Speaking OUT Against Bullying

With saddening news about bullied students in the media, I wanted to quickly share this recent list of resources compiled by the American Library's Association's LGBT Round Table:

Speaking OUT Against Bullying

The list is an excellent quick stop for LGBT youth support resources.

The Washington County Libraries Cooperative offers the Teen Health and Wellness database, which includes informative articles and links to resources about bullying / cyberbullying, sexual and gender identity, and much more.

Teen Health and Wellness Database Translated!

The Teen Health and Wellness Database just received a major update that allows it to be translated into 50 different languages, including Spanish, Swahili and Japanese! Simply pull up an article in the database, and use the Google Translation widget on the upper-right to translate it instantly into the language of your choosing! There's also a brand new "share" link that enables easy transmission over social networking sites.
If you're not familiar with it, Teen Health and Wellness is an excellent resource that provides information to teens on topics such as drugs and alcohol, sexuality and sexual health, eating disorders, and many more. In other words, it covers the things they may be sheepish asking an adult face-to-face about! Access is free at the library, or from home using a Washington County library card.

Youth anxiety during the 'Great Recession'

The Associated Press reports on a somewhat controversial new study conducted by Jean M. Twenge, researcher and author of Generation Me. The project found that more than five times the number of youth report feelings of depression and anxiety today than in 1938, during the Great Depression. I'm not necessarily one to jump to conclusions and say that a sense of entitlement in today's youth is the contributing factor, as the study claims, although there's probably some truth to it. I do think it's important for those who work with youth to keep in mind that the psychological fallout from financial woes can trickle down from the adult working world.