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We all live in an entirely competitive world today, where everything we do requires consistent decisions. As adults, we understand our duties and responsibilities to ourselves, friends, colleagues, and family. But with a more specific obligation, we play an important role in keeping our children safe. But are we aware of what our teenagers are going through? Do we have an idea of how they are dealing with the challenging world? If it would help us understand our children, I have a list of problems that teens currently face today.

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Social Media Addiction – One of the top issues that teenagers are facing today is social media addiction. It becomes part of their lives that when it’s not accessible, teenagers become emotionally bothered and dysfunctional. Teenagers’ addiction to social media has a lot to do with the image of perfection they often see posted on someone else’s wall. They become more attracted to the beautiful things they see, which somehow build more of their insecurities.

Substance Abuse – It is a bit of concern that most teenagers nowadays engage in substance abuse. Negative habits such as binge drinking of alcohol and smoking are now part of their lifestyles. As much as we want to control it, we know that the more we grapple with making them stop, they will find new ways to continue what they think provides them happiness. Therefore, these are something they should deal with sensitively.

Drug Addiction – Drug addiction is a common problem that the majority of teenagers are dealing with. Regardless of their gender, age and status in life, almost all of them are able to engage in bad habits due to several reasons. However usually, it is because of peer pressure. Teenagers hanging out with the wrong group or bad influenced individuals can commit the wrongful act. Thus, their environment and upbringing genuinely matter. Because if not, the engagement in delinquent and criminal acts is highly possible.

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Eating Disorder – It is an issue commonly experienced by teenage girls. They struggle to fit in with society’s standard of body image. Thus, they intend to compromise their health only to get that desired body shape. Due to this poor choice of habit, some girls suffer from clinical conditions such as anemia and anorexia. Teenage boys, on the other hand, struggle with eating a lot of junk food. They usually overeat at times or skip a meal.

Insecurities – Many teens today are dealing with body-image issues. That explains why they often spend more time and money trying to look good for others to appreciate. But regardless of their effort, they are never satisfied. Teenage insecurities leave these young individuals with anxious and depressed personalities making them unable to love themselves. They usually feel upset about their imperfections and go above board only to change the things they don’t like about their physical appearance.

Future’s Uncertainty – Most teenagers nowadays are uncertain of what they want in life. They are more into living in the present. Some of them are not taking things seriously and believe that they can handle things independently despite the lack of skills and experience. Teens nowadays are confused with their careers and passion. Some are drawn into fame and pleasure that they ignore the importance of intellect and good manners.

Pressure To Excel – Every teenager wants to be the best in everything. They want their lives to run according to their effort and accomplishments. However, these children stress themselves and push their mental, physical, and emotional health to the limit due to that desire. Thus, they spend more hours doing things up to the extent of harming their overall health. They often work too hard trying to be the best because they feel pressured to excel no matter what.

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Relationship Pressure – As part of the open-mindedness, many teenagers are now diving into having a romantic relationship. They believe it is a normal way for them to become mature enough to understand the pros and cons of commitment. They think that being in a relationship teaches them to make better decisions in life. However, teenagers do not see the damage of physical intimacy in an early stage. Their engagement in unsafe sex leads to sexually transmitted disease and early pregnancy.

Depression – As much as we would want to think that teenagers nowadays are strong and independent, almost all of them struggle with mental health problems, particularly depression. That is due to the nonstop uncertainties that life throws at them that make them feel a lot worse than dejected. Everything around requires them to immediately adjust to the emotional and mental aspects causing too much pressure on their overall development.

Takeaway

Our children can suffer more serious damage when not taken care of. As parents, we need to exert extra effort in educating them about their responsibility to themselves, so they can recognize their roles in the community.

 

 

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Child abuse is defined as any action that may potentially cause substantial danger to a child. Child maltreatment or abuse could be done by either a child or an adult. It could also entail sexual, emotional, physical, or verbal abuse, and exploitation or neglect.

Studies constantly reveal that only a few children who are abused are identified. They also show that a lot of kids encounter various kinds of abuse simultaneously. Overall, young girls and women have a higher likelihood of being vulnerable to child abuse, although both girls and boys are affected during their early years in school.

Child abuse forms include emotional, physical, sexual, bullying, racial discrimination, neglect, and violence in the home, among others.

Effects Of Neglect And Child Abuse

All forms of neglect and abuse cause longstanding scars, and several of these scars may be physical, but mental and emotional damage has a life-long impact on children throughout their life. This destroys a child’s self-image, his capacity to function normally in school, at work, or home, and his relationships with others. Some effects are mentioned below.

• Difficulty dealing with emotions. Abused kids are not able to appropriately express how they feel. Consequently, their feelings are suppressed and come out in unpredictable ways. Adults who have survived abuse often struggle with depression, anger, or anxiety of unknown origin. They also tend to turn to drugs or alcohol to conceal the painful emotions.

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• Trust and relationship issues. When you have trouble trusting your parents, who can you really trust? It is tough for these children to learn how to trust others or identify people they can trust. Because of this, they have difficulty keeping relationships when they become adults, as they wouldn’t know how to recognize a good relationship in the first place.

 

• Send of worthlessness. Children who have experienced abuse have been repeatedly told that they are stupid or worthless, which is why it is not easy for them to overcome their longstanding frustrations. Growing up, they may ignore their education or be content with low-paying careers because they don’t have enough self-esteem to aim higher. Those who were sexually abused, shamed and affected by the stigma surrounding abuse live on to feel damaged even during adulthood.

 

Effect Of Child Abuse And Neglect On Mental Health

Evidence provides that abuse and neglect heightens a child’s risk of presenting with symptoms of trauma. It is also considered a major ACE or adverse childhood event with longstanding harmful effects on children’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Neglect, on the other hand, could be as harmful as emotional or sexual abuse. The more forms of maltreatment a child will encounter, the bigger his chances are of struggling with a gamut of negative emotions as adults.

When children are born, they have a strong requirement for safety and for their basic needs to be met to develop normally. Nurturing, trustworthy, and healthy attachments from parents and other caregivers cultivate strength and resilience in children, and they learn how to deal with their daily challenges and stresses effectively. Positive bonds make kids feel secure, enhancing robust child development, healthy physical and mental well-being, and promoting cognitive development.

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When parents become a cause for fear instead of safety, it can be dangerous for their growth and development. When certain experiences are severe and longstanding, they increase a child’s exposure to harmful tension levels and over-activate their body’s fight or flight response. This is why abused kids are often jumpy and find it hard to pacify their feelings or behaviors. Additionally, teachers often see the deleterious effects of abuse in school, as these kids present with low grades and difficulty concentrating, along with unpredictable behavioral patterns.

Identifying Abusive Behavior

Rearing kids is among life’s ultimate challenges and can seriously trigger frustration and rage in even the most patient parent or caregiver. If you were raised in a home where shouting and arguing or violence was a daily thing, you might not recognize any other means of raising your own kids. Acknowledging that you have a problem is a crucial step to getting the help you need. Some warning signs are listed below to help you know when you might be crossing the abuse boundaries.

• You feel sensitively detached from your child. You may feel so overwhelmed to the point that you would not want to know anything or do anything with your child. You often want to be alone and for your kid to be distant from you.

 

• It is difficult or impossible for you to meet your child’s daily needs. While the rest of the parents strive to feed, dress, help their children with school, you are doing the opposite and feel unobligated to do what you’re supposed to for your child. If this persists for a long period of time, it is definitely a warning sign that something is not right.

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• You are frequently angry. What begins as a harder than usual pat on the back may turn into numerous hits that become harder and more painful. You might shrug your child’s shoulder and then finally push them down to the ground. Or perhaps you can’t stop screaming or expressing your rage.

 

• People have expressed concern. It may not be clear to you right away, but when people go to you and express their concern about raising your child, you might want to stop and think. This is your child we are talking about. If you feel that you can’t deal with it on your own, seek help from a mental health professional before it’s too late.

 

 

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The current pandemic has changed our everyday lives. Businesses, offices, and schools are shut down. Children are staying at home with their parents. We are all struggling with the stresses of medical care, where and how to get by financially, and how to obtain food, even tissue paper. Most importantly, we are all anxious and terrified of contracting the virus – because it is real, and now we know it, judging from the number of infected and dead across the world.

Everyone is confronted with the challenge of adapting to the new normal, without being aware when it will exactly end. This adjustment becomes more difficult for people who have lost their jobs and consequently lost their income, their way of sustaining their families. If you are among those who are presently giving child support and your income has been severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, this article may be for you.

Below is a list of steps that you can take immediately regarding your child support order.

As you may already be aware, child support order is based on the money you earn as income when the order was established. The court or the lawyers considered a lot of factors before identifying the appropriate amount of support. This amount may be changed upon request from the court or as agreed by both parties if ever your income changes. Hence, if you have lost a large amount of your income to the effects of COVID-19, you have an opportunity to consider filing for a change of your support order.

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It is also important to note that even though a lot of courts have closed or may have limited access due to the pandemic, time is also significant in filing for a change in the details of the support order. Courts have been forced to cancel scheduled events and hearings, and there are new events allowed. They are only permitted to hear emergency cases, like custody entailing endangerment or a child or if someone needs to file for an abuse order. Although a change in the support order is not said to be an emergency case during this time, courts do accept modifications.

This is significant because if you file for modification now, you are keeping the previous date for the modification to take effect once the case has been listed and changed by the court. Hence, once your order is modified, the total amount of support can be lowered if you file now rather than later.

If you are uncertain about what to do after you have lost your job or your income because of this global crisis, a competent family lawyer is capable of advising and guiding you during this depressing time.

Generally, most courts often change their procedures to abide by government policies and orders. If you are paying support now, ensure that you talk about your concerns with the lawyer and be informed about the qualifications for decreased support. This might provide you with some insight and help you feel relieved for the time being. It will also save you money in the long term and consequently put you in a better place when the courts open again, and our lives go back to normal, or better yet start adapting to the new normal.

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Since the pandemic, which has been three months, family law attorneys have often been inquired about the issue of whether or not a parent should allow the other parent to spend time with their kid if he is not following the social distancing and other health and safety measures instructed by the government. As a general rule, parents must continuously abide by the court order given to them. Or else, they might be filed for contempt of court. On the other hand, exemptions can be done, and specific situations are assessed on a case-to-case basis. For this concern, again, it is advisable to consult a family law attorney.

 

 

 

Child support is one essential aspect of upbringing a child. This allows you to understand how the child support laws work. Here are most frequently asked questions about child support: Continue reading “Top Ten Child Support Questions”

 

Civil rights are defined as the rights to political and social freedom and equality.  Discrimination against race and gender, sexual assault and deprivation of basic needs are typical examples of civil rights violations.  If you have been a victim of civil rights violations, it is essential to know your options and decide on a proper course of action. Continue reading “Have Your Civil Rights Been Violated?”

If there is one thing that you have to prioritize at the moment, it is the importance of knowing how to raise emergency funds. Keep in mind that the amount of money that you spend in your day-to-day life is not the only cash that you need. As much as possible, make an effort to save some cash for a future emergency. Do not just rely on the amount of money that you have in your wallet right now. Instead, make an effort to have a sufficient source of funds for emergencies.

Take note that no matter how careful you are in taking good care of your health or in ensuring your safety, there is always a possibility that you will get into an accident or get sick. What happens when you encounter this problem? Do you have enough or sufficient cash to pay for the medical expenses? Can your financial situation handle another setback? If you answered no to all these inquiries, then be sure to read the article from top to bottom. Our goal is to share some tips on how you can learn to save money for emergency funds.

Set A Budget

As much as possible, be responsible enough to set a budget for your expenses. How much money are you willing to spend for a given week? Knowing the ultimate answer to this question can help you a lot in gaining expertise on how to handle your money. At the same time, it can also be a guide for you on the limits that you may spend at a given time.

Create A Separate Bank Account

The number one rule in saving for an emergency fund is never to commingle it with your personal money or other savings. Because of this, it is best if you will create separate savings account for this money. You have to be careful in handling your financial matters so that you will not encounter troubles in the future.

Know Your Cash Flow

Another thing or tip that you have to prioritize is to be smart enough to know your cash flow. You have to be aware of the total amount of cash that comes into your account every month. Aside from this, you must also know the level of expenses that you must pay for at a given time. Once you do this, you will begin to experience financial freedom.

 

Think Twice Before Spending

Before you pay for an item that you want to buy, be sure to ask yourself if you need it or not. Of course, if you believe that it is a necessity, then you must go for it. However, if you believe that it is a mere want, the right thing to do is to avoid purchasing it. Take note that wants and needs are two different things. The only time to buy the latter is if you have a sufficient source of income that can help you pay for the wants. Otherwise, save up first so that you will become worry-free.

 

 

How do you free yourself from abuse? Sometimes it can be difficult to end abusive relationships and to protect yourself because of the emotional and psychological traumas these abuses cause. No one deserves to be abused which is why we have prepared this article to help guide you during this terrible ordeal. You have to put up limitations and keep yourself safe. More importantly, try to reach out to family and friends for support and help. Continue reading “It’s Difficult To Leave An Abusive Relationship – But You Can Do It!”

Getting into a car accident can be frustrating and challenging. Everything will become a significant struggle on your part, especially if you do not know what to do next after suffering physical injuries. Take note that there is a possibility that you may become disabled because of the accident. Ian Robertson, Ph.D. explains,  “[The] brain network allows us to concentrate on undemanding, routine activities – like easy, unchallenging driving. But you also need it for studying, reading, following a lecture or listening for your flight to be announced at the airport.” And so, at the same time, it can also force you to leave your work for a while, depending on how big the accident is. We understand how the survival process can be complicated, which is why we have decided to write an article that is dedicated to helping you survive a personal injury.

Below is the list of things that you have to keep in mind if you want to get on with your life after suffering from a sad car accident:

Get The Help You Need

One of the things that you have to do is, to be honest with yourself and admit the fact that you need someone to help you. Keep in mind that you must never make any person feel that it is wrong to offer you support or assistance. As such, you must be willing to welcome anyone who wants to help you in any way. Take note that getting the right amount of help can be a great way to keep you moving forward to better days. Clinical and forensic psychologist James F. Zender, Ph.D. “Auto accident patients are often in a state of emotional shock and are poor informants when questioned about their injuries.” He adds, “Auto accident patients are frequently experiencing acute stress reactions that often develop into post-traumatic stress disorders.”

Talk To A Lawyer

Whether you are the primary victim or the culprit of the car accident, be sure that you will take the necessary steps to find a lawyer. Keep in mind that legal representation is essential if you want to protect your interests. Always remember that there are several legal matters that you have to check. First of all, you must have a lawyer to help you settle payment for damages. At the same time, the said lawyer can also assist you in making claims for insurance.

Find A Therapist

If you think that the car accident has brought in a lot of trauma or unresolved issues on your part, be sure that you will find a therapist who can assist you. Keep in mind that the services of a therapist will guide you on how to move on with your life after the personal injury. However, it is best if you will take the time to look for the ideal mental health professional. Otherwise, you will only end up regretting the choices that you will make.

Forgive Yourself

There is no point in blaming yourself for what happened in the past. The best thing to do is to be mature about the car accident. “Feeling sorry for yourself is natural and even important — as long as you don’t let it get out of hand,” wrote psychotherapist F. Diane Barth, LCSW. “Let off steam, ask for sympathy, but then move on as well as you can.” You have to stop thinking about how things could have changed if you did not get into such an experience. Instead, give your time and attention to your present life and future circumstances. Remind yourself that the way you look at life can have a big impact on how to transform your future. Do not be afraid to move forward to better days because you deserve it. You will become better soon!

Bonnie Benard and Emmy Werner’s version of knowing children’s resiliency will be tackled in this article. The version is easy to recall and apply as it is practical and straightforward. Their research focuses on kids who grew up in countries affected by war, children who grew up in poverty and those children who have single parents. Continue reading “How Do You Prevent Addiction In Kids?”