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This is truly shocking. Almost half the kids in this country have been exposed to violence or a traumatic situation in their families in their childhoods. According to newswise.com, nearly 50% of all children in the United States are exposed to at least one social or family experience that can lead to traumatic stress and have an impact on their healthy development – be it having their parents divorce, a parent die or living with someone who abuses alcohol or drugs – increasing the risk of negative long-term health consequences or of falling behind in school, suggests new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Growing up, parents were expected to hit their kids, some with belts, others (like my mom) with whatever was handy!  And we've all heard the outcry, right or wrong, against Adrian Peterson.  Today we know better, supposedly.  But looking at the results of this study, clearly, it still happens.  The good news is...

 How's this for a scary prognosis?  Family violence leaves genetic traces. Newswise.com reports that a new Tulane University School of Medicine study finds that the more fractured families are by domestic violence or trauma, the more likely that children will bear the scars down to their DNA. Researchers discovered that children in homes affected by domestic violence, suicide or the incarceration of a family member have significantly shorter telomeres, which is a cellular marker of aging, than those in stable households.  Those with shorter telomeres die younger. Telomeres are the caps at the end of chromosomes that keep them from shrinking when cells replicate. Shorter telomeres are linked to higher risks for heart disease, obesity, cognitive decline, diabetes, mental illness and poor health outcomes in adulthood. “Family-level stressors, such as witnessing a family member get hurt, created an environment that affected the DNA within the cells of t...

This may shock you (as it did me).  But most crimes are not committed by mentally ill people. According to a new study   of crimes committed by people with serious mental disorders, only 7.5 percent were directly related to symptoms of mental illness, newswise.com reports. Of course, it's the horrific crimes that are perpetrated by the mentally ill that we hear about, I suppose. But r esearchers who analyzed 429 crimes committed by 143 offenders with three major types of mental illness found that 3 percent of their crimes were directly related to symptoms of major depression, 4 percent to symptoms of schizophrenia disorders and 10 percent to symptoms of bipolar disorder. “When we hear about crimes committed by people with mental illness, they tend to be big headline-making crimes so they get stuck in people’s heads,” the Web site quotes lead researcher Jillian Peterson, PhD. “The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent, not criminal and not dangerous...

Yet one more reason to hate video games.  According to a new study , they make teens cheat and eat more after playing them. "Playing violent video games not only increases aggression, it also leads to less self-control and more cheating," newswise.com reports. Researchers found that teens who played violent video games ate more chocolate and were more likely to steal raffle tickets in a lab experiment than were teens who played nonviolent games.  (I don't need any more reasons to eat chocolate!) "The effects were strongest in teens who scored high on a measure of moral disengagement – the ability to convince yourself that ethical standards don’t apply to you in a particular situation," the Web site notes. Another recent study, this one on violence in films, can also be related to video games.   Research showed that people who simply see a gun, or even a picture of a gun, are more aggressive toward others. “When people play violent video games, they sho...

Two frightening new studies : the closer one is socially to a homicide victim, the higher your chances of being shot, too. I suppose that makes sense.  If the people you hang with and around have guns, it's far more likely you'll be the victim of violence than a little old lady sitting in church. "For every degree of separation from a victim, an individual would experience a 57 percent decrease in their odds of homicide victimization," newswise.com reports. "In addition 41 percent of all gun homicides occurred within less than 4 percent of the neighborhood’s population." “By mapping the terrain within high-risk social networks and analyzing shooting patterns, network analysis offers a more direct road map for interventions," newswise.com quotes the study authors. The researchers argue against "sweeping policies and practices based on categorical distinctions such as gang membership or race," and, instead, focus on intervention and prevent...

Everyone knows domestic abuse -- either verbal or physical -- is bad.  But did you know it affects the health of those who are abused  long-term? From muscle and joint aches to memory loss, a new study has found that, in a survey of 1,000 women, almost half reported that they were survivors of domestic abuse, and of that 44 percent, 20 percent had chronic pain issues, according to Liz Neporent of abcnews.com. "There's evidence that the majority of the 3 million to 4 million women who report a domestic violence incident each year, according to the American Medical Association, have an exceptionally high rate of health problems," Neporent reports. Domestic abuse victims also reported up to twice as many chronic conditions compared with those who said they were not abused, the survey found. More than 80 percent of domestic abuse survivors, and nearly 90 percent of those who said they had also been sexually abused, reported such problems as low back pain, chronic he...

To many people, domestic abuse means hitting, punching, slapping, and in extreme cases, choking, stabbing, even killing. But here's a chilling thought: emotional abuse is just as devastating.  And it can be the precursor to violence. I saw a lot of violence in my home growing up, beatings with straps, wooden spoons, you name it.  So when I hooked up with a man who shoved me hard one night when he was mad, it was what I knew.  It took me a while to realize I had to get out -- and almost as long to do it. According to the   National Coalition Against Domestic Violence , I was not alone.  Nearly one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. And, in the United States alone, 1.3 million women are physically assaulted by a partner each year, as reported by medicaldaily.com.  Some even die. Now you may think, this will never happen to me. But domestic violence is insidious. It can start out as a shove or a push, any...

This probably won't come as a surprise to very many, but did you know that 25% of young people injured in assaults own guns ? According to Michelle Healy at usatoday.com, "Among young people ages 14 to 24 who received care in a hospital emergency department for assault-related injuries, 23% said they owned a firearm in the past six months." Even worse, only 17% of those who said they owned guns got them legally, says the report, in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics , published online today, Healy reports. Almost 700 young people who sought care at a major trauma center in Flint, Mich., were surveyed by the  University of Michigan Injury Center for the study.  About 14% were younger than age 18, and "32% had children of their own," Healy notes the shocking facts. Not surprisingly, "those with firearms were more likely to use illegal drugs, have been involved in a serious fight, and to endorse the position that 'revenge was a good thing...

And now for another word about violence.  Know the toddler who keeps biting yours?  Or the one who kicks the teacher when he can't get what he wants? Well, guess what?  A new study has found that "aggression in school-age children may have its origins in children 3 years old and younger who witnessed violence between their mothers and partners," according to a study by Case Western Reserve University, as reported yesterday by newswise.com. “People may think children that young are passive and unaware, but they pay attention to what’s happening around them,” newswise.com quotes Megan Holmes, assistant professor of social work at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. The numbing fact is that between three million and 10 million children each year witness violence in their homes. While it's long been known that recent exposure to violence has a huge impact, what hasn't been so visible i...

I found this shocking.  But a new study has found that bullying by a sibling is every bit as bad -- maybe even worse -- than by a schoolmate. And it's linked to increased depression, anxiety and anger among victimized kids and teens, according to Michelle Healy at USA Today. She writes, "Although peer bullying has increasingly become a recognized problem and the focus of preventive efforts, sibling bullying has historically been viewed as 'benign and normal and even beneficial' for a child's social development and ability 'to learn to handle aggression in other relationships,' according to the study," which was featured in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics , published online today. I came from a family where the siblings banded together against our dysfunctional family so this is something not that well-known to me. But I've seen it in other families and what's been most disturbing is that the child being bullied very often idoliz...

I remember worrying every minute my son was in preschool and out of my sight.  It got a little better in kindergarden, after the first terrifying time he went on the bus (don't ask about the time he missed the bus, when it came and he wasn't on it).  In first and second grades, the worrying grew a little less.  I began to trust the teachers and that he would survive.  Then middle school came and even though I knew he could take care of himself now, I still worried But the worst is yet to come, according to Charles Blow of The New York Times. Charles Blow, who I adore, wrote an op-ed today about the dangers ahead -- and right in front of us -- for our teenagers . He writes that, in a hypothetical class of 100 high school seniors: 71 will have experienced physical assault 28 will have been "victimized" sexually (and 10, raped)  32 have experienced "child maltreatment" 27 were in a physical fight, and 16 carried a weapon in the l...

Who on earth would give a 5-year-old a rifle for his birthday?  All you gun zealots out there, do you still believe guns should be available to anyone? I couldn't believe this when I heard that this young boy had accidentally -- accidentally -- shot and killed his 2-year-old sister. Of course it was an accident but what moron gave this child a gun -- and put bullets in it? I'm tired of all my ranting and raving about gun control, and am totally brokenhearted that Obama didn't call in favors or do some strong-arming of Congress to get even the watered-down background check bill passed. How could he miss this opportunity?  One that probably won't come up again for another 20 years, based on our yellow-bellied senators. I also couldn't believe that any sane man or woman would put a donor's dollars ahead of a child's life.  But I guess I was naive.  Not just one did it, over 50 did.  What would they say now to this child's parents?  I heard the grandp...

Now that more information about Adam Lanza and the Newtown massacre are about to hit the airwaves, how much do we really need to know? Make that, want to know. That he fired 155 bullets in less than five minutes, according to NBC News?  That he fired 154 of those bullets from his assault rifle and just one (to kill himself) from a handgun? And big surprise, that he had a certificate from, or was a member of, the National Rifle Association?  All these facts came out today at a press conference held by the chief prosecutor investigating the slaughter. So, does this make any of us feel better?  We sort of knew the main outline from all the newscasts.  This is just shedding a little more light (if there is any light to Adam Lanza).  We also learned just last week that he had a seven-foot spreadsheet of all the mass killings of recent years. But does this help us make any more sense of this horrific crime?  Not for me.  We always knew this kid w...

Now I really have heard it all.  According to a column by Joe Nocera in today's NYT, "Politics By Intimidation,"gun control activists are now being targeted and harassed by gun rights extremists in Oregon. It reminds me of the early abortion wars (or should I say, current?), when people carried around photos of aborted fetuses and men lined up in front of clinics to try to prevent women from having the right to their own bodies.  I remember marching on Washington in the late '80s, a time when we pretty much thought we had it all licked. But now it's coming back. Anti-abortion nuts. Gun rights loonies. Newtown wasn't enough for these crazies.  Are they going to shoot a gun control advocate through the head, as she's sitting down to dinner as happened years ago to a physician who performed abortions? I realize I'm getting off the subject but this bothers me so much. . .People -- under the guise of their rights -- trying to prevent others from exerc...

I'm in a bit of a quandary. I heard today that the VA is refusing to honor the part of the healthcare law that requres them to release the names of those they consider likely to hurt themselves or others. Part of me thinks, I sure hope I'm not around when that PTSD-crazed vet starts emptying his assault rifle at ShopRite. Yet, as someone who saw a therapist for marriage and other counseling, I'm not so sure I'd want my name swirling around out there, either. The provision is set to take effect Saturday. It's a very delicate balance.  We all deserve to be protected from those who might hurt us, or themselves. But shouldn't our most fragile veterans also be protected from having their very personal information released? I'd love to hear your opinion. It's so hard because Newtown is still taking up a lot of space in my brain.  http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/va-refuses-to-follow-n-y-gun-law/?cat_orig=us

My son didn’t turn in his math homework. A straight-A student, he brought his grade down to an F.  This has happened before. The weird thing is, he does it.  He just doesn’t turn it in.  I’ve heard it’s a middle school thing.  The excuses range from “I left it in my locker” to “It wasn’t in my folder” to “I couldn’t find it in my desk.” Huh?  True, it’s not like he committed mass murder, but still.  It makes me wonder how well I know my son. And it made me think about that woman who wrote, “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” after Newtown .  She was on a PBS special this week and she talked about how she carries a Tupperware container full of knives, hammers, and other sharp kitchen tools in her car in case her son attacks her again with a knife.  He was 10 at the time. She said they live on eggshells, terrified of the next violent eruption.  The child himself said he hates it, but can’t control himself. Probably a lot like ...

Interesting article in The Advocate (Stamford, CT) yesterday.  Apparently, although the use of violent video games has exploded, crime itself has decreased, according to several sources. But they will most likely never be banned because they are protected under their makers' rights to free speech. Sadly, no link has yet been found between violence and viewing video games, The Advocate reported, quoting  David J. McGuire , staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut , who told the Connecticut legislature's Children's Committee, that the Supreme Court has "concluded there is little evidence of a link between violent video games and violent behavior in children, and ruled that such a tenuous correlation was not sufficient to impose a restriction on this protected medium." Seems kind of strange to me.  What a wild, wild west this country has become.  The Constitution guarantees the right to own guns . . .and the right for video game...

I guess we should be grateful.  The Washington Post reports that, after Newton, support for spending on mental health has soared. Brady Dennis and Lena H. Sun write that mental health professionals are jumping up and down and clicking their heels in delight that finally, finally, the spotlight is shining on the need to end budgeting slashes and plug the gaps in the mental care network. "A year that could have brought another round of thinning resources and a spot far down the priority list of policymakers is shaping up quite differently in some statehouses," they note.  Some states, like Minnesota -- long a free-thinking place with a conscience (I lived there briefly) -- is hoping to institute mental programs and resources in schools.  "Wisconsin’s famously budget-conscious governor, Republican Scott Walker , this month proposed a nearly $30 million boost to mental-health spending in his budget, including funding for a program that allows counties to pr...

We've talked so much about the shooting victims in Newtown, those beautiful children shot dead in their classrooms, and the teachers, too. But not a lot is written about the witnesses to these tragedies, and how they, too, are changed for life. An article in  Sunday Review in The New York Times yesterday talked about how we ignore those who have been wounded, or have been there at the scene of carnage. At  little-noticed report , the story said, "suggested that children exposed to community violence might turn to violence themselves as 'a source of power, prestige, security, or even belongingness.'" It said these children -- who had seen friends gunned down on porches, or in parking lots, or were the victims of a random bullet like the 15-year-old, who only days before had sung at President Obama's inauguration, struck down by a stranger's anger at another -- needed help and professional counseling. Op-ed writer Alex Kotlowitz noted "a remarka...

What seems to me an odd twist in the sad story of children bullying other children is that it lasts well into their lifetimes.  Bullies, too. According to an article in The New York Times, those who are bullied, and the ones who do the bullying, have psychiatric problems in childhood, which has been known for some time. But chilling new research shows that they also have an "elevated risk of psychiatric trouble extends into adulthood, sometimes even a decade after the intimidation has ended." Catherine Saint Louis writes that the new study is the most comprehensive ever done on this subject.  "“The experience of bullying in childhood can have profound effects on mental health in adulthood, particularly among youths involved in bullying as both a perpetuator and a victim,"  Catherine Bradshaw , an expert on bullying and a deputy director of the Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence at Johns Hopkins University, which was not involved in the study, told Sain...