Magruder High School

or, there’s a reason it’s called Four Loko (from “loco”, Spanish for “crazy”).  

Please take a few minutes to review these ABC-TV - produced clips about Loko, a canned liquor that has a 12% alcohol content and 156 mg caffeine, the equivalent of six cans of lite beer  

combined with two cups of coffee.  

This drug combination (alcohol and caffeine are usually not thought of as drugs, but they are) turned out to be the cause of nine college students becoming violently ill - including unwanted sex, alcohol poisoning and unconsciousness and one 19-year-old who suffered cardiac arrest - that had investigators puzzled when they responded to a party with an unusually large number of students severely ill.  

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/four-loko-drink-sickens-students-11970859 (5:25)  

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/addiction-experts-concerned-about-four-loko-drink-11919626&tab=9482931&section=1206835&playlist=1363742 (1:38) 

College students are still three to seven years out from having a mature frontal lobe (the part of the brain that controls impulsive behavior and weighs outcomes of a risk), while high school students are at the peak of rebellion and risk-taking behavior as part of their normal development  

probably not unlike ourselves at that age! While nominal alcohol consumption by adolescents (such as at religious or family occasions) will not impair their brain development, excessive consumption can cause serious permanent damage that will derail their journey to a happy, successful future.  

The Washington Post article on this topic is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/26/AR2010102606828.html 

Practical tips on how to talk to your teens about these and related topics can be found at thepartnership@drugfree.org and timetotalk@drugfree.org  (These are the Parent: the Anti-Drug campaign sites.)  

This message is a service of the Every 15 Minutes Committee.  For more information, please click on  

www.mhs-ptsa.org 

and then click on the Grim Reaper on the Home Page.  Please also  

click on the Safe Homes Pledge and consider joining, if you have not already done so.  

Probably not, because the warning signs are often insidious and mistaken for charm, concern, or “cute” jealousy by a teen who feels popular, accepted  or “grown up” by having a boyfriend/girlfriend. 

When a teen does recognize she is being abused – which is defined as ANY disrespectful treatment by her partner – she might not end the relationship or seek help because she fears retaliation against her or her family, or blame for the relationship failing. 

Abusive partners are often controlling, manipulative and intimidating – and excellent con artists that can even deceive parents with their charm to gain a foothold in a relationship and make it hard to believe that they are capable of violent behavior.  When the disrespect – verbal or physical – starts, the abusive partner then engages in a cycle of apologies with sweet talk and flowers and back to the abusive behavior, which often escalates over time, and leaves the victim full of self-doubt and fear. 

There is no profile to the abusive partner, and the person one might least suspect uses this to his/her advantage.   

Please see the June 21, 2010 Washington Post article, “Latest Weapon in Dating Violence: Texting” at this link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/20/AR2010062003331.html   The link to the Kristin Mitchell Foundation is http://www.kristinskrusade.com/sitemap.html.    

Other links to be informed about dating violence and where to get help if you know a victim or a perpetrator: www.thesafespace.org, www.ChooseRespect.org, www.loveisrespect.org, www.seeitandstopit.org, www.breakthecycle.org, and www.dosomething.org. 

Helpful phone numbers: 

911 for immediate danger.  This sounds obvious, but some teens feel non-physical threats do not constitute an emergency.  Tell your teen our first-responders WANT them to call if they feel threatened in any way, and they will not be penalized. 

Montgomery County Crisis Center:  240-777-4000, 24 hours, 7 days a week. 

Montgomery County Family Justice Center, 240-773-0444, 9 AM to 5 PM, Mon – Fri. 

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline: 1-866-331-9474; TTY: 1-866-331-8453; a 24/7 service. 

This announcement is a service of the Magruder High School PTSA Every 15 Minutes Committee.   For more information, please contact Patty Winters, E15M Project Coordinator, at patty.winters@verizon.net or 301-519-7537 or 240-421-7166. 

…So they may as well drink in my home, where I can keep an eye on them and take their car keys. 

FALSE – because teens ARE capable of making their own decisions.  They will have curiosity anyway, peer pressure anyway, temptation anyway, and sometimes think they are invincible anyway – but they do not have to think they may as well drink alcohol anyway because they perceive that expectation from adults, either directly because they hear us say it or indirectly through subliminal messages.   

Let us help our teens to develop self-respect and refusal skills to make good decisions when it might be easier to do otherwise. 

FALSE – because it is illegal to provide alcohol and other controlled substances to minors, even if you have good intentions.  Please click on the link (please provide link here) for the Adult Host Responsibility flier that explains the law.  Note that fines were increased March, 2009 to $2,500 for the first offense. 

FALSE – because you can never be sure how much of any controlled substance a teen has consumed before arriving at your home for a “controlled” drinking party. 

This announcement is provided as a service from the Every 15 Minutes Committee.  Every 15 Minutes will return to Magruder HS in 2011.  Our focus this year is how to empower teenagers to get an adult involved if they know a peer is in harm’s way, without letting fear of retaliation or “being a snitch” interfere with getting help.  If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact Patty Winters at patty.winters@verizon.net, or 301-519-7537. 

ABC TV reports on the increased rate of cyber-bullying, which can devastate a teen’s self-confidence, and even lead to suicide.  View the 1:41 clip at: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9653438.  This link also includes related clips. 

Cyber-bullying among adolescents primarily takes place on the internet (Facebook) and through texting.  Examples include posting actual or composite photos of the victim in an embarrassing situation, stalking the victim with incessant manipulative or belittling text messages, or spreading rumors. 

How can you tell if your teen might be involved in either end of cyber-bullying, as victim or perpetrator?   Watch for significant changes in their behavior: does she spend more time than usual in her room?   Does he appear more evasive, irritable or stressed than usual?  Is there a change in their sleeping, eating, hygiene or study habits? 

Teens are often reluctant to seek adult help because they lack the confidence to take action, don’t think their parents would understand or feel they can handle the problem themselves. While demanding privacy is a hallmark of normal adolescent development, we parents need to find a balance between respecting our teens’ need for privacy and being aware of potential threats to their safety, health and success. 

Some options include allowing your teen to have a cell phone but not include texting in their plan; having access to their text log or Facebook, or a “random audit” of these privileges with your teen sitting next to you.  

If your teen objects to whatever plan you select to be proactive on this topic, use the opportunity to talk to him/her about cyber-bullying, including steps they can take if they or a friend become a victim.  Advice on this topic can be found at:  http://www.commonsensemedia.org/cyberbullying-tips#tip_answer_6    

This announcement is provided as a service from the Every 15 Minutes Committee.  Every 15 Minutes will return to Magruder HS in 2011.  Our focus this year is how to empower teenagers to get an adult involved if they know a peer is in harm’s way, without letting fear of retaliation or “being a snitch” interfere with getting help.  If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact Patty Winters (contact info above). 

ABC TV aired a story on the topic of teenage workers being raped or sexually harassed by their employers.  A sixteen-year-old who is interviewed explained she didn’t know better and felt obliged to obey her boss, and now has a high-profile lawsuit against Starbucks. 

This girl’s story is also an example of the perpetrator bombarding his victim with incessant intimidating, belittling and manipulative text messages.  The Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office now recognizes this practice as a tell-tale sign of an abusive relationship that teens are often conned by and parents don’t know about. 

This problem occurs in “alarming numbers” (see link below) in many businesses that employ teens, and is just coming to our attention. 

You can view the Good Morning America video (3:48 in length) and get more information at this link:  http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/teenage-starbucks-barista-sues-sex-demands-work/story?id=9631145   

Please remember boys can also be victims, and please talk to your teens about how to recognize inappropriate behavior from an employer or co-worker, and what to do if they are treated in any disrespectful or unacceptable manner – including excessive or belittling text messages – at their job by anyone. 

This announcement is provided as a service from the Every 15 Minutes Committee.  Every 15 Minutes will return to Magruder HS in 2011.  Our focus this year is how to empower teenagers to get an adult involved if they know a peer is in harm’s way, without letting fear of retaliation or “being a snitch” interfere with getting help.  If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact Patty Winters at patty.winters@verizon.net, or 301-519-7537. 

This contract is designed to facilitate communication between young people and their parents about potentially destructive decisions related to alcohol, drugs, peer pressure, and risky behavior.  The issues facing young people today are often too difficult for them to address alone.  SADD believes that effective parent-child communication is critically important in helping young adults to make healthy decisions.  

Young Person 

I recognize that there are many potentially destructive decisions I face every day and commit to you that I will do everything in my power to avoid making decisions that will jeopardize my health, my safety and overall well-being, or your trust in me.  I understand the dangers associated with the use of alcohol and drugs and the destructive behaviors often associated with impairment. 

By signing below, I pledge my best effort to remain free from alcohol and drugs; I agree that I will never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, I agree that I will never ride with an impaired driver, I agree that I will always wear a seat belt, and I agree to never drive drowsy or use my cell phone while driving. 

Finally, I agree to call you if I am ever in a situation that threatens my safety and to communicate with you regularly about issues of importance to both of us. 

          _______________________________ 

          Young Person 

Parent (or Caring Adult) 

I am committed to you and to your health and safety.  By signing below, I pledge to do everything in my power to understand and communicate with you about the many difficult and potentially destructive decisions you face. 

Further, I agree to provide for you safe, sober transportation home if you are ever in a situation that threatens your safety and to defer discussions about that situation until a time when we can both have a discussion in a calm and caring manner. 

I also pledge to you that I will not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, I will always seek safe, sober transportation home, I will always wear a seat belt, and will never drive drowsy or use my cell phone while driving. 

_____________________________________ 

Parent/Caring Adult