Child sexual abuse is clearly a community problem, but child sexual abuse prevention is a personal decision. Protecting children from sexual abuse doesn’t come naturally, it’s a skill set that every adult must learn if they want to protect the children in their circle of influence.

http://www.taalk.org/Programs%20Education%20TAALK%20Tips

“Births: Preliminary Data for 2010,” from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics is based on an analysis of nearly 100 percent of birth records collected in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The birth rate for teenagers aged 15–19 has declined for the last three years and 17 out of the past 19 years, falling to 34.3 births per 1,000 teenagers in 2010 – a 9 percent decline from 2009 and the lowest rate ever recorded in nearly seven decades of collecting data.  Birth rates for younger and older teenagers and for all race/ethnic groups reached historic lows in 2010.

But despite recent notable declines, the United States still leads the developed world in numbers of births to teenagers, which concerns public health officials.

Teen childbearing carries significant risks. Babies born to teenage mothers are more likely to be of low birthweight or preterm than infants born to older women, and they have a higher risk of dying during infancy.

If your teen is pregnant and you are looking for an option, call Integrity House at 866-586-8336 or go to our website at:  www.integrityhousertc.com and fill out the Contact form.

Data from: http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1117_teen_birthrate.html

Data from: http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=649532

According to James J. Jones, author of the book, Let’s Fix the Kids! Creating a New Environment at Home, The Loving Trust parenting style operates upon love, trust and correct principles.

Here are some of those principles:

There is a basic human need for unconditional love and acceptance, without regard for how pretty, smart or strong we are. Life is precious and it is always worthy of respect and honor. We are individuals, each unique and of inestimable value. People (children) are basically good and have a natural tendency to reach upward, to grow and love.

The principles of growth development, self-respect, and character are connected with the principles of working and earning. We have the ability and right to make choices in our lives. Actions and decision have consequences for which we are responsible. To learn to be responsible one must struggle with responsibility. We are accountable for the consequences of the choices we make.

It is the parental responsibility and right to set boundaries in their home. Everyone has the right to be heard in the family. It is the responsibility of parents to teach and protect children from harm.

Everyone is imperfect. We all make mistakes and that is okay. Mistakes provide great opportunities to learn. Pain is often a natural and necessary factor in the learning experience. There is such a thing as right and wrong, good and evil and we know the difference.

The Loving Trust parent sees the child as a free agent, capable and worthy of sacred trust. The child feels capable, accountable and loved. The parent’s love for the child is unconditional, cherished and treasured. The discipline of a Loving Trust parent is consenting and provides consequences. The Loving Trust parent is a role model for the child.

See more Blogs about Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Parenting Style; Authoritative/Democratic Parenting Style; Permissive Parenting Style; and Uninvolved/Neglectful Parenting Style.

Reference: Let’s Fix the Kids! Creating a New Environment at Home by James J. Jones

For a while (at Integrity House), I stopped paying attention in Adoption Group, stopped writing my Grandparents and family and just had stopped accepting treatment in general. However, subconsciously, I’ve always wanted to adopt my Grandparents, be it, for whatever reason I wanted at each time, many of which, were just to manipulate my family into bringing me home. Finally, around August this year, I got my butt in gear, got serious and actually started working. I worked on my relationship with my therapist and with my Grandparents and by October, at the Parent Conference, I finally was ready to adopt my Grandparents.

The experience was amazing, my family and I, as well as everyone else in the room, was crying and even my “Dad”, who is a cowboy, would never cry, got all emotional during the reception.

The affects my Adoption Ceremony had on me, was something far better than I can describe on paper. It is something far better than the taste of peanut butter, something far better than I had with my bio-mom, it was true love and I was important, I was special and it was my turn to have a Mom and Dad to care for me. Overall, the Adoption Ceremony helped me, as well as my family, grow in a positive way. I know that had I not come to Integrity House or had I not have gotten serious about my program and the relationship between my family and I, that I never would have built the strong invincible relationship that I have with my parents right now. I love my parents and I know for a fact that they will always love me, no matter what, through thick and thin, because they are my family and we were made for each other.

January 2011
Resident at Integrity House
Italics added for clarity.

The uninvolved or neglectful parent is neither demanding nor responsive. They are detached. The parent is low in warmth and control, are generally not involved in their child’s life, are disengaged, undemanding, low in responsiveness, and do not set limits. Neglectful parenting can also mean dismissing the children’s emotions and opinions. Parents are emotionally unsupportive of their children, but will still provide their basic needs. Provide basic needs meaning: food, housing, and toiletries or money for the prementioned.

Children whose parents are neglectful develop the sense that other aspects of the parents’ lives are more important than they are. Many children of this parenting style often attempt to provide for themselves or halt depending on the parent to get a feeling of being independent and mature beyond their years.[1] Parents, and thus their children, often display contradictory behavior. Children become emotionally withdrawn from social situations. This disturbed attachment also impacts relationships later on in life. In adolescence, they may show patterns of truancy and delinquency.[1]

The Uninvolved/Neglectful parent sees the child as a nuisance. The child feels unimportant, disliked and not valued. The parent’s love for the child is questioned. The discipline of an Uninvolved/Neglectful parent is harsh and inconsistent.

See more Blogs about Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Parenting Style; Authoritative/Democratic Parenting Style; Permissive Parenting Style; and Loving Trust Parenting Style.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parenting_styles#cite_note-theantidrug-14

[1] Santrock, J.W. (2007). A topical approach to life-span development, third Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill

Let’s Fix the Kids! Creating a New Environment at Home by James J. Jones

Permissive parents give up most control to their children. Parents make few, if any, rules, and the rules that they make are usually not consistently enforced. They don’t want to be tied down to routines. They want their children to feel free. They do not set clear boundaries or expectations for their children’s behavior and tend to accept in a warm and loving way, however the child behaves.

Permissive parents give children as many choices as possible, even when the child is not capable of making good choices. They tend to accept a child’s behavior, good or bad, and make no comment about whether it is beneficial or not. They may feel unable to change misbehavior, or they choose not to get involved.

The Permissive parent sees the child as capable and good. The child feels confused and neglected. The parent’s love for the child is displaced and supported. The Permissive parent’s discipline is absent and inconsistent.

See more Blogs about Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Parenting Style; Authoritative/Democratic Parenting Style; Uninvolved/Neglectful parenting Style and Loving Trust Parenting Style.

References:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantparentingtips/a/04_pntg_styles.htm
Let’s Fix the Kids! Creating a New Environment at Home by James J. Jones

Following is a couple examples:

Dear Integrity House Staff,

Thank you for attending our daughter’s Adoption Ceremony. It was so beautiful having the girls and staff present. It just shows how much everyone means to each other. I was truly impressed by how well Integrity House is run. There is a sense of security, structure, love, discipline and comedy. We felt right at home. We have recommended the place without ever seeing it but now have even more reason to continue recommending it. Any mother knows how hard it is to raise one girl yet alone 21.

We received the CD (disk of photos taken during the Adoption Ceremony) and loved it. It was so thoughtful of you to send it to us. 

Keep up the good work of getting these girls back on their feet. Every child deserves a happy and safe life.

Thanks Again,
Parents of an Integrity House girl
November 2011

I wanted to say thank you again for all you did in the name of the Adoption Ceremony. So much work, so much detail, it was beautiful and I’m only just now reflecting back on it.

From the deepest part of my heart, I truly thank you.  
Parent of an Integrity House girl
January 2012

Integrity House, a residential treatment center, works with teenage girls struggling with relationships with adoptive parents. Many adoptions take place when the child is a baby and they have no say regarding who is adopting them. As the child grows and matures they begin to question who they are, where they came from and try to figure out where they belong in this vast world.

The therapists at Integrity House are experienced in dealing with attachment disorders and offer an Adoption Therapy Group to specifically address the needs of the girls dealing with this issue. Along with Individual and Family Therapy, a healthy relationship begins to develop. As therapeutic work continues the girl decides she is ready to “adopt” her parents and siblings.

The Adoption Ceremony is held with the family, the girl, Integrity House staff and girls. Each Adoption Ceremony is as unique as each family. There is a question and answer portion, presentation of Certificate of Adoption, an exchange of gifts, congratulations, tears, smiles, hugs, laughter and joy! We have had ceremonies where the girl has sang a song to her parents; a Dad sang a song to his daughter; a family combined vials of sand, each a different color, to represent Mom, Dad and daughter into one pendant representing their blended family; DVD presentations; photo albums and specially written poems shared; etc.

The Adoption Ceremony is unique to Integrity House and we have seen positive growth in families that came to us wondering if they were going to ever see their “little girl” again.

Democratic/Authoritative parents help children learn to be responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their behavior. Parents do this by providing clear, reasonable expectations for their children and explanations for why they expect their children to behave in a particular manner. They monitor their children’s behavior to make sure that they follow through on rules and expectations. They do this in a warm and loving manner. They often, “try to catch their children being good” and reinforcing the good behavior, rather than focusing on the bad.

For example, a child who leaves her toys on a staircase may be told not to do this because, “Someone could trip on them and get hurt and the toy might be damaged.” As children mature, parents involve children in making rules and doing chores: “Who will mop the kitchen floor, and who will carry out the trash?”
Parents who have a Democratic/Authoritative Parenting Style give choices based on a child’s ability. For a toddler, the choice may be “red shirt or striped shirt?” For an older child, the choice might be “apple, orange or banana?” Parents guide children’s behavior by teaching, not punishing. “You threw your truck at Mindy. That hurt her. We’re putting your truck away until you can play with it safely.”

The Democratic/Authoritative parent sees the child as an equal, is capable and good. The child feels equal, respected and loved. The parent’s love for the child is conditional and performance based. The discipline of a Democratic/Authoritative parent is based on agreed upon consequences.

See more Blogs about Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Parenting Style; Permissive Parenting Style; Uninvolved/Neglectful Parenting Style and Loving Trust Parenting Style.

References:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantparentingtips/a/04_pntg_styles.htm
Let’s Fix the Kids! Creating a New Environment at Home by James J. Jones

If your child has co-existing conditions, particularly ADHD, medications may help significantly improve symptoms. However, medications alone generally aren’t used for ODD unless another disorder co-exists.

The cornerstones of treatment for ODD usually include:

Individual and family therapy. Individual counseling for your child may help him or her learn to manage anger and express his or her feelings more healthfully. Family counseling may help improve your communication and relationships, and help members of your family learn how to work together.

Cognitive problem-solving training. This type of therapy is aimed at helping your child identify and change through patterns that are leading to behavior problems. Collaborative problem-solving — in which you and your child work together to come up with solutions that work for both of you — can help improve ODD-related problems.

Social skills training. Your child also might benefit from therapy that will help him or her learn how to interact more positively and effectively with peers.

Integrity House offers Individual, Family and Group Therapy to address ODD.  Cognitive Problem Solving is addressed in Individual and Family Therapy.  Life Skills classes are also offered.  Call Integrity House at 866-586-8336 for more information on how we can help you and your daughter.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/oppositional-defiant-disorder/DS00630/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs