We know that high school can be a roller coaster ride with many highs and lows. This page is dedicated to helping students who are seeking support in many personal areas. We encourage students to reach out if they are in trouble, feeling down, or have concerns about someone they care about. As counselors, we are here to help in any way we can, so please utilize the resources on this site and come visit the counseling center if you need help.
Bullying
Four things you should know about bullying:
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As many as 80% of American students say they experienced some form of school bullying during their school years.
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A 2008 Zogby poll found that 37% of Americans report being bullied on the job.
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Researchers estimate that nearly 30% of children in a given year in the United States are the target of bullying, bully others, or both.
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Witnesses can be a powerful deterrent to bullying by speaking up or refusing to provide an audience.
Retrieved January 12, 2010 from PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/bullying
These statistics are consistent with those attending California High School. Bullying continues to be a problem and we want to hear from you if you have witnessed, been a victim of, or know someone who has suffered from the effects of bullying. Please visit the link below to watch a touching story about Patrick Halligan.
The Patrick Halligan Story: PBS Frontline
A Place for Parents: Hot Topics
Love Them, Don't Indulge Them, and Know the Difference
We are surrounded by gadgets and electronics, obsessed with the quickest, easiest, fastest way to gain information. Parents often find themselves in the predicament of having too much on their plate and not enough time to spend with their kids. To ease their guilt, they often overindulge, giving children too many material things and too much freedom, placing them in countless activities to keep them busy because parents are too busy. How do we escape this evolving world? Well, we can't. It is a part of our changing culture and instead of avoiding it, educators and parents must work together in making sure our kids are not overindulged. Unfortunately, we are often confused between the difference of loving our children and overindulging our children. Find out what can happen when kids are overindulged: Over-Dependency: Overindulged children usually become excessively dependent on their parents and others.
Anger and Resentment: Anger becomes associated with children's over-dependence on parents. For some, this may lead to opposition and conduct disorder.
Loss of Interdependency: Children may develop the belief that it is all about them while showing little to no concern for others.
Loss of Self-Reliance: Many overindulged children do not gradually learn the skills necessary to eventually stand on their own two feet.
Inflated Self-Esteem: Overindulgent children often hear very positive comments about themselves from their parents. Their parents often do not give constructive criticism about real flaws. This can result in their struggle to manage constructive criticism from other well-intended adults.
Emotional Distance: Overindulged children tend to create emotional distance with parents more severely than normal.
Loss of Age Appropriate Skills: Since everything is corrected for them and done for them, overindulged children do not learn basic age appropriate skills.
Conditional Love: Overindulgent parents create children who engage in conditional love - "I'll love you if you give me what I want. I won't if you don't."
Helpful Resources:
Substance Abuse in Teens
Drugs are everywhere. They cross all boundaries and do not discriminate. Know the facts, ask questions, and stay informed. Check out this website to find more information regarding drugs and what you can do to support your teen. It's time to start talking to one another and confronting these serious topics. This site can help you get started.
