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Children whose parents live together but aren't married are more likely to engage in risky behaviors compared to children of married parents, according to a Canadian study.

Researchers at the Institute of Marriage and Family used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, checking on them at ages 6 to 11 and then again at ages 14 to 19. The ones who lived with unmarried parents were more likely to smoke, deal drugs, be sexually active, and have poor relationships with their parents. Almost half (49 percent) of the children ages 6 to 9 years old whose parents were unmarried lived with only one biological parent.

Married couples tended to be better educated, older, and more likely to be religious.

Labels: parents, behaviors, risks

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

According to a recent story appearing in the Salt Lake Tribune, Summit County and Tooele County lead the state in the percentage of troubled teens. In Summit County, six out of 10 high school seniors are at risk for drug and alcohol abuse. These data come from the statewide Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) surveys that were conducted in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in 2003, 2005, and 2007. The results have been posted to a website recently established by the University of Utah's Criminal Justice Center. (Source: www.sltrib.com)

Labels: drug-use, risks, teenagers

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

If teenagers live near a store that sells tobacco and liquor, they are more likely to smoke and drink, according to a new study from the University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University.

Dr. Joshua West and his colleagues removed the risk factors such as peer pressure in order to study only the effect of living near a liquor and tobacco retail outlet.

"It turns out that proximity to a retailer is important to an adolescent's decision to use alcohol and tobacco," said Dr. West. He believes the reason may be that many teenagers do not have access to transportation.
 

Labels: alcohol abuse, risks

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments