“Who is This Kid?”
Partnership for a Drug-Free America Launches Digital
Effort to Help Parents Grasp Teen Behavior and Connect with their Kids
New Study Shows Parents Need the Most Help Talking
About Drugs and Alcohol as Kids Enter Teen Years
NEW YORK, NY,– For every parent of a teenager who has ever wondered “who
is this kid?” a new web destination, launched today by the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America, aims to make answering the question a little
bit easier. Designed to help parents navigate the confusing, often
frustrating teen years, “A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain” translates
recent scientific findings that shed light on how brain development
shapes teens’ behavior and personalities into easy-to-understand tips
and tools for parents.
The site, which is live at www.drugfree.org/teenbrain, was created in
collaboration with the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia, top
scientists and researchers on substance abuse and addiction and
Boston-based WGBH, leaders in public broadcasting and educational
multimedia.
“A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain” explains how the human brain takes
25 years to fully develop, with the prefrontal cortex – responsible for
complex judgment and decision-making – maturing last. Through video,
humorous interactive segments, role-playing and advice from experts,
parents learn how adolescent brain development explains the “normal”
teen behaviors that often confound parents –impulsiveness, rebellion,
high emotions and risk-taking – and how to use this new information to
connect with their teens.
“Parenting teens is very challenging, but understanding what’s going on
inside their brains can make it easier to communicate and help teenagers
make better decisions,“ said Ken Winters, senior scientist at the
Treatment Research Institute and professor, University of Minnesota
Medical School. “The areas of the brain responsible for physical
coordination, emotion and motivation mature sooner during adolescence
compared to the front region of the brain that is primarily associated
with controlling impulses and exercising judgment. This may be why teens
are drawn to skateboarding and video games, and it also may help explain
why they yell and slam doors. The teenage brain may be more hard-wired
to take risks than the mature brain. Parents need to understand that the
teenage years is not an optimal time for the best decision making. "
The launch of “A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain” coincides with the
release of the 20th annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), a
survey of parents’ attitudes about drugs and alcohol. The 2007 study
shows that as kids become teenagers, their parents’ need for information
and help talking about drugs and alcohol peaks, and parents’ confidence
in their ability to influence their teens’ and tweens’ (pre-teens)
decisions about drugs and alcohol begins to wane. The 2007 PATS Parents
study confirms that:
· The number of parents who report they need more tools and information
to help their kids deal with drugs and alcohol jumps 46 percent between
4th-5th grade and 6th-8th grade. (35 percent of 4th-5th grade parents
need more information, versus 51 percent of 6th-8th grade parents)
· Parents of 6th-8th graders are more likely to say that their kids are
reluctant to talk to them about drugs and alcohol (46 percent) than are
parents with children in 4th-5th grades (33 percent).
· Also, 37 percent of 6th-8th grade parents feel they have little
influence over their teen or tween’s decision to use drugs, versus 26
percent of 4th-5th grade parents who feel the same way.
“As teens and tweens hit the years where they are most at risk for drug
and alcohol use, parents report feeling a loss of power and a growing
need for help and support,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the
Partnership for a Drug-Free America. “It’s natural for parents to be
frustrated by teens’ behavior, but it must not discourage them from
monitoring their behavior and from talking about these important issues,
not only with their teens, but also with the parents of their children’s
friends. This new Web site was created to encourage parents to learn
what’s really going on inside a teen’s mind, and how to step in to help
teens make good decisions they’re not ready to make on their own,
whether it’s about drugs and alcohol, friends, sex or any other issue
teens face today.”
“A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain” is the first in a series of
interactive products the Partnership will introduce at drugfree.org this
year as part of a major new digital effort to champion parents and help
them prevent and address drug and alcohol abuse with their kids and in
their families.
“As a mother of 3 kids, with one son entering middle school, connecting
with him is my greatest priority. In my role as a coach certified for
parents, I often encourage other parents to learn how adolescent brain
development impacts behavior, especially in the tween and teen years,"
said Tara Paterson, ACPI™ Certified Coach of Parents of Intuitives and
author of Raising Intuitive Children (New Page Books, ’09). "Fostering
an open and loving relationship with our children – regardless of how
difficult it is – is of the utmost importance. Parents have much greater
influence than they realize, and if they establish strong, open
communication early, the challenging transitional years can be easier to
navigate."
In order to reach parents who increasingly turn to the internet for
information, and driving them to this new destination, the Partnership
will be undertaking an aggressive digital media effort. Interactive
banner advertising, created pro bono by Avenue A/Razorfish will be used
to target parents through several of the Partnership’s digital media
partners including about.com, oprah.com, prevention.com and si.com.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit organization
that unites parents, renowned scientists and communications
professionals to help families raise healthy children. Best known for
its research-based national public education programs, the Partnership
motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs
and alcohol, and to find help and treatment for family and friends in
trouble. The centerpiece of this effort is an online resource center at
drugfree.org, featuring interactive tools that translate the latest
science and research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy
to understand tips and tools. Research conducted by AP and MTV recently
showed that kids see their parents as heroes— at drugfree.org, parents
can connect with each other, tap into expert advice for children of all
ages, and find the support they want and need in their role as hero to
their kids. The Partnership depends on donations from individuals,
corporations, foundations and other contributors. The Partnership thanks
SAG/AFTRA, the advertising industry and our media partners for their
ongoing generosity.
Used With Permission
