Students need sleep to succeed

stuff.co.nz, 21 July 2008
Teenagers need nine hours of sleep a night and parents can help by getting them back on a school sleep schedule before classes begin, researchers suggest. Early morning classes can be particularly hard on teenagers because "their circadian rhythms change at puberty and they want to go to sleep later and wake up later," Robert Roberts, a professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health, said. more...

Of course it's not only school work that is affected by a lack of sleep - it affects all areas of a teenager's life. When counselling young people who are not coping with some aspect of life it can be useful to determine whether or not they are getting enough sleep. Not sleeping enough not only causes problems but limits the teens ability to cope with problems.

All in the mind in battle of sexes

The Dominion Post, 21 July 2008
It will come as no surprise to women – parts of their brains are bigger then men's. There is, however, no winner in this battle of the sexes – scientists have also found some areas of male brains are larger than those of females. The findings are part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that male and female brains are very different, both in physical features and the way they're wired. more...

Not a lot of specific content here apart from a few "myths" but this article is a good reminder of what we see in youth ministry and what God intended - that adolescent boys and girls do think and react differently.

Getting youngsters on the straight and narrow

The Dominion Post, 28 June 2008
In the garage at the rear of the Maraeroa Marae Health Clinic in Porirua is a pole laden with coloured scarfs, mostly blue or red. Each one represents a young person who has given up gang life in an effort to better themselves. They have been shown a different path by Fa'amatuainu Wayne Poutoa, who founded the Streets Ahead programme to reduce gang recruitment, violence and crime. When they finish the five-day course, armed with new self- knowledge, they hand over their colours – and move on. more...

A valuable insight into what programme is doing to combat the gang problem. Many of the principles and insights are useful for us working with young people from any background. Check out the Streets Ahead bebo page.