Here are some links that may assist you with children related issues. Since the Valley Stream High School District is not in control of these normally safe sites, we ask that you review the associated links before asking your child to use the resource. This procedure should be a standard procedure, even for websites you have trusted in the past.

Signs and Symptoms of Teen Depression

Teenagers face a host of pressures, from the changes of puberty to questions about who they are and where they fit in. The natural transition from child to adult can also bring parental conflict as teens start to assert their independence. With all this drama, it isn’t always easy to differentiate between depression and normal teenage moodiness. Making things even more complicated, teens with depression do not necessarily appear sad, nor do they always withdraw from others. For some depressed teens, symptoms of irritability, aggression, and rage are more prominent..

If you’re unsure if an adolescent in your life is depressed or just “being a teenager,” consider how long the symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how different the teen is acting from his or her usual self. While some “growing pains” are to be expected as teenagers grapple with the challenges of growing up, dramatic, long-lasting changes in personality, mood, or behavior are red flags of a deeper problem.

(from: http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm#top Teen Depression  A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS – authors -  Melinda Smith, M.A., Suzanne Barston, Jaelline Jaffe, Ph.D., Lisa Flores Dumke, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., contributed to this article. Last modified in November 07.

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(This site is for information and support; not a substitute for professional advice.)

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Internet Safety Resources

 
Child Safety on the Information Highway - Usefull guidelines for online safety.

The Children's Partnership - Includes the Parent's Guide to the Internet.

Notes, Advice and Warnings for Kids - Contains information every child needs to stay out of danger online in a question and answer format. This site is a must for all parents to review with their "connected" youngsters.

Parental Resources