Fight!

Violence (physical fighting) is the major cause of intentional

injuries among adolescents, especially in urban areas. Violence

is the second leading cause of death for all 15-to-24-year-olds

and is the leading cause of death for black youths. Non-fatal

violence is less easily measured, yet it is thought to occur at

higher rates than homicide.

Acquaintance violence is violence between people who

know each other. Fighting is the type of violence that most

frequently and directly affects students and it is the type of

violence they can do the most to control.

Adolescents are prone to violence for several reasons.

First, their extreme self-consciousness makes them ultrasensitive

to embarrassment and unable to ignore verbal attacks.

Young adolescents are likely to feel that their entire sense of

self-esteem depends on the outcome of a particular conflict.

Also, boys go through a stage of extreme macho behavior as

they establish their sexual identity. Alcohol and drugs increase

the chances that a conflict will result in violence.

Adolescents are also influenced by the media which

glamorizes violence and aggression and presents them as an

acceptable way to resolve disputes. Another factor in violence

among teens is their immaturity in handling anger. Anger is a

normal reaction to rejection, disapproval, disappointment, or

frustration. Poverty and racism intensify frustration and anger.

Anger creates tension or stress, producing adrenaline that

prepares the body for fight or flight. We often think that striking

out or running away are the only choices in a conflict, but often

there are other options.

Fights don’t just happen. According to Deborah Prothrow-

Smith, M.D., author of “Violence Prevention: Curriculum

for Adolescents,” there is always a history to the relationship

in which certain ways of relating are established. A conflict

escalates. There is a provocation or confrontation. The fight

begins when there is an act of aggression, an attempt to

harm someone.

Helping adolescents to understand the risks of violence

and to learn healthy ways of handling their own anger as well

as anger toward them promotes the concept that violence is

preventable. In addition, learning to cope with bad feelings

and troublesome emotions builds self-esteem and successful

patterns of problem solving.

Congratulations, Students of the Month!

Congratulations to Kellodi Biermann and Casey Hoornick, Room 27 Students of the Month!  Way to go!

To our South Korean pen pals!

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AeyokR5QvqBHZGQ3N25tcHRfMGY3cXQ0bWZi&hl=en&authkey=CJqukeQL

Moose Jaw Trip!

We are heading to Moose Jaw on Thursday, March 10 to visit the Tunnels of Moose Jaw and the Western Development Museum.  This is to supplement our Social Studies unit on Canadian Immigration.

Parents, please kindly ensure that your student has a returned permission form and the fee to the school by Monday, March 7.

We look forward to a wonderful day! 

Eggbert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stereotype of teen fathers is that they are self-centered,

selfish, and unreliable. However, research shows that young

fathers go through the same emotional struggle and confusion

that young mothers do. Contrary to the popular image, they

want very much to do the “right” things, such as maintaining

their emotional commitment to the mother, providing financial

support, and choosing not to abandon their babies.

But the odds are against them. Service providers may

ignore a teen father’s feelings. The girlfriend’s family may

be hostile. The father is usually left out of decisions such as

whether or not to carry the baby to term. He may not be told

when the baby is born or that the child has been adopted. His

own family may pressure him to withdraw from the situation

or “buy” his way out of it. He rarely has the financial or

emotional resources to act on his good intentions.

Social service programs that include teen fathers help

them to stay involved, become competent fathers, and accept

the consequences of their actions. These programs enhance

the young adolescent’s moral development.

As children grow older, their moral standards and values

change. A young child’s ideas of right and wrong are based on

the desire to win approval and avoid punishment or criticism.

In adolescence, moral standards are no longer solely determined

by self-interest but increasing by general principles and abstract

values such as justice and fairness. Adolescents consider the

intent as well as the consequences when judging whether an

act is right or wrong.

Moral conduct is influenced by the ability to reason, the

ability to consider long-range consequences, the ability to

control one’s behavior, and the ability to empathize with others.

Parents and peers are also important influences.

Moral feelings, such as pride or guilt, are emotional reactions

to our own behavior. People do not always behave in ways

that are in line with their own sense of what is right or wrong.

Inevitably, when a person betrays his or her own moral code,

self-respect suffers. People that hurt others have a hard time

liking themselves.