Boarding Schools for Girls

Sending nude pictures to friends via cell phone is uncommon among very young teenagers, according to a new study by the Pew Internet Project.

• Researchers found that only 6 percent of children ages 12 to 13 years old said they had received a "sext" message, and 4 percent said they had sent one.
• Among 17-year-olds, 30 percent have received such messages, and 8 percent have sent them.

In a Dec. 15 article on the Pew website, Amanda Lenhart, author of the study, wrote that "sext messages" are being used as "romantic currency" among teenagers.

"Teenagers have always grappled with issues around sex and relationships, but their coming-of- age mistakes and transgressions have never been so easily transmitted and archived for others to see," Lenhart wrote.

Lenhart and other experts warn that there are legal issues around sending text messages. For example, even young teenagers can face child pornography charges when they distribute nude pictures of themselves.

Labels: middle school, sexting

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A youth empowerment program in Aiken, South Carolina will soon be providing additional support and assistance to at-risk girls in grades five and six via a weekly school-based "Girls Circle" initiative.

An Aug. 27 article by Rob Novit of the Aiken Standard provided the following information about the effort:

Girls Circle will function almost as a support group but will deal with specific topics, said agency Executive Director Susan Meehan.

The girls will get advice on saying "no" when they feel pressure from guys. But the program is also intended to help them feel more connected with other girls.

"When you address girls in a girls' setting, you can help them talk through this in a different way about the attitudes that can lead to early sexual behavior," Meehan said.

[Agency Program Director Sondra] Thomas hopes to reduce or prevent at-risk activities with the fifth- and sixth-grade girls by helping build self-sufficiency and letting them know they don't need someone else to validate them.

Is your middle-school-aged child suffering from emotional or behavioral problems related to self-esteem, self-confidence or self-reliance? If so, take a moment to learn more about how a private boarding school for girls such as New Leaf Academy can help your struggling daughter grow into a self-sufficient teenager and a strong, successful adult.

Labels: at-risk youth, middle school, self-esteem

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