Counselor's Corner

The Cobb County School Counseling Program has posted the K-12 Advisement Guide on the School Counseling Home Page. The Guide includes:

* 5 to 6 grade transition information

* 8 to 9 grade transition information

* 8 to 9 grade placement information

* High school college and career links

8th Grade CRCT Summer School

If you received a letter in the mail regarding CRCT Summer School, please make sure you complete that form and return it to your child's homeroom teacher.  If you have any questions, please call 770-975-6615 ext. 231. 

Awtrey's Blood Drive

Greetings Awtrey Parents,

Awtrey will be hosting an American Red Cross Blood drive on Wednesday, March 21 from 3:15 to 7:15 PM.  Information will be sent home with your child on Friday, March 2 that will give directions on how to sign up for the event.

Each student that brings in at least one donor will receive a light up bouncy ball!  (They're really cool!)  The homeroom from each grade level with the most participating donors will receive a free breakfast!

For more information on donating blood, please check out the following link: http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

Thanks for your help and support of this worthy cause!

Guidance Lesson

The guidance department will be going into all 7th grade science classrooms January 22nd and 26th to speak with students regarding career exploration.  The students will explore the Career Cruising website.  If you would like to view this website, please go to www.careercruising.com.  The username is careers and the password is awtrey.

High School Articulation

High School articulation will begin in February.  Below is a list of these dates.

February 5th - North Cobb Guidance Counselors will visit Awtrey and speak with students during their science class

February 6th (7:00) - 9th grade parent night at North Cobb High School

February 12th - 16th - High School registration week

Video Game Report Card Article

MediaWise® Video Game Report Card

David Walsh, Ph.D.; Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D.; Erin Walsh; Nat Bennett

National Institute on Media and the Family

November 28, 2006

This MediaWise Video Game Report Card is the eleventh issued by the National

Institute on Media and the Family, an independent, non-partisan, non-sectarian,

nonprofit organization. The MediaWise Video Game Report Card provides a snapshot

of the interactive gaming industry with a focus on issues related to the welfare of

children and teens. The full Report Card is available at

www.mediawise.org

.

A Shifting Focus

This year, as always, is marked by change in the world of video games. Video game

consoles that take advantage of previously unthinkable technologies have been

launched by Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. A growing body of research continues to

expand our understanding of the impact electronic games have on young people.

Innovation in more technologically advanced countries provides a window into the

problems looming for American families. In short, the relationship between families and

video games is becoming ever more complex, making an overview of the issues even

more vital than before.

For the past ten years, we have used this annual report card to challenge the video

game industry to improve its record of attending to the welfare of younger players.

More recently, we urged retailers to step up to their responsibility to keep adult games

out of the hands of children and youth. This year we acknowledge the strides taken by

both sectors of the industry. For example, the major retailers have made real progress

in fulfilling their commitment to restrict the sale of mature-themed games.

Industry representatives have also been willing to participate in meaningful discussions,

including a national summit we co-hosted this fall. Early next year we will release the

findings from the summit which will lead to important next steps to ensure that youth

derive the benefits from games while avoiding the harm.

While we will continue to pressure the industry to improve, this report card focuses less

on the flaws of a complex industry and more on what all of us can do about the real

risks posed by some types of video games. The fact is video games are here to stay.

Increasingly, they play a large role in the lives of young people. Games and game

systems are becoming more complex, allowing them to have a greater impact and

unlocking new potentials as excellent teaching tools. If we want our children to benefit

from technological innovations and to avoid the harm that some games pose, we

parents need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

This report suggests that the solutions to the problems presented by video games lie in

eradicating ignorance on both the scientific-technical and the parental knowledge levels.

Simply put, parents need to step up to the plate and the experts need to conduct more

and better research. The research and anecdotal findings we already have portray a

growing health crisis on multiple levels, each of which shows an important link to video

games. These findings confirm the critical need for increased understanding of video

games’ impact on kids as well as greater involvement in children’s media use.

Parental Ignorance: No Longer Bliss

As the world of video games continues to evolve, parents are falling behind. As we

found last year, this year’s parental survey uncovered an alarming gap between what

kids say about the role of video games in their lives and what parents are willing to

admit. For instance, while nearly two-thirds of surveyed parents said they had rules

about how much time their children may spend playing video games, only one third of

their children said they had such rules. Perhaps parents are reluctant to confess how

little they attempt to control the amount of time their kids spend in front of the screen.

This much is certain: too many of us do not seem to exercise enough control. The

amount of time kids spend playing video games is on the rise.

First and foremost, parents need to pay attention to the relevant research and the

industry needs to stop denying research-based conclusions.

•

Who’s playing? While the industry constantly reports that the average age of the

•

Game time and physical health. Our own research this year found children who

•

Screen time and school performance. We found the amount of time kids spend

•

Violent video games and aggression. Scientific research shows that violent video

game play increases aggression in young players in the short term. Additional

studies show these effects last.

Once parents realize what is at stake, based on scientific research, they should start

limiting game time and keeping M-rated games away from their children. Although the

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system seems to underrate some

games, giving Teen ratings to games that deserve Mature ratings, all agree that the Mrated

games are inappropriate for kids.

Parents should also take advantage of new technological tools to protect their kids. For

instance, most new consoles include parental controls. Parents should learn how to

use these devices and use them to set appropriate boundaries for their children.

Additionally, some video game makers are focusing on kid-friendly games and

technologies. The Nintendo DS, for example has gained a reputation as a “clean

console” because of the vast number of E-rated games it supports, and Microsoft is said

to be investing heavily in E and E 10+ games.

Parents also need to understand the changing purchasing patterns of their children.

While the bricks-and-mortar retailers have made important improvements in keeping

Mature games out of the hands of kids, online sales now account for a growing number

of total sales. That means any child with an Internet connection and a debit, credit or

magnetic striped gift card could purchase a Mature- or Adults Only-rated game.

Finally, and most importantly, we encourage parents once again to be

MediaWise®

playing video games is correlated with poorer grades in school and attention

problems.

spend more time playing video games are heavier, and are more likely to be

classified as overweight or obese. Furthermore, playing video games in the

bedroom is an added risk factor for overweight and obesity.

player has risen to the late twenties, a new study has found almost half of all

“heavy gamers,” are six- to 17-years-old (NPD, 2006).

andWatch What Your Kids Watch. Limits and boundaries are crucial, but simply laying

A Public Health Crisis Continues to Grow

The necessity of parental involvement becomes apparent when examining the diverse

set of health problems linked to inappropriate video game play. The latest research and

anecdotal reports link video games to health issues affecting the bodies and minds of

an ever-widening population.

Obesity

A childhood obesity epidemic, as well as a corresponding increase in Type II Diabetes,

is sweeping across the continent. Approximately 30.3% of children ages 6 to 11 are

overweight and 15% are obese. For teens the rate is almost identical: 30.4% are

overweight, and 16% are obese (American Obesity Association, 2006).

The link between obesity and media use has become increasingly clear with each new

study. Children, ages 8 to 18, spend more time (44.5 hours per week) in front of

computer, television, and game screens than they spend on any other activity in their

lives except sleeping (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005). The lack of physical activity

that comes with all those stationary hours in front of the screen is a large contributor to

the obesity problem. In fact, children who use a lot of media have a lower activity level,

and lower activity is linked to a higher rate of obesity (Vandewater, 2004). In at least

one study, a strong relationship was found between playing electronic video games and

childhood obesity (Stettler, 2004). Our research finds that children who spend more time

playing video games are heavier, and are more likely to be classified as overweight or

obese. Furthermore, playing video games in the bedroom is also related to children's

increased weight.

Addiction

Video game addiction is another alarming game-related health issue. Many of the

symptoms of this type of addiction are largely the same as the symptoms of other

addictions including obsessive behaviors, deceitful behavior, neglecting people and

responsibilities, and increased isolation. Video game addiction has led some children to

fail out of school, alienate themselves from everyone in their lives, and in extreme cases

to commit suicide. Some of the most popular online community games practically

demand an obsessive and time-consuming approach to play. As with any addiction,

once children are hooked, it is very difficult for them to quit.

South Korea has seen a recent explosion in cases of video game addiction. The South

Korean government now supports more than 40 treatment programs to deal with video

game and Internet addiction. If the situation in South Korea is any indication of what is

to come here, we will be largely unprepared for the number and intensity of cases of

such addiction.

The Need for Additional Research and Next Steps

As the health crises besetting our children continue to grow, and as the industry

continues to expand, the need for additional research becomes ever more apparent.

Only by overcoming our ignorance and filling in the gaps of our understanding about the

impact of video games on children will we be able to determine how to address the

problems we already face and the ones we foresee.

Last year we said that every child who plays video games is undertaking a powerful,

developmental experiment – the results of which we don’t understand. This is truer now

than ever before. We need more research on the ways interactive entertainment affects

child health and development. We must focus not only on aggression and violence, but

also on health, behavior, school performance, and work skills as well as the positive

effects and uses of video games.

Time is of the essence. With new technological innovations, the ways in which

interactive entertainment affects our kids become more complex and difficult to manage.

Increasingly, we can take games with us and play them wherever we are. Personal

gaming devices continue to evolve, and are becoming widely available in stand-alone

devices or integrated into other technologies like mobile phones. Other remarkable

innovations are available to the dedicated, stay-at-home gamers in the form of

downloadable content, episodic games, and online multiplayer games. We can now

play games everywhere, all the time, and in a multiplicity of ways. The implication and

the need for research are the same: the role of games in the lives of young people will

continue to grow. If we expect parents to manage this, we must give them the

information and the tools to do so.

A Hopeful Collaboration

Last year, we promised to bring people from diverse backgrounds and interests together

in order to discuss these issues. This year, we convened the first National Summit on

Video Games, Youth and Public Policy, a two-day conference sponsored by the

National Institute on Media and Family and Iowa State University. For the first time

ever, the Summit gathered together academic scholars, public health officials, child

health advocates and representatives from the video game industry.

As a show of concern and dedication to addressing the challenges posed by video

games the Summit was a resounding success. One of the many positive outcomes of

the Summit was a pledge by the ESRB to put more funds into ratings education for

parents. We applaud this step not only as a show of good faith but as a meaningful

contribution to the effort to provide parents with the tools they need to keep their kids

healthy and safe.

Many of the participants were experts on the effects of media or video games. After

consideration of the research, participants signed an historic joint statement that read:

“Behavioral science research demonstrates that playing violent video games can

increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior in children and youth.”

In the coming weeks, the Summit participants will release a ten-year plan, which will

outline benchmarks and creative solutions addressing children’s access to violent and

sexually explicit video games. One component of the plan calls for ongoing summits to

continue this important dialogue.

2006 Survey Results

Surveys Covered in 2006 Report Card

•

Student Survey

•

Parent Survey

•

Retailer Ratings Education Survey

•

Retailer Ratings Enforcement Survey

Student Survey Results

Data for this year’s Parent and Student Surveys were gleaned from an ongoing study of

Switch®, a new program created by the National Institute on Media and the Family.

The Switch program is designed to promote healthy lifestyles as well as measure

behavior relating to fitness levels, nutritional choices, and screen time usage. Our

longitudinal study with 1,430 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students and their parents is

currently ongoing. Although this program does not target video games, we took the

opportunity to collect some information about video game use from families. The

resulting data provide a rich look at several aspects of the effects of screen time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours of

screen time per day, including time spent on video games, television, videos/DVDs, and

computer use. However, our data shows that:

•

Forty-two percent of children play for at least one hour per day, with 22%

•

Fifteen percent of children state they feel they spend too much time playing video

•

One in ten (9%) admit they play so much that it sometimes hurts their homework.

•

Over half (55%) say they sometimes try to stop playing video games so much.

Children who play video games in their bedrooms play five hours more per week

than children who do not play in their bedrooms.

Total amount of game play is not, however, the only issue that matters - the

content

This finding is particularly surprising, because third-, fourth- and fifth-graders do

not typically have a lot of homework.

games. Interestingly, 26% say they play too little, suggesting what a large role

games now play in young people’s lives.

reporting they play for two or more. This is on top of the three hours a day the

average child spends in front of the television.

of

•

We found that playing a large amount of violent video games increased children’s

•

These findings held true even when the following other factors remained

constant: sex, violent television exposure, parent involvement, and prior history

of fights (Gentile, Eisenmann, Walsh, & Callahan, 2006).

In short, the research demonstrates that both the

amount

risk of physical aggression in school by 42% over children who do not play

violent video games.

and content of games matter.

Parent Survey Results

The ESRB has promoted research suggesting that 74% of parents regularly use the

video game ratings and 94% find them helpful in choosing games for their children

(ESRB, 2006). Other research, including ours, does not paint quite such a rosy picture.

In our sample of 1,430 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade children and their parents, we find

that parents and children have very different perceptions of how involved parents are.

For example, most (73%) parents say they “always” help decide what games their

children may buy or rent. However, only 30% of children say their parents do. On the

opposite side, only 1% of parents say they “never” help decide, in contrast to 25% of

children. This pattern of parents giving much more socially acceptable answers is

consistent across several aspects, including responses to the following questions:

Parent Child

reports reports

“Never” “Never”

How often does a parent/do you:

•

play computer or video games with you/your child? 26% 42%

•

talk to you about the video games you play? 5% 51%

•

help decide what video games you may buy/rent? 1% 25%

•

have to ask permission before playing video games? 10% 39%

Retailer Ratings Education Survey Results

Parent Child

reports reports

“Yes” “Yes”

Does your family have rules about how much you may play? 62% 36%

Does your family have rules about when you may play video games? 68% 36%

This pattern appears in several other places in our study. For example, when

measuring the amount of time children play video games each week, parents report an

average of five hours per week. When their children are asked, they report an average

of nine hours per week (13 hours for boys, 6 for girls). These findings, and the gap

between them, are basically identical to the national averages found in other studies.

This suggests that parents may provide overly optimistic responses about their

awareness of children’s video game habits and their use of the ratings.

This parental optimism is very unfortunate, because parents are in an extremely

powerful position to make a difference in their children’s outcomes. Parents who are

actively involved in their children’s media habits have children who spend less time

playing video games each week, get better grades in school, are less likely to be

overweight, are less aggressive, are more prosocial, and have fewer attention problems

in school. Active parental monitoring of children’s media use appears to be a clear

protective factor for children.

We conducted our surveys in September and October 2006, surveying by telephone 52

video game rental or retail stores in 12 states: Colorado, Indiana, Maryland,

Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina,

Oregon, and Tennessee. We surveyed stores in both large cities and small towns

within these states. Of the 52 stores, 25 stores primarily sell video games and 27

primarily rent. Forty-six of the stores surveyed are part of a chain.

Public Education

Eighty-six percent of the stores

claimed

to educate the public about the ESRB rating

Employee Education

An overwhelming majority (98%) of the individuals we surveyed say they personally

understand the ESRB rating system. This is up from 97% in 2005 and 76% in 2004.

Better yet, about three-quarters (73%) of the stores we surveyed say they have a policy

for training their employees on the ESRB rating system (up from 52% in 2005). In these

stores, training included word of mouth, reading material, computer classes, or during

register training where registers are programmed to prompt ID checks for sales of Mrated

games. This year, retail and rental stores were reported roughly equally in terms

of understanding the ratings and training employees about the ratings.

Policies about Ratings

Most (92%) of stores

say

they have a policy preventing children younger than 17 renting

Retailer Ratings Enforcement Survey Results

As in years past, we once again conducted a “sting” operation to determine if retailers

are enforcing their ratings policies on M-rated games. Fourteen children between the

ages of 10 and 16 (four female, 10 male) entered retail stores and attempted to

purchase M-rated games without adult supervision. The sting operations took place

between August and October 2006 at retail locations located in California, Illinois, Iowa,

Maryland and Minnesota.

Of the 25 sting operations, eight resulted in successful purchases (32% success rate,

down from 44% in 2005, 34% in 2004, and 55% in 2003).

Eight of the purchases were attempted by girls. Girls were much less likely to be able to

purchase games than boys (13% girls, 41% boys). This is a large decrease from last

year (46% girls, 42% boys), but is more typical of rates we’ve seen in past years where

girls are less able to purchase than boys (8% girls, 50% boys in 2004).

Interestingly, we see a notable split among the big retailers and stores specializing in

video games. Major retailers—Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart—emerged with perfect

scores, preventing underage customers from purchasing M-rated games on every

attempt. We are very encouraged to see the big retailers stepping up and keeping their

promise to enforce their own policies. Unfortunately, specialty stores seem more

interested in making money than anything else. Despite years of scrutiny and repeated

promises to clean up their act, it is still far too easy for kids to purchase inappropriate

games at such stores.

MediaWise Video Game Report Card Summary and Highlights

Parental Involvement....................INCOMPLETE

Ratings Education ........................B

Retailer Policies ...........................B

Retailer Enforcement

Big Retailers ...........................A

Specialty Stores......................F

Console Manufacturers ................A

Parental Involvement .............................................................................. INCOMPLETE

Although the response of most parents to the challenge of raising kids in a world filled

with video games is inadequate, it doesn’t seem fair to give parents a failing grade

because parents are constantly subject to mixed messages from the video game

industry. While representatives of the industry encourage parents to follow the ratings

which warn certain age groups away from mature content, they simultaneously deny

that video games have any impact on kids. Making matters worse, the rating system

itself has flaws. Parents could be, and should be, doing a lot better, but at least part of

their failure can be attributed to the confusion created by the game makers.

Our findings in the area of Ratings Education are nearly identical to those of last year.

We are encouraged to see a visible effort by the ESRB to educate parents and retailers

and a corresponding tendency on the part of retailers to educate employees and

parents. Nevertheless, considering that we have found no significant progress from last

year, we see room for improvement.

Nearly every retailer we surveyed claimed to have a policy preventing children and

teens from purchasing M-rated games, an improvement from last year. Perhaps more

praiseworthy, most of the employees we surveyed could articulate the policy and its

importance. Clearly, public pressure in recent years has put retailers on notice.

Retailer Enforcement

Big Retailers............................................................................................................A

Specialty Stores......................................................................................................F

Although it is encouraging to find that the retailers across the board present the public

with a policy to prevent the sale of M-rated games to minors, we see a remarkable gap

in the performance of retailers. The big retailers such as Best Buy, Target and Wal-

Mart have kept their promise to keep M-rated games out of kids’ hands. In our survey,

no children were sold M-rated games at these stores. Stores specializing in video

games seemed to be willing to let profits take priority over enforcing the policies they

claim to uphold. In our survey, half of all attempts by minors to purchase M-rated

games were successful at specialty stores.

Console Manufacturers (Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) ..........................................A

Every new console entering the market now includes parental controls. Considering

that only a few years ago such parental controls were unthinkable, this is amazing

progress. The manufacturers of video game systems deserve praise for their efforts to

make it easier for parents to protect their kids.

Recommendations

1. The industry should eliminate the double messages to parents and educate them

about

why

it is important to monitor game play and observe the ratings.

2006 Buying Guide for Parents

Game Lists Ratings

Parent Alert! Games to Avoid for your Children and Teens

•

Gangs of London M

•

The Sopranos M

•

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories M

•

Reservoir Dogs M

•

Mortal Kombat: Unchained M

•

Scarface: The World is Yours M

•

The Godfather: Mob Wars M

•

Saints Row M

•

Dead Rising M

•

Just Cause M

MediaWise Recommended Games for Children and Teens

•

LEGO Star Wars II – The Original Trilogy E 10+

•

Mario Hoops 3 on 3 E

•

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz E

•

Roboblitz E 10+

•

Madden Football ‘07 E

•

LocoRoco E

•

Dance Factory E

•

Brain Age E

•

Nancy Drew: Danger by Design E

•

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: The March of the Minis E

Research Update

This year’s research update provides a brief look at some of the new research on video

games, including some research that was discussed at the National Summit on Video

Games, Youth and Public Policy in collaboration with Iowa State University. Much of

the research discussed below will be used when Summit participants release reports,

including recommendations for the future.

Research on the Effects of Violent Games

Although there has been little new published research in 2006, dozens of experimental

and correlational studies now document that violent video game play is related to

increases in aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Carnagey, Anderson, &

Bushman (2006) published a study in which 257 college students were randomly

assigned to play one of eight violent or nonviolent video games for 20 minutes. After

playing the game, the students were shown a 10-minute videotape of real-life violent

acts (including shootings, stabbings, prison fights, etc.) while their heart rate and

galvanic skin response (both measures of arousal and stress) were measured.

Students who had played one of the violent video games showed lower levels of arousal

to the violent scenes. That is, 20 minutes of playing a violent video game desensitized

them to images of real-life violence in the short term.

Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley (2007) will release three new studies in January, including

an experimental study, a correlational study, and the first true longitudinal study with

children. In the experimental study, 161 nine- to 12-year-olds and 354 college students

played either a violent or nonviolent video game. The primary finding was that even Erated

violent games increased children’s and college students’ aggressive behavior

immediately after playing the game. In the correlational study, 189 high school students

completed surveys about their media habits, their personalities, and their aggressive

behaviors. The primary finding was that adolescents who play more violent video

games engage in more real-life aggressive and violent behaviors. In the longitudinal

study, 430 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students, their peers, and teachers were

surveyed early and late in a school year. The primary finding was that children who

played more violent video games early in the school year had changed to become more

aggressive later in the school year, as reported by their peers and teachers.

Research on Video Game Ratings

The research on the scientific reliability and validity of the video game ratings (and other

media rating systems, such as TV and movie ratings) suggests that the ratings are not

as reliable as parents might hope. Kim Thompson and her colleagues at Harvard have

conducted several content analyses that demonstrate that a high percentage of video

games have content that is not labeled on the boxes. This year, a new study of M-rated

games was released, demonstrating that 81% of the games in their sample did not

include some descriptor that seemed warranted (Thompson, Tepichin, & Haninger,

2006).

References

American Obesity Association (2005, May). Fact Sheet: Obesity in youth. Available:

www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_youth.shtml.

Anderson, C.A., Gentile, D.A., & Buckley, K.E. (2007).

Violent Video Game Effects on

Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy.

New York: OxfordJournal of,

http://www.esrb.org/about/news/03292006.jsp

.

Gentile, D. A., Eisenmann, J. C., Walsh, D. A., & Callahan, R. (2006, July).

Violent TV

and video game exposure as risk factors for aggressive behavior among elementary

school children.

Poster presented at the International Society for Research inwww.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm.

NPD (2006, September). Report from the NPD group shows 45% of gamers are in the

six -to seventeen–year–old age group [press release]. Available:

http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_060919a.html.

Stettler, Nicolas, Signer, Theo, and Suter, Paolo (2004, June). Electronic games and

environmental factors associated with childhood obesity in Switzerland. Obesity

Research, 12, 896-903.

Thompson, K.M., Tepichin, K., & Haninger, K. (2006). Content and ratings of Maturerated

video games. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 160, 402-410.

Vandewater, E.A., Shim, M., & Caplovitz, A.G. (2004). Linking obesity and activity level

with children's television and video game use. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 71-85.

Waldman, Michael, Nicholson, Sean, and Adilov, Nodir (2006). Does television cause

autism? Available:

http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/faculty/profiles/waldman/autpaper.html

.

Aggression Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Kaiser Family Foundation (2005, March). Generation M: Media in the lives of eight to

eighteen year olds. Available:

University Press.

Carnagey, N. L., & Anderson, C.A., Bushman, B. J. (2006). The effect of video game

violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence.

Experimental Social Psychology

Entertainment Software Rating Board (2006, March). Awareness, trust, and use of

ESRB ratings reach historical high-point among parents [press release]. Available:

2. Specialty game stores should follow the lead of the major retailers who have

fulfilled their commitment not to sell M- or Adults Only-rated games to youth.

3. There should be a universal, independent rating system.

4. More attention should be paid to the emerging problem of video game addiction.

5. Kids’ bedrooms should be media-free zones.

6. Parents need to supervise their children’s game playing more closely.

Follow the ratings.

Use Parental Controls.

Put your kids on a media diet.

Set limits and be willing to say “no.”

Watch what your kids watch, play what your kids play.

or buying M-rated games. This is virtually the same as last year (94%) but up from 89%

in 2004, and 83% in 2003. When the actual policies are examined, the percentage

drops to 88% (encouragingly up from 80% in 2005). We did not count policies when

employees were not able to describe them. Retail stores appear just as likely as rental

stores to have real policies preventing children younger than 17 from renting or buying

M-rated games.

system. This number is up from 71% in 2005. However, when these education plans

were examined, the number dropped to 73%, meaning that over a quarter of the stores

surveyed did not meaningfully educate the public. However, this percentage is up from

52% last year. The stores that did educate the public used pamphlets or posters in the

stores, listings on the aisles, youth-restricted stickers on M-rated games, and video

loops describing ratings. Similar to past years, only 25% of store employees were

familiar with ESRB’s “OK to Play” campaign (26% in 2005 and 22% in 2004).

The ones who spend more time playing video games are heavier, and are more likely to

be classified as overweight or obese. And confirming the results of several other

studies, our survey found that the amount of time a child plays video games is

correlated with receiving poorer grades in school, as reported by both parents and

teachers. In addition, the amount of time spent playing video games is correlated with

teacher-reported attention problems in school, also corresponding to other research

which finds a link between heavy screen use and attention problems.

the games played matters greatly too.

to

down rules and hoping kids will follow them is not enough. Parents need to engage in

an ongoing dialog with their children about what games they are playing and for how

long. Watching what your kids watch might mean playing what your kids play. Creating

a conversation about content and amount won’t just protect kids – it will help parents

reinforce meaningful communication with their children.

In summary, we recommend parents take the following steps:

1. Follow the ratings.

2. Use Parental Controls.

3. Put your kids on a media diet.

4. Set limits and be willing to say “no.”

5. Watch what your kids watch, play what your kids play.

Pebblebrook Visit

Attention 8th graders interested in attending Pebblebrook Magnet School:

An informational meeting will be held January 9th.  Please come with any questions you may have.  Auditions will be January 23rd.

Survey on Teen Alcohol and Drug Use

RECENT CASA SURVEY FINDS PARENTS BLIND TO TEEN ALCOHOL, DRUG USE 
The article summarizes the results of the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents, an annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. The survey results include drug consumption by teens at parties without parental guidance, with parental guidance, and a contrasting percentage of what parents/caretakers report occurs at parties and what teens report occurs at parties surrounding the issue of availability and use of illicit substances. Results also include suggestions of the possible effect of exposure to illicit substances and use through the ages of 12 to 17.

One-third of teens and nearly half of 17-year olds attend house parties where parents are present and teens are drinking, smoking marijuana or using cocaine, Ecstasy or prescription drugs, according to the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents, an annual back-to-school survey conducted by CASA.

The survey also reveals that teens who say parents are not present at the parties they attend are 16 times likelier to say alcohol is available, 15 times likelier to say illegal and prescription drugs are available and 29 times likelier to say marijuana is available, compared to teens who say parents are always present at the parties they attend.

Parental Blinders

• 80 percent of parents believe that neither alcohol nor marijuana is usually available at parties their teens attend. BUT 50 percent of teen partygoers attend parties where alcohol, drugs or both are available.
• 98 percent of parents say they are normally present during parties they allow their teens to have at home. BUT a third of teen partygoers report that parents are rarely or never present at the parties they attend.
• 99 percent of parents say they would not be willing to serve alcohol at their teen’s party. BUT 28 percent of teen partygoers have been at parties at a home where parents were present and teens were drinking alcohol.
• Only 12 percent of parents see drugs as their teen’s greatest concern. BUT twice as many teens (27 percent) say drugs are their greatest concern.

CASA’s eleventh teen survey finds that teens attending three or more parties a month are at two and one half times the risk for substance abuse compared to teens that do not attend parties.

The Dangerous Divide: Age 13 to 14
The transition from age 13 to age 14 is a particularly risky time for American teens. Compared to 13-year olds, 14-year olds are:

• Four times likelier to be offered prescription drugs;
• Three times likelier to be offered Ecstasy;
• Three times likelier to be offered marijuana; and
• Two times likelier to be offered cocaine.

Also note that, compared to 13-year olds, 14-year olds are almost three times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens drink alcohol; two times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens smoke pot; and four times likelier to attend parties where parents are present and teens use other drugs.

By the time a teen reaches age 17: 

• One in four (26 percent) will personally know someone their age that was the victim of gun violence, and 27 percent will have personally witnessed drug sales in their neighborhood;
• Seven out of 10 will have been offered an illegal drug; and
• Almost half (46 percent) will have attended a party at which teens were drinking alcohol, smoking pot, or using cocaine, Ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present.

Other findings:

• One in five 12- to 17-year olds (19 percent) has personally witnessed the sale of drugs in their neighborhood, and these teens are more than two and one half times the risk of substance abuse compared to teens who have not seen the sale of drugs in their neighborhood.
• One in five 12- to 17-year olds (19 percent) personally knows someone their age who was the victim of gun violence, and these teens are at twice the risk of substance abuse compared to teens who do not know someone their age who was the victim of gun violence.
• Hispanic and African American 12- and 13-year olds are being offered illegal drugs at three times the rate of white 12- and 13-year olds (20 percent vs. seven percent).
• For the first time, the CASA survey reveals that at every age, the substance abuse gender gap has closed. Girls 12 to 17 are at equal or higher substance abuse risk compared to boys of the same age.
• Ten million 12- to 17-year olds (38 percent) say they can buy marijuana within a day, and 5 million (19 percent) can buy marijuana in an hour or less.
• Parental separation and divorce are associated with higher teen substance-abuse risk.
• Most high school students (51 percent) and one in five middle school students (20 percent) attend a school where drugs are used, kept or sold.

For the complete survey, please visit:<http://www.casacolumbia.org/absolutenm/templates/PressReleases.aspx?articleid=451&zoneid=56>

Excerpt taken from Prevention Intervention Newsletter

Homework Websites

Here are some great websites to visit if your child needs additional help with homework:

Math:  www.mathforum.com/drmath/

Language Arts/Literacy:  www.factmonster.com/homework/writingskills1.html

Science:  www.madsci.org

Science:  http://school.discovery.com/students/

Educational games:  www.funbrain.com

8th Graders - ITBS Scores

8th Graders:

You will be receiving your ITBS scores along with your report card January 12th.