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Critical Issues Children Face in the 2000’s

Critical Issues Children Face in the 2000’s. Deborah Crockett Fayette County Board of Education Fayetteville, Georgia. Ongoing Issues. A child is abused every 11 seconds. One half million children are in foster care. One child born without health insurance every minute.

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Critical Issues Children Face in the 2000’s

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  1. Critical Issues Children Face in the 2000’s Deborah Crockett Fayette County Board of Education Fayetteville, Georgia

  2. Ongoing Issues • A child is abused every 11 seconds. • One half million children are in foster care. • One child born without health insurance every minute. • 7 ½ million children are home daily without adequate supervision.

  3. Ongoing Issues • Millions of children lack safe, affordable, quality child care and early childhood education while their parents work. • Millions of children start school not ready to learn. • 12 million children are poor, hungry, and/or homeless.

  4. Critical Issues: Poverty • 37% of children live in low income families. • 80% of poor children live in working households. • 6% of children live in extreme poverty. • Poverty is highest for African-Americans and Latinos.

  5. Critical Issue: Violence • Homicide is the second leading cause of death for all 15-24 year olds, most killed with handguns. • Homicide leading cause of death for African-Americans. Second leading cause for Hispanics. • 800,000 children were victims of child abuse nationwide. (reported)

  6. Critical Issues: Bullying and Harassment • One of every seven children reports being bullied in school. • In the average classroom, 3 children are either victims or bullies. • 78% of children in a CFC survey report being bullied in the past month. • One third of victims indicate plans for retaliation.

  7. Critical Issues: Teen Pregnancy/Sexual Behavior • Births to girls in 15-19 age group have declined in the past decade. • 70% of teens report first sexual encounter at night (6 to 10pm). • 56% of teens reported having first sexual encounter in their or partner’s home. • Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing in the 15-19 age group.

  8. Critical Issue: Alcohol and Drug Abuse • 50% of teen motor vehicle accidents involve alcohol and/or drugs. • 30% of adolescent suicides are associated with alcohol and/or drugs. • Children and adolescents who abuse alcohol and drugs engage in risk taking behaviors. • The younger the age of initial alcohol use, greater chance for adult substance abuse.

  9. Critical Issue: Mental Health Services • 12% of school age youth complete suicide. • Greatest suicide increase, African-American males. • Native Americans, 64% of suicides were males in the 15-24 age group. • Suicide among young children while rare is increasing in the 10-14 age group.

  10. Critical Issue: Mental Health Services • Three million teenagers struggle with depression. • Only 36% of youth at risk for suicide received mental health services in 2001. • School based programs are needed to increase opportunities for treatment.

  11. Critical Issue: Mental Health Services • According to the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report, there are serious concerns about diagnosis and treatment of emotional/behavioral difficulties in children.

  12. Diversity and Tolerance • African-Americans (12.3%) and Hispanics (12.5) are the largest ethnic groups. • Hate crimes based on race continue to be the highest reported (54.5%), with religion second (17.9%). • Hate crimes based on sexual orientation have increased. • Children still do not know how to interact with others, do not cross “cultural borders.”

  13. Critical Issue: Education • Large scale assessments are becoming one of the major accountability measures for students, teachers, and schools. • Public school choice for parents in low performing schools. • Charter schools on the increase with federal support.

  14. Critical Issue: Education • Strong emphasis on reading in early grades. • All LEP students are to be tested in English after three years in US schools. • Most states have adopted “social promotion” legislation for students who do not meet state/federal benchmarks.

  15. Critical Issue: Technology • Whites and Asians are more likely to have home access to computers than African-Americans and Hispanics. • Home internet use is twice the rate for Asians and Whites than for African-Americans and Hispanics. • 73% of suburban, 61% rural, and 53% of central city children have internet/computer access.

  16. Role of School Psychology • Increased planning, collaboration, and program implementation across disciplines and agencies. • New political collaboration with with state agencies especially those that affect children and their issues. • Advocate for school psychology and children by getting politically involved. Run for public office at local, state, and national levels.

  17. Role of School Psychology • Training programs should continue to use technology and school systems to retool veteran school psychologist. • Systemic changes in delivery of school psychological services so that children and families will have access to our services day and evening, e.g., staggered work hours.

  18. Role of School Psychologist • The power of one. • Cross “cultural borders”. Differences are not deficits. • Maintain your diversification. • Coffee klatches are not a bad thing.

  19. Deborah Crockett FCBOE Fayetteville, GA preznasp@aol.com 770-460-3990, x159

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