Boys & Girls Clubs of America Partners With Sprint to Tackle Internet Safety

Second year of partnership brings 4NetSafety(SM) program tips to young people and the adults in their lives

ATLANTA, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The continually evolving nature of the Internet and constant introduction of new media devices necessitate an adaptable education plan to keep young people safer online. As evidenced by the recent devastating events that have swept across our nation, cyberbullying, the sharing of personal information, and the misuse or malicious use of media continue to be major concerns for America's youth. As the nation's leading youth development agency, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Sprint have joined forces to address these issues and help better prepare today's young people to navigate their world - both real and virtual.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO)

Sprint's 4NetSafety(SM) program aims to open the lines of communication about Internet safety between young people and their caregivers. The online resource, www.4NetSafety.com, offers free tools from experts that address the perils that young people commonly encounter online and encourages positive dialogue about Internet safety. BGCA is now entering its second year of partnering with Sprint to provide 4NetSafey materials to Club members. BGCA will continue to make these educational tools available to the 4 million youth served by its network of Clubs through membership and community outreach, and BGCA and Sprint will explore additional ways to make sure this important information gets to the young people who need it.

READ MORE:

http://www.interestalert.com/story/11230002aaa055ff.prn/pkreysa/EDUCATIO/education.html

Teenage Girls Face Greater Violence Threat From Poverty

Living in a deprived area increases the risk of violence more sharply for girls than boys, according to a Cardiff University study of former industrial areas.

The new results suggest violence prevention strategies need to focus more on local inequalities, especially to protect vulnerable adolescent girls.

The survey was conducted by the Violence and Society Research Group at Cardiff University. The team studied nearly 700 young people, aged 11 to 17, who attended casualty departments in South Wales with injuries from violence. The researchers matched the patients against the levels of deprivation in their home neighbourhoods.

READ MORE:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/208689.php

A Divide And Conquer Strategy For Childhood Brain Cancer

Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant brain tumors of childhood, with 40 to 50 percent overall mortality. One of the greatest challenges in treating them is that they vary substantially from patient to patient. In the largest genomic study of human medulloblastomas to date, researchers from Children's Hospital Boston, together with collaborators, have identified six subtypes with distinct molecular "fingerprints" that will improve doctors' ability to direct and individualize treatment.

The study, reported online November 22nd in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is expected to lead to the first use of biomarkers for medulloblastoma in the clinic. The Children's Oncology Group, an international cooperative for childhood cancer research, already plans to apply some of the new data to subtype patients in upcoming clinical trials. Recognition of tumor subtypes will allow patients who need the most aggressive interventions to get them and patients with better prognoses to avoid treatments with potential long-term neurological and cognitive side effects.

READ MORE:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/208946.php

Are Child Protection Systems Around The World Getting It Wrong?

t has been reported that 28.6% of Canada's children and youths are vulnerable to physical and/or emotional injury. These statistics were stated by the information website Child Abuse Effects.

The Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal reported that in 2007 an estimated 67,000 children were in out-of-home care across Canada.

The figures shown in a briefing document Child protection statistics: A UK comparison for children referred to child protection were unbelievable in the UK in the same year, with England being as high as 545,000, Wales 49,561 and Scotland 11,960.

READ MORE:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/198970

Fighting Bullying With Babies

Lately, the issue of bullying has been in the news, sparked by the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay college student who was a victim of cyber-bullying, and by a widely circulated New York Times article that focused on “mean girl” bullying in kindergarten. The federal government has identified bullying as a national problem. In August, it organized the first-ever “Bullying Prevention Summit,” and it is now rolling out an anti-bullying campaign aimed at 5- to 8-year old children. This past month the Department of Education released a guidance letter to schools, colleges and universities to take bullying seriously, or face potential legal consequences.

READ MORE:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/fighting-bullying-with-babies/?ref=opinion