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Diphtheria, scurvy, rickets, rheumatic heart disease, tetanus ... these are the diseases of history that killed and maimed tens of thousands of children every year in America during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now those of us who work in pediatrics face different, but no less serious challenges. Back then, images of wasted babies and street urchins in tattered clothes are often conjured when the lives of children in early America are described. In the early days of modern medicine,...

[Episode 105] Today's Social Work Podcast is about Recovery High Schools. I spoke with Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker, Distinguished Professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Social Work, and author of the 2016 book, Youth and Substance Use: Prevention, Intervention and Recovery . We talk about risk factors for addiction, adolescent brain development, how to think about addiction from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective, why recovery or sober high schools fit an essential gap...

The message is chillingly clear: If you’re raped or sexually assaulted in Baltimore these days, don’t expect much from the police. Earlier this month, a Department of Justice investigation found the Baltimore Police department has been shockingly negligent in responding to sex crimes, including leaving the majority of rape kits untested and ignoring evidence. It described a culture of hostility towards victims, including officers who called women “whores” who are trying to “mess up guys’...

In honor of this announcement, we are offering 15% off any PAPER TIGERS purchase when you check out. Simply use the code "PIVOT15" in the cart to receive the discount. Offer expires October 15, 2016. We are proud to announce the film PAPER TIGERS will be premiering on Pivot tonight, Wednesday, August 31, 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT*. PAPER TIGERS follows a year in the life of an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students. It is now a promising model...

Who are we and what do we stand for in criminal and juvenile justice reform? Against the backdrop of a contentious election season and robust conversations about justice reforms that have included proposals to build private prisons, the Children’s Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) is taking a pause to revisit and rearticulate the values that guide our work as youth justice advocates. What are the values that guide us in creating better alternatives to broken justice systems for youth? What...

Most American adults who suffer from depression aren't getting treatment, a new study finds. After screening survey data on more than 46,000 people, researchers found that 8 percent had depression, but only a third were being treated for the mood disorder. The reasons why were varied. "Some adults who experience depressive symptoms do not believe they are significant and require medical attention, or that they could benefit from treatment," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Olfson. For others,...

Addiction, Sharon David says, can seize you any time. Hers began in her mid-30s, after she had already navigated what many might think were the shoals of her life. She spent her adolescence on a First Nations reserve on an emerald stretch of Canada’s Long Island, off the coast of British Columbia. She lived with her grandmother, whom she says was emotionally and physically abusive. When she was 16, after a cousin’s boyfriend tried to rape her, she ran away from home. That escape eventually...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it will look into whether it should end its relationship with the private companies that run migrant-detentions centers, a move that would signal a major shift in policy and likely appease immigrant-rights advocates. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson made the announcement Monday, and said the review should be finished by the end of November. The U.S. government has depended heavily on private contractors to run its migrant-detention centers, and...

The physical and psychiatric effects of war can linger long after veterans return to American soil. Last weekend, a 76-year-old veteran committed suicide in the parking lot of a veteran’s affairs medical center, where he had been a patient. According to The New York Times , Peter A. Kaisen was “unable to see an emergency-room physician for reasons related to his mental health.” The hospital, however, reportedly said there was no evidence that Kaisen sought treatment at the hospital prior to...

Too many youth feel sad, hopeless, nervous, and depressed as a result of their life experiences. In fact, one in 10 tenth-grade students in Northern Kentucky has self-reported attempting suicide . Sometimes these feelings grow in intensity. Mental illness often becomes evident by the age of 14 . And youth are looking for ways to cope with these feelings -- the average age of first use of alcohol is 13. The culmination of childhood experiences, both positive and negative, shape the way...

About 8 percent of high school students are lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to the first nationwide survey asking teens about their sexuality. The survey results released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month found that these teenagers face a shockingly high level of violence compared with their straight peers. The report is a call to action for adults who care about youth, said Debra Hauser, president of Advocates for Youth , a nonprofit focusing on the...

The great Louisiana Floods of 2016 have led to the closure of at least 22 of the state’s 70 public school districts , with additional districts calling off classes as a precaution given the immense devastation. This means that as many as one-third of the state’s public school students were out of school last week, and potentially for many weeks to come. That equates to more than 241,000 children who are not in classrooms where they belong; and these figures do not even account for the many...