The Media's Harmful Messages to American Youth

A recent statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) focuses on the harmful messages the media relays to youth regarding sex and teen pregnancy. The policy statement, “Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media,” elaborates on the impact of sexually explicit content in teen media.

Teens spend an average of 7-plus hours a day with various forms of media, including music, movies, television, and periodicals. Additionally, 70% of teen television shows contain sexually explicit material. These numbers do not sit well with American pediatricians as the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Though the media is not solely responsible for high teenage pregnancy rates, teens internalize messages from music, movies, television, and periodicals.

The statement offers several solutions to ameliorate the situation including:

• Increasing dialogue between pediatricians and parents about media
• Supervision of the media
• The production of more socially responsible programming
• More frequent commercials advertising birth control and condoms

For more information on Reducing Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies.

Reentry Housing Options

Ex-offenders have the potential to make positive contributions to society with the necessary community support. A recent guide released by the Office of Justice Programs, at the U.S. Department of Justice offers guidance for policymakers interested in connecting individuals released from prison with affordable housing. The guide, entitled “Reentry Housing Options: The Policymakers’ Guide,” focuses on housing, increasing housing stock, and revitalizing neighborhoods.

The guide does not intend to serve as a blueprint for implementing programs focused on housing for ex-offenders; however, lawmakers can reference “Reentry Housing Options” for approaches and ideas that will potentially facilitate an increase in housing opportunities for ex-offenders.

Housing is just one immediate need for ex-offenders reintegrating in society. Other concerns include access to food, education, employment, and healthcare.

For more information on Re-entry initiatives.

For previous blog posts on Re-entry.

The California Mortgage Crises and the Importance of Responsible Lending

An August report, Dreams Deferred: Impacts and Characteristics of the California Mortgage Crises, by the Center for Responsible Lending addresses the home foreclosure crises in California. The report states that while nationally one out of every ten homes with a mortgage is currently under some form of foreclosure, in California the number is much higher at one in eight homes. The report provides background on the national foreclosure crises as well as detail on the mortgage crises in California, including geographic and demographic information.

This resource is a great place for policymakers to get a straightforward explanation of the events that lead to the mortgage crises as well as concrete policy recommendations. The report includes recommendations that fall under three major policy categories: prevent avoidable foreclosures, take steps to improve the consequences of foreclosures being experienced by the families and communities directly affected, and implement policy to prevent a similar crisis in the future.

For more information on reducing home foreclosures.

Trends in Childhood Obesity and Recent Legislative Measures

Obesity issues continue to threaten the health of children across the country. Recent reports have indicated a decline in obesity rates among most children. However, a study of 8 million California teens found that obesity rates for African-American and Hispanic females have experienced steady growth since 2005.

The California statistics indicate both racial and gender disparities in obesity rates. While the obesity rate for African American and Hispanic females has grown, the numbers reflect a decline in obesity rates among Asian and white males and females as well as Hispanic males. Such reports are timely as the Senate recently passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

If signed into law, the bill would allocate $3.2 billion to improve school meals, $1.2 billion to increase the number of children receiving school lunches, and require the Department of Agriculture to create standards for all food sold in public schools. Michelle Obama has served as a huge proponent of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act as part of her Let's Move initiative. Conversely, critics note the elimination of $2.2 billion from Food Stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to subsidize the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

For updated news on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

For more on ensuring children are healthy and prepared to succeed in school.

Responsible Fatherhood

Actively involved fathers have a positive impact on the lives of their children and have a positive effect on the community as a whole. The issue of responsible fatherhood is an established priority for the Administration, and has been addressed in legislation in Congress and across the states. Engaging non-custodial fathers in child welfare cases is another way to support children through responsible fatherhood efforts. Two new resources were recently released by the National Quality Improvement Center on Nonresident Fathers and the Child Welfare System to support judges and attorneys in reaching out to non-custodial fathers whose children are placed in the child welfare system.

For policymakers, the Department of Health and Human Services has a Why Focus on Fathers? Fact Sheet about what policymakers should know and what they can do to engage fathers. The fact sheet includes the research establishing the importance of engaging all parents and the ways in which policymakers can effectively support that engagement. The fact sheet recommendations include:

• Review policies within the child support and welfare agencies, judicial and educational systems to determine whether laws, regulations and policies deter or prevent father involvement.
• Develop flexible service delivery options within welfare and child support agencies that address the needs of different types of families referral to services, traditional enforcement or diversion.
• Provide access to mediation and parenting plan development to never-married families similar to the way these services are made available to divorcing parents.

For more information on responsible fatherhood visit the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse.

For more policies to support building strong and stable families.

A Cost-Efficient Strategy to Extend School Days: Have Chicago Public Schools Found the Answer?

Research has consistently determined that students learn more the longer they spend in school. Extended days allow students to commit more time to learning new topics and reviewing their classwork. President Obama, as part of his education platform, has advocated an increase in both school hours per day and school days per year. Although students may benefit, such an extension would require teachers to work additional weekly hours. Last September, FoxNews published an article on the “dire economic effects” of an extended school year.

Fortunately, the Chicago Public School District has developed and implemented a cost-efficient pilot program that would extend the school day. The School District intends to lengthen the school day by 90 minutes at 15 elementary schools in Chicago this year. If successful, the program will expand to schools throughout Chicago in upcoming years. Administrators have limited costs by utilizing non-teachers, who will administer online math and reading courses during the extended period. Much of the more than $10 million allocated to the program will support the installment of a technological infrastructure in Chicago elementary schools.

For another blog post on extended school days.

For more information on preparing children to succeed in school.