May 20, 2014

The Roundup contains information about all of the latest news, commentary, reports, surveys, issue briefs, charts, and fact sheets related to boys' issues collected by our staff during the preceding week.

A Guide to Federal Education Programs That Can Fund K-12 Universal Prevention and Social and Emotional Learning Activities

May 2014

Federal education funding has often been overlooked by school districts in search of sources of support for prevention. This guide is intended to help districts take advantage of those funds by identifying K-12 grant programs in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that could be used to implement prevention efforts in elementary and secondary schools.

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools and the Center on Education Policy, both at the George Washington University, analyzed dozens of federally funded programs administered by ED. This research found 15 specific funded programs that contain either explicit or implicit authority for prevention-related activities. The main sections of this guide describe each of these programs, including their purpose, recent funding levels, entities eligible for funding, and specific provisions in the authorizing legislation, regulations, or program guidance that explicitly or implicitly permit funds to be used for prevention.

News Clips

  • Book review of The Sex EDcyclopedia: An informative book for teen boys and their parents
    This book goes well beyond the basic birds and bees conversation you had with your tween. Langford says that it is intended for boys ages 14-20. I would stick with those guidelines. This is for teens, not tweens.
    Chicago Now
    May 20, 2014

  • Sperm, Semen Defects May Be Linked to Shorter Life Spans
    Men rendered infertile due to defects in their semen and sperm are more likely to die early than men with normal semen, new research suggests.
    Healthfinder
    May 16, 2014

  • Concussion Rates Double Among High School Athletes: Report
    Experts say rise likely reflects increased awareness, more legislation about concussions
    The rate of concussions in U.S. high school athletes more than doubled between 2005 and 2012, new research shows. The trend probably reflects an increased awareness and more legislation governing concussions in student athletes, and not more danger in sports, the study authors noted.
    Medline Plus
    May 15, 2014

  • Balancing culture, religion and health: the legal framework for male circumcision
    Male circumcision is an age-old practice that carries different meanings for men and women from both the cultural and religious perspectives. In some African cultures (eg, Xhosa), male circumcision is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood; it also has religious connotations and is widely practised by Jews and Muslims, although less so among Christians
    International Law Office
    May 14, 2014

  • Car Accidents Number One Killer Of Teens Worldwide, With Boys Dying More Often Than Girls
    Although teen health concerns often focus on pregnancy rates, a new report from the World Health Organization suggests that far greater dangers lurk. WHO's "Health for the world's adolescents" has identifiedcar crashes as the number one cause of death, with some 330 teens dying each and every day. 
    Medical Daily
    May 14, 2014

  • Depression is destroying adolescents worldwide, warns WHO
    Depression is the main cause of diseases and disability in boys and girls aged 10 to 19. This is the main and worrying finding of WHO, that also lists thethree main causes of death among them, in the order: road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS and suicide.
    West info, EU
    May 14, 2014

  • Complications rare with baby circumcisions, rise with age
    There are few reported complications after boys are circumcised during their first year of life, but the risk rises considerably if the procedure is performed later in childhood, according to a new analysis published on Monday.
    Reuters
    May 12, 2014

  • App for Bipolar Disorder Being Tested
    Smartphone device uses voice analysis for early warning, researchers report
    A smartphone app that uses voice analysis to detect mood changes in people with bipolar disorder is being tested by researchers.
    Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme emotional highs and lows. It affects millions of people worldwide and can have serious consequences, including suicide.
    Health Day
    May 12, 2014

  • Boys Will Be Boys: You Can't Hide Your Gender in Video Games
    Boys will be boys online, according to a new study of players of the massive multiplayer online game "World of Warcraft." Men who play using female avatars still display male patterns of movement, the research shows. And they don't act quite as feminine as actual female players during chat conversations, either.
    Live Science
    May 9, 2014

  • Syphilis Cases Climbing Among Gay Men: CDC
    Cases of the sexually transmitted disease, once almost eliminated in the United States, have more than doubled among gay and bisexual men since the year 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    HealthFinder
    May 7, 2014

  • For young athletes, more concussions reported
    Between 2005 and 2012, concussions among high school athletes became more common with every passing academic year, according to a new U.S. study.
    Reuters
    May 7, 2014

  • More Teenage Boys Get Jobs as Baby Sitters, Find Parents Are Fans
    The American Red Cross, seeing more males taking child care classes, added boys to course material
    With more families entrusting young children to the care of male baby sitters, teenage boys�many who couldn't care less about old notions of gender roles�are discovering an enjoyable alternative to mowing lawns for extra cash.
    Wall Street Journal
    May 7, 2014

  • Intake of Sports And Energy Drinks Tied to Unhealthy and Negative Behaviour
    Researchers at the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with researchers at Duke University, found that an adolescent's weekly intake of sports beverages such as Revive, Isostar, Gatorade and other such energy drinks was tied to a cluster of unhealthy behavior that includes cigarette smoking, excessive intake of sugar sweetened beverages and screen media use.
    Science World Report
    May 6, 2014

  • U.S. is 20,000 Short on Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
    According to the latest numbers at least 1 in 5 American youth live with a serious mental disorder�a dramatic increase from ten years ago. Of that number, only about 20 percent receive evaluation and treatment by a medical professional, with only a fraction ever having the opportunity to meet with a specialist.
    Chronicle of Social Change
    May 6, 2014

  • Kids who abuse substance face greater health risks
    If teenagers are caught drinking alcohol or using marijuana at school, meeting the teachers or principals may not be enough. They must be screened for exposure to trauma, mental health problems and other serious health risks, a study indicated.
    INSlive
    May 6, 2014

  • Why Is the Math Gender Gap So Much Worse in the US Than in Other Countries?
    Could it be the boy crisis? A new international study released last week shows that during the past 100 years, the first in which girls have been educated en masse, girls have out-performed boys academically. I'm not going to write here about what that may mean in terms of what grades are rewarding or about how that fact hasn't led to the dismantling of institutional male dominance. This is just about math and what our persistent gender gap means.
    Huffington Post
    May 5, 2014

  • HPV VACCINE FOR BOYS: SOME INSURANCE COMPANIES DENY COVERAGE
    A vital vaccine for kids may be covered for your daughter, but not for your son. Some insurance companies consider the HPV vaccine experimental for boys -- even though it's recommended by the federal government as one of the best ways to prevent certain types of cancer later in life.
    ABC
    May 5, 2014

  • Discrimination cited for low minority representation in academic posts
    A new study analyzing possible discrimination along the "pathway" into doctoral programs at the nation's top universities � including the University of Iowa and Iowa State University � supports that theory by showing "widespread" discrimination against underrepresented populations.
    The Gazette
    May 5, 2014 

  • Mental health problems mediate link between childhood trauma, aggression
    Hoeve and colleagues found a significant direct link between maltreatment and proactive aggression (P<.05), but there was no direct link between maltreatment and reactive aggression. Instead, they found the association was mediated by mental health problems. 
    Helio
    May 5, 2014

  • Vision problems caused by concussion often overlooked
    A vision examination to specifically evaluate oculomotor function should be considered in the evaluation for concussion, according to findings presented here at the 2014 Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting.
    Helio
    May 4,, 2014

  • Many Ivy League Students Admit Using ADHD Drugs for Better Grades: Study
    18 percent surveyed said they've used meds like Adderall to stay alert when cramming
    Almost one in five Ivy League college students acknowledge they've used stimulants to perform better in school even though they haven't been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study shows.Varsity athletes and students in fraternities and sororities were more likely to report using the medications. 
    Medline Plus
    May 2, 2014

International News

AUSTRALIA

  • Sexualisation a danger to teen health
    The latest report on adolescent sex is positive but not entirely reassuring.
    In the past decade, the American Psychologists Association and similar groups have expressed grave concerns about the sexualisation of children, declaring it to be the greatest single danger to their mental health. The term sexualisation, as opposed to sexuality, describes the fact that while we are all born sexual, some of us have sex thrust upon us.
    The Age
    May 5, 2014

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The Boys Initiative is a groundbreaking national nonprofit campaign to shed light on documented trends in recent years pertaining to boys' underachievement and young men's failure to launch. For more information about The Boys Initiative, visit www.theboysinitiative.org.