skills and street smarts. While education might sound like a fancy technical term, it's really everything we learn in life about how to best conduct ourselves from day to day.

Freedom

Education can be the most freeing and empowering thing in the entire world!

Live Life To The Fullest

Truly living life to the fullest means being well-educated and holding a vast amount of knowledge about the world around us. It also means we continue to learn every day in all kinds of forms, whether it be from the people around us, newspapers, experiences, research, or traditional classes.

Breaks Barriers

Education breaks barriers between people, and allows people from across the globe to be empowered.

University of the People, a tuition-free, online university, is one powerful example of how education is being revolutionized - they offer students of all socio-economic backgrounds an equal chance at education.

Once upon a time, such a thing wouldn't have been possible, but today such places like UoPeople have proven that these barriers truly can be broken through to receive higher education.

You Become Your Highest You

Education can allow you to become the best, fullest version of yourself, learning about what interests you, what you're good at, becoming self-aware and conscious about the world around you. It can help you establish your place in this world, and feel complete.

Education In The Modern World

Education today is more important than ever before, and has reached new heights with new understandings of what it truly entails. Ask yourself "Why is education important?" and it will surely not be the same as anyone else's answer.

While in modern society, holding a college degree is considered to be highly beneficial for a successful career and to be socially accepted, it is not the only means of education. Education is all around us in everything that we do, so use it wisely!

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Why Is Education Important: All The Reasons To Stay In School

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Education can protect you more than you know, not only on a financial level, but it can help prevent you from being taken advantage of by knowing how to read and write, such as knowing not to sign any bogus documents. Children are the future of our world, making education crucial for them.

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Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital Pros and Cons - Katrina Collins, LPC

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The recent article about Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health shed a light on the dangers of inpatient facilities. Having worked at an inpatient hospital, I have the unique experience of knowing they …

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Caring mother and dad supporting sad teen son sitting on bench in park, crisis

One of the most successful ways to help kids battle addiction, eating disorders and behavior problems is through programs that offer adolescent residential treatment. Pros and cons of such facilities must be considered before enrollment and weighed carefully before determining what course of action will be taken. Whether you choose a residential treatment center for teens or an outpatient program, the fact is that childhood goes by very quickly and it's best to find true recovery before entering adulthood. Making bad decisions as an adolescent is one thing, but carrying those problems into adulthood can mean a lifetime of troubles.

One of the advantages of a residential treatment center is that teens are removed from the family situation while they're in treatment. Some parents feel bad about being away from their child, but the value of creating a new identity for oneself cannot be underestimated. After months, years and sometimes a lifetime of deviant behavior it's important that the patient's loved ones are able to welcome back the "new" personality. It's also easier to accept treatment when surrounded by an atmosphere of recovery rather than in the home; the same atmosphere that sometimes unwittingly nurtured the deviant behavior. A reputable treatment center will have a transition program in place that is designed to allow this "new personality" to move back into the home without undue stress.

A major disadvantage to adolescent residential treatment is the cost involved. Some programs run thousands of dollars per day. Don't let that stop you from seeking treatment, there are ways that they can bill your medical insurance, the state, private donors, scholarship funds and offer other forms of financial aid. There are also treatment loans available at a fairly low interest rate, and some centers accept weekly or monthly payments. If cost is an issue, make sure that you speak with several facilities and discuss the payment options and resources available to you. It's their job to help you find resources, you might be surprised by what's available.

The social environment is also a consideration when seeking adolescent residential treatment. Pros cons of the social environment are personalized. Some people are better able to recover when they're immersed in an environment with others in recovery, sharing triumphs and setbacks and encouraging one another on a daily basis. Others are distracted and annoyed by the drama and are better able to find true recovery in a relaxing, spa-like environment where they can be alone and think without interruption. Most treatment centers make both environments available, but the social environment should be a factor to consider, since many centers rely heavily upon group participation as a means of recovery, with group counseling and attempts to form close relationships with others in recovery.

Weighing the pros and cons of an adolescent treatment center is a heavy proposition. Be sure to speak with representatives from the center, they might have considerations that you haven't thought of yet or innovative ways to approach certain issues, like video conferencing with the immediate family to relieve the trauma of being away from home and aid the transition process. Many treatment facilities offer free consultations and even quizzes to help you determine if their center can meet your needs.

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Adolescent Residential Treatment - Pros and Cons - At Risk Youth Programs

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One of the most successful ways to help kids battle addiction, eating disorders and behavior problems is through programs that offer adolescent residential treatment. Pros and cons of such facilities must be considered before enrollment and weighed carefully before determining what course of action will be taken.

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The benefits of education are many. Not only will you personally benefit from receiving education when it comes to income, career advancement, skill development, and employment opportunities, but your society and community receive benefits of education as well.

Societies with higher rates of degree completion and levels of education tend to be healthier, have higher rates of economic stability, lower crime, and greater equality. For more surprising benefits of education, read on.

Benefits of Education are Societal and Personal

Those who get an education have higher incomes, have more opportunities in their lives, and tend to be healthier. Societies benefit as well. Societies with high rates of education completion have lower crime, better overall health, and civic involvement.

Poverty Reduction

Lack of access to education is considered the root of poverty. Not getting an education can lead to a cycle of poverty. However, access to education can mean getting out of that cycle.

1. Healthier Lifestyle

People with better education tend to live longer and have healthier lifestyles. According to research, people with higher education have a one-third lower risk of heart disease. Degree holders are also less likely to smoke and more likely to get regular exercise.

2. Experimentation and Diversity are a Benefit of Education:

A personal benefit to getting an education is the opportunity to grow as an individual, experiment with what you are passionate about, and find yourself. You will be exposed to a diverse set of people and ideas which expand the mind.

Connecting Across Borders

The new world of digital education is helping those who get an education to connect across the globe with people from other cultures. Students can collaborate together across borders, increasing the cultural awareness and worldliness of the individuals.

3. Socializing and Networking are Personal Benefits of Education

Education provides students with the space and the opportunities to meet like-minded individuals, either on a peer or mentor basis. In school, students meet leaders in their field, top professionals, and make contacts through extracurricular activities as well.

4. Pursuing Your Passion

When you feel passionate about something, you want to immerse yourself in that topic. Education gives you the space to do so. In addition, you may find new passions or new areas of interest within your field of study.

Sense of Accomplishment

Finishing any degree - whether it is a high school degree or higher education - is an accomplishment. Graduating gives students a huge sense of accomplishment and gives them the confidence needed to go out into the world and make something of themselves.

5. Personal Development of Skills

Students are required to go through many types of assignments, discussions, courses, and more during their time in education. Therefore, they end up with a wonderful skill set that translates into the workforce.

In addition, from extracurriculars, students learn arts, sports, and more that help them personally in life and to connect with others.

More Productivity

Those with an education have had more on their plate and succeeded through it. They know how to manage their time and talents and be productive. After graduation, students can carry that productive energy into the workforce.

Better Communication

Students are required to turn in written assignments, work in groups, participate in discussions, or present in front of others. This leads to excellent written communication, speaking skills, and group communication.

Critical Thinking Skills

People with an education can think, and think well. They are taught to ask questions, reflect, and analyze - all critical skills for later success.

Identification of Skills

Some have skills that they haven't yet discovered, and haven't had the opportunity to expand upon. Education stretches the mind, exposes students to new topics, and pushes students to do better. As a result, students may find skills they didn't even know they had.

Greater Sense of Discipline

Students are given increasing amounts of responsibility with each year of education they complete. It is the student's job to manage their time and create their own success, leading to self-discipline abilities for those who succeed.

6. More Employment is a Benefit of Education

Degree holders have access to more jobs. For graduates of bachelor's programs or higher, the unemployment rate is cut in half.

7. Career Entry and Advancement

College degrees prepare students for a career, or for advancement within their current field. Higher education gives the training and skills necessary for success in a specific area. In addition, many positions require a degree for entry. Some may not even look at a resume where the applicant has no degree.

8. Economic Growth

When an entire society is educated, productivity increases, average income increases, and unemployment decreases. This leads to the economic growth and stability of a society as a whole. It starts with education.

Higher Income as a Benefit of Education

Those with education beyond high school tend to have higher salaries than high school degree holders. Those with no degrees make the lowest salaries on average. For full-time workers in 2017, weekly average wages for those with no degree was $515, followed by high school graduates at $717, and $1,189 for bachelor's degree holders. Those with graduate degrees made an average of $1,451.

9. Environmental Benefits

Climate change is a large part of the conversation today, and society needs to work together to find ways to reduce impact on the earth. Educated individuals that enter the workforce will put their knowledge of climate change into company policies, leading to increased sustainability.

10. Societal Benefits

A society that is well educated feels a higher sense of unity and trust within the community. Educated societies lift up the weak and bring a feeling of togetherness among all parts.

Promotes Equality and Empowerment

Education provides everyone with a sense of empowerment; the idea that they have the choice to change their own life and choose their path. Women with an education have better decision making capabilities and are more likely to take charge of their own lives.

Promotes Good Citizenship and Civic Involvement

Those with an education tend to be more aware of current political issues, and are more likely to vote. Higher degree holders are twice as likely to volunteer, and 3.5 times more likely to donate money than high school graduates.

Reduces Crime

Education teaches people the difference between right and wrong, and also exposes children and young adults to experiences of others. Understanding right and wrong and having empathy reduce tendency to commit crimes. Education of a society decreases overall arrests- just one year increase of average education levels of a state decrease state-wide arrests by 11%.

Reduces Gender-Based Violence

In communities with high rates of education for both genders, gender-based violence is lower. Educated persons are more likely to support gender equality, and are more likely to take efforts to stop and prevent gender-based or domestic violence. Communities that value education for both genders are less likely to have instances of terrorist attacks on girls schools.

Reduces Child Marriage

Girls with secondary or higher education are three times less likely to marry before the age of 18. Putting education first in a society allows for girls to be seen as people who can get an education and make their own decisions, rather than just a future wife and mother.

Reduces Maternal Death Rates

Maternal death rates drop significantly in societies with high education rates. Women with no education at all are 2.7 times as likely to die during birth as women with 12 years of education. Women with one to six years of education are twice as likely to suffer maternal mortality. This is because educated mothers are more likely to use health services, even in low socioeconomic settings. Lack of education is also a stressor for women during childbirth. The more stressors a woman has during pregnancy, the higher the likelihood for negative outcomes.

Benefits of Higher Education

1. Career Preparation

Some people know exactly what they want to do once they enter the workforce, and some people may need higher education to get to where they need to be. A college degree is a required prerequisite for a growing number of jobs. Even if you aren't sure what you want to do after graduation, it is a great benefit to go to college. Higher education will help narrow your interest and refine your skill set, showing you exactly what you are good at and what field you may want to enter.

2. Broader Practical Benefits

Getting a higher education has some practical benefits too. When you look at income research, the evidence is clear that college graduates make much more than their high school degree counterparts. College grads tend to be healthier as well, with lower risk of heart disease, tendency towards healthy eating and exercise, smoke less and live longer. College graduates also tend to have higher rates of participation in political and community affairs, volunteerism and charitable donations.

3. Personal Development

Students go through a lot of personal development in college. Things such as critical thinking skills, time management, perseverance, communication, and presentation skills are all great assets not only for future work but for personal life as well. College grads get further in life, not just because of the degree they've earned, but the experiences they went through.

4. Pursuing a Passion and Desired Field

Pursuing your passion in the form of a college degree is the path that some people take and there is nothing wrong with that. If you really love music, studying music, then find a way to make a career out of it. College will help you get a deeper and more theoretical understanding of your passion and will also open your eyes to possible career paths and mentors.

5. Cognitive and Communication Skills

College students study hard and they study often. They are taught to think alternatively and creatively to solve a problem. As a result, college students have the high cognitive ability. Courses often require group work and presentations, resulting in better interpersonal communication skills for grads.

6. Social Experiences

Don't forget that college isn't all studying. The friends you make during college will be the friends you have for life. They can also act as a social net, lifting you up when you are down and encouraging you to do your best in your studies, your profession, and in your life. Learning to live with others and work well with others enhances your social skills as well.

Conclusion

Feeling convinced? There are so much more than just these benefits of education we have listed, and it's not hard to find some that specifically benefit you and what you need in your life.

If you're ready to take the next step in your education, check out all the higher education degrees offered by University of the People.

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Benefits of Education That Will Surprise You | Higher Education News

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We bet you had no idea how many benefits education can offer, both to you and to society. Find out all about the benefits of education here.

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Inflation erodes purchasing power, but there are some silver linings. Here are the most important effects of inflation.

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Since 1977, one year after the US Supreme Court reaffirmed the constitutionality of the death penalty, more than 1,480 people have been executed, primarily by means of lethal injection. Most death penalty cases involve the execution of murderers although capital punishment can also be applied for treason, espionage, and other crimes.

Proponents of the death penalty say it is an important tool for preserving law and order, deters crime, and costs less than life imprisonment. They argue that retribution or "an eye for an eye" honors the victim, helps console grieving families, and ensures that the perpetrators of heinous crimes never have an opportunity to cause future tragedy.

Opponents of capital punishment say it has no deterrent effect on crime, wrongly gives governments the power to take human life, and perpetuates social injustices by disproportionately targeting people of color (racist) and people who cannot afford good attorneys (classist). They say lifetime jail sentences are a more severe and less expensive punishment than death.

PROS & CONS BY CATEGORY

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Death Penalty - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org

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The pros and cons of the death penalty debate include aguments for and against life imprisonment, crime deterrence, and methods like hanging.

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From the beginning, parents work to teach their children how to make healthy decisions. But as children age, parents' influence decreases and the opinion of peers becomes more and more important. Social pressure can affect a wide range of thoughts, actions and behaviors, from academic performance to substance use to mental health.

"Teens have so much on their plates," says Stacie Goran, LPC, LCDC, Teen Recovery Program Manager at Children's Health℠. "Between school expectations, parental guidelines, the desire to fit in and the influences of their peers, it's easy to become overwhelmed and follow the group. It's important that teens develop their own identity and learn how to hold firm to their values to avoid peer pressure."

Learn more about the types and effects of peer pressure and how you can prepare your child to deal with it in a healthy way.

What is peer pressure?

Peer pressure is internal or external pressure felt to behave in certain ways, both good and bad. Peer pressure begins as early as age 10 with the forming of social groups in elementary school and increases during adolescence, throughout junior high and high school.

Changing hormones, developing brains and emerging identities makes the start of adolescence a particularly vulnerable time, where peer pressure is most influential. This is also a stage in life where friend groups are of utmost importance and the need to fit in is a major factor in decision making.

Types of peer pressure

There are several different types of peer pressure that kids and adolescents may experience. Types of peer pressure include spoken and unspoken, direct and indirect, and negative and positive.

What are the effects of peer pressure?

The effects of peer pressure can manifest differently in each person. Peer pressure can play on certain strengths or challenges that an adolescent already faces. For example, a teen with low confidence and few close friends may be more susceptible to the effects of negative peer pressure, while a confident, extroverted teen may be more likely to give and receive positive peer pressure.

Negative peer pressure can encourage teenagers to participate in negative behaviors and habits, such as:

Negative peer pressure can also affect mental health. It can decrease self-confidence and lead to poor academic performance, distancing from family members and friends, or an increase in depression and anxiety. Left untreated, this could eventually lead teens to engage in self-harm or have suicidal thoughts.

On the other hand, social pressure can have positive effects on teens as well. Positive effects of peer pressure can include pressure to:

Excel academically

Develop leadership qualities

Become a leader of a school group

Participate in extracurricular activities

Volunteer for a good cause

Positive peer pressure can foster sense of belonging, self-confidence and a solidified sense of self.

What are the effects of social media on peer pressure?

Just as in-person interactions can be both positive and negative, communication through social media can also have a positive or negative effect. Social media is constantly available, enabling teens to receive those messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means social media has great potential to amplify feelings of peer pressure, both negative and positive.

One common social media misrepresentation is when people post the "best" of their lives, creating a false sense of reality. This can lead teens to compare the true reality of their lives to the "picture-perfect" portrayal of others' lives and feel pressure to keep up. Additionally, the absence of in-person feedback can enable an environment in which people share harmful content or abusive comments that they would not otherwise say in person. This phenomenon (called trolling) is an incredibly pervasive form of negative peer pressure found on social media. There have also been examples of harmful online challenges that have the potential to negatively impact a child's health.

Fortunately, social media can also promote positive peer pressure through groups that support charitable causes or pages that highlight inspirational stories. Access to social media also allows us to stay connected to far away family and friends in ways that were not possible before.

To support children in an age of screens and social media, it's important for parents to teach healthy digital habits that encourage emotional health.

How can teens deal with peer pressure?

Given the effects that peer pressure can have on adolescents and teens, it's important for parents to encourage open communication and help their child prepare for situations of negative peer pressure. See seven tips to help teens avoid negative peer pressure and respond in a healthy way.

1. Create an environment of open communication with your child from an early age. Look for opportunities to ask your child about pressure they have seen or experienced and how that made them feel. Let them know you are there to listen and help if they need it.

2. Share your own experiences of peer pressure as appropriate and ways you've handled them. Model healthy behaviors with your friends and family.

3. Teach your child how to set boundaries and be assertive in their communication. Ask them to think about what they would say in a negative situation, and practice saying no in different ways.

4. Establish a plan and a backup plan with your child for situations of negative peer pressure. Let them know there is nothing wrong with making an excuse if they are unsure what to do and help them brainstorm creative ways to exit an uncomfortable situation.

5. Make an effort to get to know your child's friends and their parents. If possible, encourage your child to invite friends over as one way to become familiar with them.

6. Encourage your child to seek out positive relationships and to choose friends who respect them and do not put unfair pressure on them.

7. Foster independence in your child and teach them to listen to their gut. Let them know that they cannot please everyone, and that is okay.

If you continue to have concerns regarding your child and peer pressure, reach out to teachers, school administration or a mental health professional for additional support.

Learn more

The Children's Health pediatric psychiatry and psychology department provides comprehensive services to support children's and teens' mental health. Learn more about our programs and services.

Sign Up

Stay current on the health insights that make a difference to your children. Sign up for the Children's Health newsletter and have more tips sent directly to your inbox.

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Teens and Peer Pressure - Children's Health

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From the beginning, parents work to teach their children how to make healthy decisions. But as children age, parents' influence decreases and the opinion of peers becomes more and more important. Social pressure can affect a wide range of thoughts, actions and behaviors, from academic performance to substance use to mental health.

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Challenges approach us every day in life. As teenagers, we often face challenges that revolve around relationships, sports, peer pressure, bullying, obesity, school stressors, the list goes on. It is important to remember that these challenges do not mean the world is ending. In fact, most of our challenges are temporary, and with a little bit of work, we can overcome our difficulties.

A rising topic surrounding our teenage world today is mental health. All teens Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues have been more and more in teens. Our brains are begging for a breather, but many of us are so that we forget to care for our brains.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Every teen knows that a broken arm requires a cast and time for healing. What about our brains? Do we know how to support the part of our body that is arguably the most important? Every teen should know the basics of dealing with a mental health issue, but not all of us do.

Take it from me. I am a teen, and I am struggling with many of the same challenges as you. Over the past few years, I have found there are 10 main things that every teen should know about dealing with a mental health issue. These tips apply to teens who are struggling with their mental health maintenance as well as teens who know somebody who is struggling with their mental health maintenance. Here are my top 10!

Teens Who Are Struggling with a Mental Health Issue

1. Asking for help when dealing with a mental health issue is a sign of strength.

It takes so much effort and bravery to step forward and admit that you may not be able to handle your challenges all on your own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking someone for help. Sometimes, we as teens, are afraid to speak up. We might think we are bothering others or becoming a burden for others. We fear that people will think we are weak because we cannot do everything by ourselves.

For three months straight, I cried every single day at school. I refused help. I was embarrassed to say that my troubles were too much for me to handle. I finally reached the point when I found acceptance of help. It was at that moment when I felt that I wasn't alone for the first time in months. Asking for help takes courage, and it will never be a sign of weakness.

2. Living a healthy lifestyle helps keep your mind balanced.

During the teenage years, things are constantly changing, and we are constantly developing. We are growing, and we are becoming more independent. It is our responsibility to make sure we are making healthy choices.

We need an adequate amount of sleep. I have spent many nights staying up far too late, and my brain is unclear the next morning. I have a hard time focusing at school, and at times, I even become a bit bratty. My solution was simple. Get to bed at a decent hour!

We also need an adequate amount of exercise. Physical activity has been to be a great way to release stress. It helps me feel better inside and out. Good nutrition has helped me to feel better inside and out as well.

When dealing with a mental health issue, I have found my #1 way to keep my mind balanced is sticking to a schedule/routine. I stay busy, so that my mind is distracted from the fixations I have on the negativity that exists in my life. I get dressed every single day, so that I feel productive. This prevents me from feeling overwhelmingly depressed. I also set goals. Setting goals always brings me a sense of accomplishment, and our minds desperately need that positivity.

3. You have power.

"I have control over my life." "I am smart." "I am unique." "I have a purpose!" Telling yourself these affirmations everyday is the best reminder that you have power.

We all possess incredibly positive qualities. They should not be overlooked. They should be constant reminders that you can overcome and that positive outcomes are possible.

As I dealt (and continue to deal) with my mental health challenges, I think about all the great things about myself. I remember being told that I was ugly, dumb, and worthless. For the longest time, those were the only words I listened to.I came to realize that my power trumped those words. I am capable of proving everyone wrong. It took a little bit of determination, but a mental health issue did not defeat me. That is because I used power to thrive.

4. There are tons of different coping skills for managing mental health.

Mental health issues are manageable. There are so many avenues that can be taken to find out how to manage your mental health. Identifying your best coping skills makes the biggest difference. I spent months trying to find coping skills that would ease my mind. I finally found that music is my passion. Writing songs, playing guitar, and recording new creations brought me to a place where I felt there was light. To this day, listening to music is still my favorite coping skill. Ultimately, I am living a happy life now. I don't feel much stress, and that is because music eases the stressors in my life.

My overall mental health is boosted by music, but that was not the only way I learned to manage my mental health state. I dedicated time to going to therapy, so I could talk about my struggles with someone who would listen. I also practice mindfulness and see a psychiatrist on a regular basis. Tracking my mood by journaling was also a great way I managed my progress.

5. Surrounding yourself with people that are healthy for you makes the recovery process smoother.

Bullying and unhealthy relationships make it much harder to deal with a mental health issue.

Finding friends who support you and treat you kindly helps to keep positivity in your life. It takes away a lot of the pain that comes with experiencing a mental health issue. Maybe speak more to support, support groups, family as a support. Want to be mindful not to oversimplify and say that support in and of itself takes away the pain of a mental health issue.

Teens Who Know Someone Who is Dealing with a Mental Health Issue

1. Teens struggling with mental health issues are often misunderstood by peers.

Provide yourself with a better understanding of mental health in general. The more you know, the less you judge. Our ignorance should not be the reason that prevents us from understanding a peer.

As teens, we are also quick to judge. Lacking knowledge of someone is not an excuse to judge that person. Lending a hand to someone who is struggling creates an atmosphere that is comforting rather than intimidating.

2. Spreading awareness reduces stigma.

Stigma surrounds our teenage world. In order to erase the stigma, we need to increasethe awareness. One way to do this is by starting or joining a mental health club on your school campus. There are mental health clubs such as NAMI on Campus that have been created already. Joining a club of that nature, or starting your own, is a great step forward in reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health.

It is also important to refer to others by their name, or the name they have clearly stated they would like to be called. Labeling and branding is a common form of stigma among teens that causes hurt and pain for others. Names such as psycho, crazy, retarded, etc. are unacceptable. Respect is necessary.

3. Your friend may be feeling emotions that prevent them from talking to you.

Handle your friend with care. They may need space, but be sure to let them know that you are there for them. Give your genuine love and support to them.

Try to include your friends in activities you are participating in or at least invite them. The worst feeling is when you are treated like an outcast.

It is very difficult to open up about a mental health issue. Giving your friend time might be the best route. Your friend is probably overwhelmed, which can cause isolation. That might be why they are not as quick to converse with you.

4. Your support consistency really helps the person who is experiencing a mental health issue.

Consistent support gives the person a rock, a shoulder to lean on. Keeping an open mind allows you to see how your friend might be feeling.

Teens who are suffering from a mental health challenge want someone who genuinely cares for them. They need someone who WANTS to help them instead of someone who feels like they have to help them.

5. Leading a positive life can be contagious.

Dealing with a mental health issue can be extremely overwhelming. Bringing positive vibes with you is a great way to boost your friend's mood. Positivity is a route to finding hope and seeing the light in every situation, or at the end of the tunnel, etc..

Setting an example of a positive life can be an eye-opener for the person who is struggling.

This list of 10 things that every teen should know about dealing with a mental health issue is just a start. Add to this list as you learn new things about mental health. Take away anything you feel doesn't fit your lifestyle. Just remember to do everything with purpose, love, and care!

Related Articles on Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program

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10 Teen Mental Health Techniques - Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program

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As teenagers, we often face many different stressors. Find our ten things every teen should know about dealing with mental health issues as a teen.

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As a parent, have you ever thought about teaching the cooking skills to your kids? If not, it is the right time to think about it seriously. It is even great if the schools consider teaching the cooking skills to kids. There are many reasons why cooking should be taught in schools. If schools failed to do that, as a parent, it is your responsibility to teach your kid about some basic cooking skills.

Cooking should be considered as an art just like any other activity which requires skills and expertise.

The cooking process is most times accompanied by the risk of burning, cutting or general kitchen mess. However, these factors shouldn't hinder schools from depriving their students the cooking experience.

In this busy world, people don't have time to cook at home. So they buy food at restaurants or street shops. But nowadays doctors strongly recommend avoiding foods from restaurants and street shops as they are unhealthy.

The key to a healthy body is a healthy diet and to prepare a delicious mouth-watering healthy diet you need to possess excellent kitchen skills. This is why it is of great importance and the following reasons will explain the reason as to why cooking should be taught in schools.
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Why Cooking Should Be Taught In Schools

1. Cooking is an important skill in life
Schools are supposed to impart knowledge to the students so that they can lead successful independent lives when they are out of school. Also, they can step into the world without having to depend on others for the basic survival. So many young people of the millennial era have no idea on how to prepare something that is not packaged in a box with the instructions like adding water or to place in the microwave to prepare. The cooking skills shouldn't be learned when the kids are already out of school. Introducing cooking lessons in school will cover the basics of cooking and will give the students the opportunity to be talented cooks.

2. People are more likely to eat what they prepare
When students and kids are taught at an early age in school on how to cook, they develop the habit of preparing their own food even when they are at home. This is because they tend to take more responsibility for the food they are cooking which matters very much to them. And due to the fact that they have prepared their meals, they will be curious to taste what they cooked, thus consuming the food.

3. Students practice at home
When taught in schools about the procedures and the different methods of preparing food the learners give it a more serious approach like the ones they give to other subjects like math. This will prompt them to shift their skills and take them home where they will practice further. Regular home practice on the skills learned at school will produce good cooks which wouldn't be so if they learned how to cook while at home.

4. Cooking at school changes the student's mindset
Students or kids who are used to processed readymade food will have a problem with their eating habits. When the schools teach how to cook, the concept of food to them changes and instead of perceiving it as a finished good, the students see each and every ingredient that is used to prepare a meal. As they get used to preparing their own various types of food and eating them, they will shift their focus from processed foods which they have no guarantee of their preparation and begin to embrace cooked food.

5. Discovery of cooking career
When schools offer cooking lessons and students begin to embrace the art of the cooking, this might trigger an interest in some students to take cooking as a career. This will give them the chance to perfect their basic skills and offer a platform for creativity in the kitchen. The skills learned in school will then be of great benefit when one decides to open a diner or seek employment as a chef.

6. Cooking promotes a healthy lifestyle
It is a fact that fast foods joints are popular with students regardless of the truth that these takeaway joints usually serve unhealthy foods. Just one slice of pizza can contain more than 300 calories which are really unhealthy for the body. When students learn how to cook at schools they can cook for themselves and determine the type of ingredients to use and whether the ones they are using to cook are organic or not. Students will also be able to learn how to maximize the value of nutrients. Students can be given a recipe to prepare their favorite dish which will help them prepare a healthy diet compared to the ones they buy.

7. Cooking saves money
One of the main reasons why cooking should be taught in schools is that the students tend to use a lot of money in buying readymade food, while in the real sense they could prepare a nice meal with less cost by buying the required ingredients. According to a report by BBC food magazine, students of 16-24 years spend approximately 63 pounds every week buying food, as compared to adults who spend approximately 57 pounds. This is a clear reason why cooking should be taught in schools.

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Due to these reasons, the government should consider the introduction and implementation of cooking as a subject like the other subjects learned in schools today. The students should also embrace the practice due to the benefit it imparts to them especially when they leave school.

These are some of the reasons why cooking should be taught in schools. I hope this post would help you in some way. Now it's your turn. If you have any other good reasons why cooking should be taught in schools, write that in the comment box below. Also, you can share how your kid is good at cooking. If you like this post, share it with your friends and family by clicking one of the social share buttons below.

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7 Reasons Why Cooking Should Be Taught In Schools - Top Sri Lankan Recipe

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Reasons why cooking should be taught in schools. Why should school students learn to cook? What are the benefits of cooking classes in school? Should students be required to take a cooking class? Why is it important to add a cooking subject in schools?

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Youth use of tobacco products in any form is unsafe.
Preventing tobacco product use among youth is critical to reducing tobacco use among the nation's youth.

Tobacco product use is started and established primarily during adolescence.1,2

Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first try smoking by age 18.

Flavorings in tobacco products can make them more appealing to youth.4,5

In 2021, 80.2% of high school students and 74.6% of middle school students who used tobacco products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time.⁶

In 2023, 90.3% of high school students and 87.1% of middle school students who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days reported using a flavored e-cigarette during that time.⁷

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes)

E-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youth since 2014.

In 2023, about 1 out of every 22 middle school students (4.6%) reported that they had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days.7

In 2023, 1 of every 10 high school students (10.0%) reported that they had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days.⁷

Cigarettes

Cigars

Smokeless Tobacco

Hookah

Heated Tobacco Products

In 2023, less than 1 of every 100 middle school students (0.8%) and about 1 of every 100 high school students (1.0%) reported using heated tobacco products in the past 30 days.⁷

Heated tobacco products, also known as "heat-not-burn" products, deliver nicotine to the user by heating tobacco leaves rather than a nicotine-containing liquid like e-cigarettes.

Nicotine Pouches

All Tobacco Product Use

Many young people use multiple tobacco products.
Youth who use multiple tobacco products are at higher risk for developing nicotine dependence and might be more likely to continue using tobacco into adulthood. 1, 2

Tobacco Product

Overall

Girls

Boys

Any tobacco product†

12.6%

14.1%

11.2%

Notes:
* "Current use" is determined by respondents indicating that they have used a tobacco product on at least 1 day during the past 30 days.

† In 2023, any tobacco product includes e-cigarettes, cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco (composite), pipe tobacco, bidis (small brown cigarettes wrapped in a leaf), hookahs, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, and other oral nicotine products.

Tobacco Product

Overall

Girls

Boys

Any tobacco product†

6.6%

7.5%

5.7%

Factors associated with youth tobacco product use include the following:

Social and physical environments2,10,11

The way mass media show tobacco product use as a normal activity can make young people want to try these products.

Youth are more likely to use tobacco products if they see people their age using these products.

High school athletes are more likely to use smokeless tobacco than those of the same age who are not athletes.¹¹

Young people may be more likely to use tobacco products if a parent uses these products.

Biological and genetic factors1,2,10

There is evidence that youth may be sensitive to nicotine and that teens can feel dependent on nicotine sooner than adults.

Genetic factors may make quitting smoking harder for young people.

Smoking during pregnancy may increase the likelihood that the child will smoke cigarettes regularly in the future.

Mental health: There is a strong relationship between youth smoking and depression, anxiety, and stress.²

Personal views: When young people expect positive things from smoking, such as coping with stress better or losing weight, they are more likely to smoke.2,10

Other influences that affect youth tobacco use include:2,10

Lower socioeconomic status, including lower income or education

Not knowing how to say "no" to tobacco product use

Lack of support or involvement from parents

Accessibility, availability, and price of tobacco products

Doing poorly in school

Low self-image or self-esteem

Seeing tobacco product advertising in stores, on television, the Internet, in movies, or in magazines and newspapers

National, state, and local program activities have been shown to reduce and prevent youth tobacco product use when implemented together.2,12,13 These activities include:

Higher costs for tobacco products (for example, through increased taxes)2,13

Prohibiting smoking in indoor areas of workplaces and public places2,13

Raising the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 years2,12

TV and radio commercials, posters, and other media messages aimed at kids and teens in order to counter tobacco product ads2,13

Community programs and school and college policies that encourage tobacco-free places and lifestyles2,12

Community programs that lower tobacco advertising, promotions, and help make tobacco products less easily available2,13

Some social and environmental factors are related to lower smoking levels among youth. Among these are: ² It is important to keep working to prevent and reduce the use of all forms of tobacco product use among youth.

Being part of a religious group or tradition

Racial/ethnic pride and strong racial identity

Higher academic achievement

1. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students-United States, 2014U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking-50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2018 National Survey on Drug Use And Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive [accessed 4 Dec 2019].

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students-United States, 2014. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2015;64(38):1066-70 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

5. Wang TW, Gentzke AS, Neff LJ, et al. Characteristics of e-Cigarette Use Behaviors Among US Youth, 2020. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2111336. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.11336

6. Gentzke AS, Wang TW, Cornelius M, Park-Lee E, Ren C, Sawdey MD, Cullen KA, Loretan C, Jamal A, Homa DM. Tobacco Product Use and Associated Factors Among Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2022; 71(No. SS-5):1-29.

7. Birdsey J, Cornelius M, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among U.S. Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023; 72(44);1173-1182.

8. Gentzke AS, Wang TW, Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Ren C et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students, United States, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2020;69(50);1881-1888 [accessed 2020 Dec 17].

9. Marynak KL, Wang X, Borowiecki M, et al. Nicotine Pouch Unit Sales in the US, 2016-2020. JAMA. 2021;326(6):566-568. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.10366

10. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2000 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Combustible and Smokeless Tobacco Use Among High School Athletes-United States, 2001-2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2015;64(34):935-9 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

12. Gentzke AS, Glover-Kudon R, Tynan M, Jamal A. Adults' attitudes toward raising the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21 years, United States, 2014-2017. Prev Med. 2020 Feb 3;133:106012. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106012. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32027916.

13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs-2014. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2019 Feb 28].

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Smoking and smokeless tobacco use are almost always initiated and established during adolescence. Adolescent smokeless tobacco users are more likely than nonusers to become adult cigarette smokers.

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From the earliest markings upon cave walls, to the rhythmic beating of drums, cultural dance or even the creation of written language, people have been driven to express themselves through art since the earliest days of our species. It can even be said it is one of the unique qualities that make us human.

Yet most people, if asked, would deny being an artist. We assume that to be an artist, we must be a virtuoso or have created a masterpiece, but this is simply not true. The truth is that everybody has the capacity to express themselves through art, and perhaps more surprisingly, we can all benefit from doing so.

Here are a few ways even us "non-artists" can benefit from art:

1. Stress Relief

Research has shown that engaging in just 45 minutes of art-making significantly reduced the levels of cortisol (aka "the stress hormone") across 75% of participants. Why? Well, it turns out, creating art is akin to meditation. It forces the mind to slow down, to focus on the details, and it helps to block out the mind's distractions, resulting in people feeling noticeably calmer and less anxious.

2. Confidence Boost

Remember being a kid, and the feeling of pride you would feel when your mom hung your artwork up on the fridge or wall for all the world to see? It turns out, that feeling doesn't go away as an adult. Seeing a completed work of art that you have created stimulates the release of dopamine-the feel-good hormone-into our bodies, which lowers feelings of depression and increases feelings of confidence. In other words, creating art makes you feel better about yourself. Even if it's just a stick figure.

3. Problem-Solving

That's right, creating art can help us become better problem solvers. There are two reasons for this. One is that the practice of creating is inherently without boundaries or parameters. It forces you to use your imagination, to think through how you are going to convey your image or message through art. And the habit of thinking creatively helps you to learn new, resourceful ways of solving problems in your art, but also in life.

But secondly, the process of turning our problems into narratives can help us to work through them. By organizing our problems into the framework of a narrative-be it through writing, song or visual art-it helps to bring a sense of order to the chaos that is represented in the problem. This, in turn, "gives individuals a sense of predictability and control over their lives."

4. Improves quality of life for those with illness

Not only does art-making help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that are commonly experienced by those suffering from chronic illness, but research is also showing that it can be quite beneficial to older adults, particularly those suffering from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. This is because making art can improve cognitive functions by strengthening, or even creating new neural pathways in the brain, helping the brain to adapt and stay healthier. In fact, the earlier we can start using our creative brain regularly, and the longer we continue to do so, can help the brain stay fit and healthy as we age.

As a species, we have yet to run out of ways to creatively express ourselves. And in light of what research is now revealing are the many benefits of art-making; perhaps the very success of our species can be attributed, at least in part, to our innate need to create. It stimulates progress, it helps us cope, and more than anything, it helps us frame the narrative of our own humanity.

Kick-start your creativity with a course from our Jan-Aug 2022 Calendar

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From the earliest markings upon cave walls, to the rhythmic beating of drums, cultural dance or even the creation of written language, people have been driven to express themselves through art since the earliest days of our species. It can even be said it is one of the unique qualities that make us human.

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You don't have to be Picasso or Van Gogh to enjoy the process of creating art. Picking up a paintbrush, pencil, pen or watercolor set isn't reserved for the elite, and there are no boundaries in the art world as to who can create art.

Self-expression is an important part of human nature, and it's a base human desire that everyone experiences in their life. You don't have to be in art school, or create marble sculptures or encompass a natural-born knack for creating realistic paintings; whatever you create is an extension of you, and it is beautiful in that regard.

Art and creative expression is a powerful tool that can be used to benefit both your mental health and your physical health.
Stress Relief
Living a lifestyle that is conducive to stress and anxiety can take a toll on one's mental and physical health over time, and releasing pent up tension through the act of art is a great solution. Painting, drawing, clay sculpting and photography are some examples of activities that can help lower your stress levels. Creating art requires concentration and focus on the task at hand, and you can find yourself absorbed in the process, providing a distraction for your brain from the overwhelming thoughts and to-do lists that usually preoccupy the modern, busy mind.

Regularly creating art is a great way to consistently lower stress levels, which can lead to overall mental and physical health improvements.

Boosts Problem Solving & Memory

According to this study that studied the impact on fifth grade students' problem solving skills in relation to art, "students demonstrated that they are more likely to be intentional in their decision making, follow through on tasks, be deliberate in their approaches, approach accidents and difficulties with patience."

Art can also be beneficial for aging brains, and creating art requires practicing visualization and memory, making drawing and painting perfect activities to combat the development of memory disorders in old age. Mental decline is partly due to the loss of communication between brain cells rather than the death of brain cells, and practicing art can contribute to brain stimulation as well as the growth of new neurons.
Creative Thinking Increases
Practicing and learning an art can help foster creativity, and can help engage your brain as a whole. Creative ability isn't limited just to art, but practicing creative skills and engaging with the imagination can be directly related to creating art. There is no correct answer to art, and the process of creating and creative thinking allows you to come up with unique ideas and solutions in the moment, and that thinking can translate over to your everyday life, infusing creativity into your latest project at work, or your homework assignment for school.

Creativity is all about exploring, imagining and discovering, which makes art a perfect catalyst for increasing creative thinking and expression.
Encourages Positive Self-Esteem
Positive accomplishment, such as sewing, drawing or painting, photography or gardening (to name a few) can release the neurotransmitter dopamine into your system, which not only stimulates the creation of new neurons that can help keep the brain active, but can also combat depression and increase self-esteem.

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America reports that one study "found that the women with MS who participated in a creative art program experienced significant increases in self-esteem, social support, and self-efficacy to function with MS,".

This study entitled " The Connection Between Art, Healing and Public Health " also states that participating in the creation of art "Improved well-being by decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive ones,".
Improves Quality of Life
Art is a great tool for dementia patients as it encourages functioning of the whole brain, and can improve social behavior, self-esteem, and reduces other unpleasant symptoms experienced by those suffering from dementia, like agitation, depression, and insomnia.

According to this study, "Art can be a refuge from the intense emotions associated with illness. There are no limits to the imagination in finding creative ways of expressing grief."

The report details a group of women with cancer who experienced cancer-related issues with pain, insomnia, self-confidence and activity restriction, and found that creating visual art, through collage, pottery, and watercolor to name a few, found that it helped them focus on positive life experiences, enhanced their self-worth, and allowed them to express their feelings, especially when they were undergoing chemotherapy.

The report also goes on to say, "There is also evidence that use of art and music reduces hospital stays, with studies showing earlier discharges among patients taking part in sivual and performing arts interventions than among those not doing so."

The Multiple Sclerosis Associate of America also reports that a study conducted in Ireland based around MS patients who participated in creative art classes "experienced deep immersion in their artwork, offering respite from worry about their illness."

Creating art isn't the only way to receive the benefits. Viewing art can also improve your mental and physical wellness.

According to Ashford University, "The more time you spend analyzing a piece of art, the more you are able to stimulate both unconscious and conscious brain functions. Doing so can increase your analytics and problem-solving skills in everyday life."

Not only does viewing art positively impact your brain, but physically going to the places where art is displayed gets you out of the house, and encourages interaction with others around you. A local art museum, gallery, or farmers market or art fair are great places to view art, and connect with those around you.

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Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly.

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio

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You don't have to be Picasso or Van Gogh to enjoy the process of creating art. Picking up a paintbrush, pencil, pen or watercolor set isn't reserved for the elite, and there are no boundaries in the art world as to who can create art.

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Understanding Science - How science REALLY works...

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Benefits of science - Understanding Science

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The push for STEM initiatives - coding workshops for elementary school children, or extended-day science experiments for middle school students - reigns at the forefront of the education conversation today. But anyone in the classroom knows that science can be a tough subject to teach, with educators at times overwhelmed with the amount of material to cover, and students simultaneously discouraged with the amount to master.

As STEM enthusiasm percolates, the teaching of science - its importance, its challenges - isn't always part of the conversation. Usable Knowledge spoke with two Harvard faculty members, one an experienced high school teacher and the other a philosopher of science, whose thoughts may help to reframe and revitalize the mission of science education. Both argue that science should be much more than the rote memorization of theories, formulas, and vocabulary. It should be an education in problem solving and collaboration.

Science as Skill Building

HGSE Lecturer Victor Pereira, who taught high school science for more than a decade before becoming the master teacher in residence (science) in the new Harvard Teacher Fellows Program, knows the challenges firsthand. Classes can vary hugely in terms of students' prior knowledge, experiences, and interest in the subject, he says. By the time they reach high school, many students are wary of science, thinking the material is boring and useless, or that they themselves are incapable of learning it. And building an understanding of science depends on acquiring a new and complicated vocabulary, which can be odious to teach and to learn.

To confront these obstacles, educators should help their students approach science as more than an academic subject, Pereira says. "The nature of science itself is: make observations of the natural world, try and identify patterns, ask questions, find answers, ask more questions," he explains. "It's solving. It's a way of thinking." He argues that educators should portray science as acquiring skills, rather than memorizing facts. If the classroom focuses on the scientific process of discovery, more students will be engaged in the subject matter.

Collaborative Search for Truth

HGSE Professor Catherine Elgin, who specializes in the philosophy of science, has theorized that learning science includes the pursuit of another attribute: morality. Scientific inquiry, Elgin says, requires collaboration. Any project, in fields ranging from astrophysics to microbiology, requires a team of scientists working together to garner results. This collaboration requires trust: In order to be confident in their findings, scientists need to be able to trust both their teams and the researchers whose work they have studied.

To uncover new knowledge and advance their fields, scientists have to be trustworthy themselves. After all, they want their findings to contribute to the discovery of truth - an underlying goal of any scientific inquiry. What's more, scientists know that the public depends on them to publish accurate research that will lead to necessary advances in health and technology. To meet these expectations, findings must be honestly and meticulously recorded. Because this trustworthiness is a moral attribute, Elgin maintains, scientific inquiry is a moral activity.

But how does this connect to science education?

Elgin explains that the process of learning science reinforces these attributes. Chemistry majors cannot become chemists - and high schoolers cannot pass their chemistry labs - if, as students, they do not work together, double-check their assignments, and remain honest in their reports.

"Science does not happen on an island or in isolation," Pereira says. It's the science teacher's responsibility to make sure that students understand the importance of collaborating, along with staying organized and paying attention to detail.

Fostering Engaged Learners

These interrelated characteristics of science education - the process of discovery and the collaboration on trustworthy results - are not mutually exclusive. Pereira believes that science teachers should encourage their students to look at scientific advancements through an ethical lens, looking for patterns and asking questions about scientific developments. Science teachers should help students think critically about current technologies made possible by science, and reflect on whether future technologies will be morally acceptable.

The payoff of stepping back to consider the purpose of science education? Increased student engagement, Pereira says. Like all of us, students want to learn what's important. "The science teacher has to make sure that the class is relevant to what's happening in students' lives, and that they know how they can apply it," he says.

***

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The push for STEM initiatives - coding workshops for elementary school children, or extended-day science experiments for middle school students - reigns at the forefront of the education conversation today. But anyone in the classroom knows that science can be a tough subject to teach, with educators at times overwhelmed with the amount of material to cover, and students simultaneously discouraged with the amount to master.