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Blog Updates

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Line's #BeThe1To campaign offers 5 evidence-based action steps for communicating about suicide.

2/7/2023

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Step 1: Ask questions like “How are you feeling?”, “Are you thinking about suicide?”, and “How can I help?” Engaging in non-judgmental, supportive, and direct communication opens the door for an honest dialogue about their emotions. Be sure to listen calmly and take them seriously. Let them know that you understand and appreciate their courage in sharing something so difficult with you. Pay attention to the reasons that they are in pain as well as their own reasons for living. Remember that the language you use matters. Stigma surrounding suicidal thoughts can prevent young people from seeking support. Avoid asking leading or shaming questions, like “You’re not thinking of suicide, are you?” Instead, reassure them that there are no taboo thoughts and that you are a safe person. Do not be afraid to directly ask if they are thinking of suicide or self-harm. It is a myth that talking about suicide will “plant the idea” in someone’s head. In fact, acknowledging and discussing suicide can reduce suicidal ideation.
Step 2: Be There Offer your physical presence, a phone call, or any way of showing that you support and care about the person at risk. Make sure that you follow through on your offer of support. Do not commit to anything that you are not able to accomplish. If you can’t be there for them, talk with them about who might be an effective source of help. Being present for someone with thoughts of suicide saves lives. By increasing someone’s sense of connectedness and reducing their isolation, being there for them helps to alleviate feelings of hopelessness and other risk factors.
Step 3: Keep them Safe If they express thoughts of suicide, ask questions to better understand the severity of danger they are in: Have they tried to kill themselves before? Do they know how they would do it? Do they have a plan? What access do they have to their plan? If they indicate that they are in crisis, connect them with immediate resources like 988, the suicide prevention lifeline, or local crisis services. It is important to remember that, for many people, particularly people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, these immediate resources may not be safe. Resources like the Trevor Lifeline, the Trans Lifeline, and the Veterans Crisis Line, are available for LGBTQIA+ youth, the transgender community, and veterans. For people who are a part of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community, there are various local, statewide, and national mental health resources available. Cuyahoga County Community College and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention have compiled lists of key mental health resources for BIPOC folks experiencing suicidal thoughts. Put time and distance between them and their chosen method. You should prevent their access to lethal means by practicing safe storage for items like firearms and prescription medications. If they do not have a plan, keep talking. Share your own experiences with mental health and continue listening to their experiences.
Step 4: Help them Connect Collaborate with them to connect them to supports and resources within your community. Do not dictate the solution. Instead, acknowledge their pain and offer to help them figure this out, find help, and learn more. Explore potential supports, like mental health professionals and organizations in your community, with them to create a safety net in the event of a crisis. You may want to help them develop a safety plan that includes how to identify when they are experiencing severe thoughts of suicide as well as what to do and who to contact in those moments.
Step 5: Follow Up Continue to check in with them to see how they are doing and if there is anything you can help them with. Even small acts like reaching out with a caring card shows support, increases connectedness, and can reduce their risk for suicide. Talking to young people about suicide is important, especially if you have noticed any warning signs of suicide risk. Even if a young person in your life is not experiencing thoughts of suicide, having meaningful conversations about mental and emotional health is key. Consistently checking in with how they are feeling and truly listening to their experiences establishes a strong connection that may encourage them to seek help when they need it.

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6 Questions To Help Students Cope With Everyday Stress

11/30/2022

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Stress is a reality of everyday life for students in middle and high school. As young teens learn how to navigate increased demands on their time—newly intense workloads and schedules, after-school clubs and jobs—they’re simultaneously experiencing explosive physical and cognitive growth. It’s a complex developmental phase during which routine experiences like meeting a term paper deadline or being unexpectedly called on in class can feel like a cooling breeze—or a flash flood.
In teenagers, the brain is still maturing, and communication between the areas of the brain that generate and then manage impulses and emotions is not yet fully developed, explains Pamela Noble, a psychologist and research associate at the National Institute of Mental Health. This means the teenage brain is “extra-sensitive to the things going on in [its] environment, both good and bad,” says Noble. Learning how to cope with stress is a critical skill—especially in adolescence—and teens happen to be uniquely primed to “begin developing healthy behaviors so they become a habit for life.”

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Alcohol Use Among Girls and Young Women: A WORRYING TREND

7/19/2022

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For at least the past two decades, data showed that boys and young men were more likely to drink than girls and young women. However, an unsettling trend has taken hold: Data now show that girls and young women, ages 12 to 20, are drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts. Alcohol use by people under the legal drinking age of 21 has decreased over the past few decades, but the decreases were more pronounced for males than for females. In 2020, more girls and young women reported past-month alcohol use than boys and young men. 1 What is behind this trend? Here are some facts that organizations and those working in prevention should know as they design strategies to curb harmful drinking behaviors among girls and young women.
Mental Health Affects Underage Drinking
Evidence suggests that problems with anxiety and depression are increasing among adolescents, particularly young women. Girls and young women can be more susceptible to internalizing stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. This, in turn, may make them more likely to drink as a way to cope.2 In fact, when girls have high levels of anxiety, they are more likely than boys to use alcohol, and to do so at earlier ages. Helping girls and young women handle difficult emotions in healthy ways may help them reduce their consumption of alcohol or avoid it altogether.3,4 Because of the association between underage drinking and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, girls and young women who have these challenges need strong underage drinking prevention support coupled with general mental health support. Alcohol Increases the Risk of Certain Health Problems Girls and young women differ biologically from boys and young men. Females tend to have less water in their bodies than males of the same weight, so the alcohol they drink becomes more concentrated in their blood, where it then travels to the brain.5 Other gender-specific physical risks faced by girls and young women who use alcohol include:
-Increased risk of memory problems. Compared with boys, girls’ memories are more likely to be affected negatively by drinking. Girls and young women are more likely to experience memory impairments from alcohol, such as alcohol-induced blackouts.6 Furthermore, girls and young women who report binge drinking show less brain activity and worse performance on memory tests than peers who either drink a little or abstain. Boys and young men do not show the same outcomes.7
-A greater risk for long-term health consequences. Females are more susceptible than males to experiencing long-term health consequences like alcohol-induced liver inflammation and liver cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease. Drinking alcohol, even in girls and young women, contributes to future breast cancer.8 Among adult women, even one drink per day has been linked to a 5 to 9 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer compared to those who abstain from using alcohol.
By educating young people and adults about the risks and consequences of alcohol use, we can work to continue the downward trend and address gender patterns of underage drinking and risky alcohol use. Parents and other caring adults play an important role in young people’s decisions to consume alcohol, so it is imperative that adults support girls and young women as they work to protect their mental and physical health. SAMHSA’s Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among College Students, and the HHS Office on Women’s Health and Girls Health websites have information to help caring adults navigate the mental health challenges girls and young women face as they transition to adulthood. Likewise, SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You.” substance use prevention campaign and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s publication “Growing Up Drug Free” have resources to help adults start and continue conversations about alcohol use with children, teens, and young adults.
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How Parents and Children Can Learn Emotional Skills Together

11/3/2021

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You can better connect with your children and their communities by learning social-emotional skills alongside them.BY TERRI HUGGINS | OCTOBER 18, 2021If you’ve found yourself feeling like you don’t understand your kids more and more recently, you’re not alone. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 79% of Americans see major differences between younger kids and older adults in the way they look at the world.
And it goes both ways. As children navigate circumstances much different from their own parent’s upbringing in areas like social media, sexuality, and workloads, it’s not uncommon for them to say they consistently feel misunderstood by their parents. This disconnection also contributes to children feeling more anxious and stressed in school, and more lonely and misunderstood overall. 
It’s a scenario that Rebecca Marsh witnessed often within her community at United Schools of Indianapolis. 
“Parents in the school would tell me that they were raised to not talk about feelings, and developing character was never discussed,” she says. Because of that, they often feel as though they are struggling to do what’s best for their children, themselves, and those around them.  
While the schools made efforts to teach character development and mindfulness to students through social-emotional learning, it wasn’t as beneficial as it could have been because students were going home to parents who didn’t understand the practices or concepts themselves.
Malati Kalmadi of the Kaveri Group of Institutes witnessed similar issues within her schools and community in Pune, India. The result was a lack of openness, connection, and dialogue between parents and their children, as well as with teachers. 

With funding from the GGSC’s Raising Caring, Courageous Kids initiative, both of these organizations addressed this challenge by creating programs where parents and children learned together. This equipped parents with new skills and tools to help their children grow into mindful, caring adults. It also assisted the parents in practicing empathy, which led to a deeper connection between children, teachers, and the community and boosted their confidence. Together, these programs illustrate just how important it is for parents to get involved in their children’s social and emotional growth. 
Bringing parents and kids together“For the last 20 to 30 years, the social-emotional learning movement in this country has focused exclusively on children,” says Robert Roeser, professor of human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University and scientific advisor to Kaveri’s Mindful Parenting Program. “We also need to think about building those competencies in adults.”
Yet it’s a tall order to encourage introspection and self-awareness in parents that would translate to their children and in the school, considering the often-demanding schedules of parents. Both programs were able to yield high parent engagement by ensuring the program materials were accessible, easy to digest, and relatable for parents regardless of their background. 
In Marsh’s Social and Emotional Learning Parent Workshop series, parents were paired with mentors and attended in-person parenting workshops about character strengths like gratitude, forgiveness, purpose, and compassion, as well as parent-child group sessions that made space for families to discuss applying what they learned.
For example, when emphasizing the character strength of gratitude, parents were given gratitude journals to write down grateful moments, as well as the chance to create a family manifesto to use as a reminder of their personal and familial values. To practice forgiveness, participants identified some grudges they’d been carrying, wrote them down on pieces of paper, then dropped those grudges into a box that they had decorated, to symbolize letting go of them.
At the conclusion of the program, a survey revealed that 91% of participants saw the benefit and need for it. One of the biggest takeaways from the program was the parents’ realization that their children have thoughts, perspectives, and opinions of their own that are worth expressing, and how to actively listen to them. Their ability to be engaged when listening opened lines of communication, and assisted both parents and children in feeling more secure with their growth. 
Meanwhile, Malati Kalmadi and Jyoti Kumta created the Mindful Parenting Program in India that was designed to help parents foster character strengths like forgiveness, mindfulness, generosity, and gratitude in themselves and their children, thereby fostering a compassionate community. 
The Mindful Parenting Program consists of 10 sessions and two weekend camps for parents and children, to not put the burden of finding child care on parents. With the goal of cultivating self-awareness, volunteerism, and open dialogue between parents, children, and their teachers, each session included a quiet moment of reflection or meditation, sharing personal experiences within the group, and lessons from an expert. One of the most successful segments of the program was the 21-day kindness challenge facilitated through WhatsApp, in which participants engaged in a series of activities and discussed their experiences with other parents in the group. Some of the activities included giving away something dear to you, making a thank you card for someone in the family, and teaching someone something new.
Learning these skills translated into more positive interactions between parents, teachers, and children. And being involved in the program led parents to be more involved in the schools, said Kumta.
“Not only did more parents volunteer to substitute classes when a teacher was absent, but communication between parents and teachers improved, as both were better able to extend empathy to each other.”  
Surveys at the end of the program showed that more than half of the parents had a better relationship with the school and saw a positive change in their relationship with their children.
Both programs were hopeful that their methods would lend to creating more sound relationships between parents and children. This is especially useful during a time when current events have become so polarizing and pandemic stress is high. 
Lessons for parentsResearch suggests that there are many ways for parents to get involved in their children’s character development, and one of the most important things we can do is to model behavior. This not only inspires our kids but can also deepen our relationships with them and improve our well-being even beyond our role as parents.  

For example, research suggests that self-compassion goes hand and hand with balanced and calmer parenting. When parents practice self-compassion, they’re better able to be gentle with themselves and feel more connected with others, as opposed to feeling isolated. This enables them to better handle difficult situations, such as divorce and other traumas, and feel less stress. That ability to be mindful and kind to themselves is then extended to the children, as they learn by example and get the benefit of a more relaxed and engaged parent.
When self-compassion is coupled with mindfulness, parents have the unique ability to manage their emotions even chaotic situations. A study that examined the thoughts and behaviors of 62 mothers found those who were able to recognize their less-than-ideal parenting experiences as challenges and not failures were more likely to have a healthy mindset and better relationship with their children.
Another resource for difficult parenting situations is having a sense of purpose. Research suggests that fathers who have a sense of purpose make healthier decisions for themselves, practice better daily habits, and are happier. While determining your purpose as a parent is a deep question, it’s beneficial for the entire family. Children can see that you are working for something bigger than yourself, and see the strength that stems from using your voice for a purpose.
Finally, grateful people tend to have greater life satisfaction and better social interactions—and research suggests that grateful parents raise more grateful kids. While there are many different ways for parents to foster gratitude in children, it’s clear that the more children are exposed to it, the more they are able to improve their outlook on life.
Making a lasting impactOne year later, the programs at the United Schools of Indianapolis and the Kaveri Group of Institutes have had lasting effects on their participants. According to Marsh, Kalmaldi, and Kumta, parents have reported the continued effort to practice active listening, mindfulness, and open communication to strengthen connections with their children. Some have even sought out therapy for themselves to further extend their ability to understand and focus on their personal growth. 
If more schools employ mindfulness workshops and social-emotional learning programs that highlight character strengths for parents as well as students, the compassionate and open relationships that these parents, children, and teachers cultivated could become more common. But it must be done in a way that doesn’t blame, shame, or isolate parents in the process, suggests Roeser.
“We have to feel safe and then we can venture out into learning new things, but if we’re not feeling seen or heard, we may not feel very confident to do that or receptive to the idea,” says Roeser. 
“This kind of programming acts as self-development for the parents, as well as something meaningful to do with their children,” says Melinda Bier, codirector for the Center for Character & Citizenship at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and advisor for the parenting program at the United Schools of Indianapolis. “It gives the parents a chance to learn better skills in a non-threatening way, and that positive work spills over professionally and in other scenarios.” 
“These programs are valuable and have positive outcomes. It definitely connects parents and schools in a meaningful way so that students and the community can thrive,” says Bier.  
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Fall Drug Take Back Day Collection Totals

10/27/2021

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​Knox County, OH – Saturday, October 23, 2021, Knox County participated in the National Drug Take Back Day. We were able to collect 96.04 pounds of unused, unwanted and expired medication. Residents also brought in quite a few syringes that were destroyed courtesy of Knox Community Hospital.

Specifically, 70 lbs. were collected in Mount Vernon at Knox Public Health and Conway’s Eastside Pharmacy at the Knox Community Hospital Medical Pavilion, 3.84 lbs. were collected at Centerburg Foster’s Pharmacy, 17.6 lbs. were collected at the Danville Police Department and 4.6 lbs. were collected at the Fredericktown Police Department.

The Knox Substance Abuse Action Team (KSAAT) would like to thank the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Fredericktown Police Department, Danville Police Department and the Mount Vernon Police Department for leading each drop-off location as well as the volunteers that donated their time to make this event a success.

If you missed Drug Take Back Day, you can anonymously drop off your medications at any of the year-round drop-boxes. These locations include; the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the Fredericktown Police Department, the Danville Police Department (NEW LOCATION), the Mount Vernon Police Department, Rite-Aid-Mount Vernon and CVS-Mount Vernon. To dispose properly, place your medications in a clear Ziploc bag. Please do not put liquids, inhalers or illegals in the drop-boxes.

Residents can also request a free Deterra Drug Deactivation Bag, courtesy of RALI Ohio, by calling Knox Public Health at 740-392-2200 ext.2229.

KSAAT thanks all of you for cleaning out your medicine cabinets to make Knox County safer! We are all a part of the solution. 

To learn more about KSAAT visit ksaat.org.
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Know! To Balance Work and Play

10/12/2021

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The lazy days of summer have come and gone, and the school year is full steam ahead. But with our children’s school day followed by homework, sports, music lessons, dance classes, and them wanting to spend time with friends, it’s no wonder many of them are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. While we want to enrich our children’s lives through a wide variety of fun and enjoyable activities, helping them become well-rounded people, we also must help them find balance in their lives and minimize stress. Sometimes this means cutting back on the “extra stuff.”

It's challenging because there are many benefits to the extra stuff, like building self-esteem, discovering self-interests, teaching responsibility, helping to grow friendships, etc. The extra stuff can be good for them, so knowing when it’s too much may not always be that simple.

In an article shared by Synergy Academics, Dr. Jerry Bubrick, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, encourages parents to ask ourselves the following questions to determine if our children are overscheduled:
  • Are your children getting quality homework done?
  • Are they getting the recommended amount of quality sleep each night?
  • Are they able to take part in family activities?
  • Are they able to hang out with their friends?
Dr. Bubrick says that if the answer is ‘no’ to one or more of these questions, then it’s time to cut back. He also says that while it’s tempting to allow our kids to sign up for all the different activities or programs they are interested in, the risks can sometimes outweigh the rewards.

Those risks include our children:
  • Feeling too much pressure.
  • Developing issues related to stress and anxiety.
  • Experiencing disrupted or not enough sleep.
  • Not getting enough free or “down” time.
  • Feeling isolated and not spending time with friends.
  • Getting poor grades and decreased academic performance.
In helping our children find balance, they must first be clearly aware that their number one priority is school. If grades begin to decline or they are falling behind in their schoolwork, then that means something else must go. And that something else is the extra stuff.

Figure out how much time your child needs on average, to complete daily and weekend homework. This will vary for every child and planning is key. From there you will know how much time is left in your child’s schedule to dedicate to extracurricular activities, knowing that time may need slight adjustments around school testing, big projects, etc.

To help minimize the stress that surrounds homework, and help your child make the most of their study time, encourage them to follow these simple tips:
  • Select a well-lit, comfortable, quiet place to study, free from distractions.
  • Keep extra pencils, pens, paper, etc., in your dedicated study space.
  • Keep your space clean and organized.
  • Use a daily planner for assignments and check them off as you go.
  • Don't wait until the last minute to complete assignments. Create timelines for long-term projects and stick to them.
  • Dedicate space for every class in your book bag.
  • Make study guides and/or study cards to help break down important information.
  • Talk about assignments with friends.
  • If you are struggling, ask for help.

Young people are much less likely to feel overwhelmed with school and homework when they’ve taken steps to be prepared, organized, and focused. These steps will also help to free up time to then put toward the extra stuff, like spending much-needed time with their friends, participating in their favorite sports, playing an instrument, taking a dance class, etc.

Of course, there are additional stressors that come with school, as well as extracurriculars, which can overwhelm and exhaust our children. In the tip to follow, we will look at ways to help our children unwind and destress on a regular basis to maintain healthy minds and bodies.

 Tips For School Personnel

Are your students overscheduled and stressed out? Pose these questions in the classroom and let your students determine for themselves.
  • Does your schedule allow you to get quality homework done?
  • Does your schedule allow you to get the recommended amount of quality sleep each night? (6-12 years old: 9-12 hours, 13-18 years old: 8-10 hours)
  • Does your schedule allow you to take part in family activities?
  • Does your schedule allow you to spend time with friends?

Tell them that if they answered “no” to any of these questions, then they are overscheduled and need to talk to their parents about ways to adjust or cut back.

Sources

Synergy Academics: Balancing School and Extracurricular Activities. Oct. 16, 2019.

Eli Terry Jr. Middle School (Terryville, CT): Study and Homework Tips for Middle School Students.
About Know! Parent Tips

Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all.

We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, Start Talking! and the Ohio Department of Education.

Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
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Know! How To Help Youth After A Suicide Loss

7/15/2021

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The following information is shared by the Klinic Community Health Centre’s “After a Suicide: A Practical and Personal Guide for Survivors.”

Historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote, “There are always two parties to a death: the person who dies and the survivors who are bereaved.” When that death is by suicide, grief and despair may be further intensified and the healing process may be more complex. Survivors often struggle to understand “why” their friend or loved one chose to end their life and question what they could have said or done differently to have changed the outcome.

In the aftermath of suicide, it is difficult enough as an adult to try to wrap our minds around what has occurred. Given the stage of development adolescents are in, it comes as no surprise that it tends to be even more difficult for a young person to try and make sense of the loss of a friend or family member by suicide. A young person needs information, guidance and continued support to help them get through the grieving process and move forward in a positive direction.

A good first step is helping them understand why people die by suicide. We may not know for sure why a person they cared about made the choice they did; however, we can share with them common factors and circumstances that contribute to someone’s decision to end their life.

We know that factors, such as loss, addictions, trauma, depression, physical and mental illness, and major life changes, can make some people feel overwhelmed and unable to cope to the point that their thoughts turn to suicide. We also know that people who consider suicide usually have extreme feelings of hopelessness, despair and helplessness. They believe that the tremendous amount of pain they are in will never end and that the only way to stop their suffering is to end their life. Even people who have strong support systems around them may be so debilitated by their pain that they fail to ask for help when it is needed most.

Important statements a young person needs to hear and believe in the aftermath of suicide:
  • No matter the situation or circumstances, it’s not your fault that someone else made the decision to end their life. Nothing you could have said or done would have prevented your loved one from dying. 
  • The decision your friend or family member made is not a reflection of their love for you, and it does not take away from the friendship or meaningful relationship the two of you shared.  
  • It’s okay to use the word suicide. Using the word and talking about it can help the healing process. 
  • Healing does not mean forgetting your loved one who died by suicide. You don’t dishonor their memory when you heal, laugh and live your life again. 
  • Everyone grieves, reacts and copes differently. There is no right or wrong way to mourn your loss. 
  • You will likely face some difficult times on your road to healing, but remember you are not alone. You have your family, friends and people in the community who love and care about you. They are here for you and want to help—you simply must ask.  
According to the Full Circle Grief Centre, additional ways to support youth dealing with suicide loss include the following:
  • Be available and patient. Listen generously. 
  • Ask questions. Be invested in their well-being. 
  • Validate their feelings. 
  • Give them choices in determining which avenues of support they prefer. 
  • Understand how important their peer relationships can be and be open to changes. 
  • Challenge the stigma and shame around suicide. Use the verbiage “died by suicide.” 
  • Support their desire to create remembrance experiences. 
  • Provide opportunities to maintain connections with others. 
  • Help to prepare them for others’ insensitivity. 
  • Give them permission to grieve the way that feels right to them. 
  • Seek out additional professional support if needed. 

The death of someone we care about, especially death by suicide, is devastating, complex and immensely impactful, especially for young people. It’s important to provide them with information, guidance and support—encouraging them to live alongside their grief and to grow from it.

A final reminder from Klinic Community Health Centre, “Not only is it important to grieve, it is necessary to experience the pain of your loss in order to gain relief.”

Sources
Full Circle Health Centre, Maryse Eubank, M.Ed: Supporting Teens After a Suicide Loss.
Klinic Community Health Centre: After a Suicide: A Practical and Personal Guide for Survivors.
About Know! Parent Tips
Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all.

We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Education, and Start Talking!.

Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
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Know! To Hop Off The "Let Them Be Bored" Bandwagon

6/30/2021

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There has been a lot of talk about the benefit of “letting kids be bored”. Those in favor will argue that young people are overscheduled and need downtime. They believe boredom sparks creativity and encourages autonomy.

Though the research is slim-to-none to back up these claims, they are valid points. Many children are overscheduled and could benefit from some downtime and lazy days over the summer months. And yes, boredom certainly can cause youth to get creative in how they end up spending their time.

However, there are also problems with each of these arguments. Relaxing downtime is not the same as relentless boredom. Relaxing downtime will refresh and recharge a child; relentless boredom will leave a child feeling displeased, discontented, and dissatisfied. And while being bored can cause youth to get creative, that creativity is not always positive, safe or healthy.

In fact, according to “The Case Against Boredom,” shared by the Institute for Family Studies, “Teens who are often bored are 50% more likely than their peers to take up smoking, drinking and illegal drugs. And it is one the most frequent triggers for binge eating.” Boredom is associated with other negative outcomes, as well.

While we should not be expected to keep our children entertained 24/7, as parents and other caregivers, it is our responsibility to help them explore their own creative interests in a safe and beneficial way.

In the previous tip, we shared ideas on working together to create a Summer Bucket List. In this tip, we encourage you and your child to come up with a Summer Boredom Busters list for days when a little inspiration is needed.

Here are just 25 of the 100+ Things for Teens To Do This Summer shared by StudentDen.com:
  1. Go to a thrift store or garage sale and find something oddly fabulous for your wardrobe or room.
  2. Stargaze from the top of your roof (safely) or the backyard.
  3. Take up the ukulele or some other instrument.
  4. Do something kind for someone—a neighbor, a family member or a complete stranger.
  5. Get creative! Draw, paint or make a collage portrait.
  6. Pretend to be a tourist and visit the top attractions in your town.
  7. Climb a tree.
  8. Write and produce a film or play with your friends.
  9. Have a scream-a-thon. Invite your friends and watch scary movies!
  10. Re-create a childhood photo (you’re a lot bigger now).
  11. Try out a new sport (frisbee golf, bocce ball, field hockey, etc.).
  12. Relax in a hammock.
  13. Go fishing.
  14. Run through the sprinklers.
  15. Make some homemade soap.
  16. Organize a tug-of-war.
  17. Have a bonfire and roast marshmallows or make s’mores.
  18. Make a root beer float.
  19. Teach yourself to do a handstand.
  20. Have a water balloon fight.
  21. Write a song, poem or short story.
  22. Have a backyard potluck with friends.
  23. Make your own slip-n-slide with plastic garbage bags.
  24. Host a game of capture-the-flag.
  25. Read a book while sunbathing (don’t forget the sunscreen).


Encourage your child(ren) to circle the ones that spark their interest, cross off the ones that do not, add to the list with their own ideas, then post on the fridge for those “there’s nothing to do” kind of days.

While kids certainly need downtime to recharge and refresh, keeping them engaged and active is essential to their mental and physical well-being, and will help them avoid the pitfalls that summer boredom may bring. 

Sources
Justin Coulson, Institute for Family Studies: The Case Against Boredom. Feb 2019.
StudentDen.com: 100+ Things for Teens to Do This Summer. July 2019.
About Know! Parent Tips
Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all.

We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Education, and Start Talking!.

Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
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Know! To Keep It Safe This Party Season

5/3/2021

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Prom and graduation seasons are quickly approaching. Though COVID-19 lingers on, many school districts around the country are working on plans to allow for both events to safely take place this year. While these celebrations will most likely look and feel different from prepandemic times, there are certain aspects that are likely to continue on—we’re talking about underage drinking.

As a parent, it may be tempting to think to ourselves that if our older teens are going to experiment with a substance, we’d prefer it to be alcohol over other drugs. However, when we consider the range of risks and negative consequences alcohol presents, we know we cannot afford to allow for underage drinking.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) shares the following dangers associated with teens consuming alcohol:
  • Causes many injuries and deaths: Alcohol is a significant factor in the injuries and deaths of young people from motor vehicle crashes, alcohol overdoses, falls, burns, drowning, homicides, suicides and more.
  • Impairs judgment: Drinking can lead to poor decisions about taking risks, including unsafe sexual behavior, drinking and driving, getting into the car with someone who has been drinking and aggressive or violent behavior.
  • Increases the risk of physical and sexual assault: Underage binge drinking is associated with an increased likelihood of being the victim or perpetrator of interpersonal violence.
  • Can lead to other problems: Drinking may cause youth to have trouble in school or with the law. Drinking alcohol is also associated with the use of other substances.
  • Increases the risk of alcohol problems later in life: Research shows that people who start drinking before the age of 15 are at a significantly higher risk for developing an alcohol use disorder later in life.
  • Interferes with brain development: Research shows that young people’s brains continue developing well into their 20s. Alcohol can alter this development, potentially affecting both brain structure and function. This may cause cognitive or learning problems and/or increase vulnerability for an alcohol use disorder, especially when people start drinking at a young age and drink heavily.

Alcohol is no joke, and underage drinking should not be taken lightly; nor should it be a rite of passage for older or graduating teens. It’s clearly unhealthy and unsafe. It also is illegal.

If you have plans to host an upcoming after-prom party, graduation celebration or any other gathering that includes teens in your home or on your property, it’s essential to keep these tips in mind.
As a parent:
  • You can’t give alcohol to your teen’s friends under the age of 21 under any circumstance, even in your home.
  • Let your neighbors know in advance there will be a party and that you will be there to supervise.
  • Secure all alcohol, firearms and other hazardous items.
Helpful things you can do as a parent:
  • Get to know your children’s friends and their parents.
  • Ask other parents about their views on alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
  • Encourage alcohol-free and drug-free parties and activities for underage youth.

Party hosting suggestions:
  • Refuse to supply alcohol to anyone under 21.
  • Be at home when your teen has a party.
  • Make sure alcohol is not brought into your home or property by your teen’s friends.
  • Talk to other parents about not providing alcohol at events your child will be attending.
  • Create alcohol-free opportunities and activities in your home so teens feel welcome.
  • Report underage drinking to local law enforcement.

While alcohol remains the number one drug of choice among youth, underage drinking is not inevitable, as many parents might think. In fact, more than 58% of teens do not drink alcohol, and nine out of 10 say that underage drinking is not worth the potential negative consequences.

Adults would likely agree that hosting or turning a blind eye to an underage drinking party also not is worth the potential negative legal consequences. Thirty states assign criminal penalties, including and up to felony charges for permitting teens to drink alcohol. If you give alcohol to minors, you could lose your driver’s license, have your property seized, get fined and face criminal charges. You can also be held legally responsible for the actions of any underage teens who drink in your home. Obviously, it’s not worth the health and safety risks to your child or their underage friends and not worth the legal risks for you.

As these celebrations come into full swing, be sure to talk to your children about the wide range of risks and negative consequences associated with underage drinking, and take action to protect yourself legally, while keeping your child and their friends safe and healthy.

Sources
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Underage Drinking Statistics. March 2021.

Prevention Action Alliance: Parents Who Host, Lose The Most; Don’t Be a Party to Teenage Drinking. 
About Know! Parent Tips
Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all.

We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Education, and Start Talking!.

Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
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Alcohol Awareness/College Hazing

3/29/2021

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The recent tragic death of an Ohio college student involving alcohol misuse and alleged hazing activities have college communities and parents alike grappling with grief at the loss of a life that could have been prevented. It is at times like this a sometimes hidden issue is brought to light. Communities begin relooking at ways to evaluate the elements of the tragedy and what can be done to stop it from happening again. This time, the death was caused by alcohol misuse and hazing.  

In 2008, a ground-breaking national study on hazing, “Hazing in View: College Students at Risk,” was conducted through the University of Maine. With the lack of more accessible and recent data on hazing, this national study is still used as a data-driven guide for assisting college communities in addressing hazing tactics. The use of extreme hazing tactics in college communities already put young adults at risk—the use of alcohol increases that risk exponentially. For this study, hazing was defined as “any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers them regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.”
  • 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing.
  • 26% participate in a drinking game. 
  • 12% drink large amounts to the point of getting sick or passing out. 
More recent data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) on college student alcohol use (non-hazing specific) reports:
  • 53% of full-time college students ages 18-22 drank alcohol in the past month.
  • 33% engaged in binge drinking during that same time frame.
The Ohio College Initiative (OCI) at Prevention Action Alliance is a responsive prevention mechanism that can support college and university communities as they look to eliminate the instances of hazing and alcohol related tragedies. OCI provides networking opportunities, resources, professional development and funding to assist higher education communities apply prevention science and strategies toward their most prevailing student behavioral health needs. A prevention tool supported by OCI for campuses statewide is the Healthy Campus Framework. This strategic tool assists campuses in creating an encompassing culture of health and well-being. 

An additional response to this recent tragedy is the introduction of Ohio Senate Bill 126 and Ohio House Bill 205 that look to increase penalties for aggravated hazing and the development of a statewide education plan for preventing hazing at institutions of higher education.

If you live and/or work within a college community, as a prevention professional, we urge you to reach out to your local campus and create a partnership in providing prevention education, awareness campaigns or other applicable evidence-based prevention strategies. Communities have greater impact for change when we work together.
Senate Bill 126
​House Bill 205
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