News Articles

By Mary Rose Somarriba Courtesy of The Public Discourse The latest Harvey Weinstein allegation reminds us that, around the world and here in the United States, sex trafficking is closer than it appears. The domestic and international problem of sex trafficking has been getting attention more and more in the past few years, but for many Americans, it can still feel like a very distant problem. Many don’t know that the illegal and exploitative practice of sex trafficking has roots in many situations that are legal—in pornography, at strip clubs, and, as one of the latest Weinstein allegations suggests, even [...]

By Erin Monahan - June 13, 2017 https://www.livestrong.com/article/279393-disadvantages-of-teenage-pregnancy/ Teen pregnancy is life changing. While most teen pregnancies are unplanned, even a planned pregnancy has risks and potential complications. While teen pregnancy rates have declined over the past 10 years, 22 of 1000 high school students still get pregnant each year, according to a report on the website Pregnant Teen Help. Nearly 1 million babies are born to teens each year, including 18- and 19-year-olds, and not all of them are ready for or want the responsibility. Loss of Education An estimated 70 percent of pregnant teens drop out of school, [...]

Feeling sad, mad, critical or otherwise awful? Surprise: negative emotions are essential for mental health. By Tori Rodriguez on May 1, 2013 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/negative-emotions-key-well-being/ A client sits before me, seeking help untangling his relationship problems. As a psychotherapist, I strive to be warm, nonjudgmental and encouraging. I am a bit unsettled, then, when in the midst of describing his painful experiences, he says, “I'm sorry for being so negative.” A crucial goal of therapy is to learn to acknowledge and express a full range of emotions, and here was a client apologizing for doing just that. In my psychotherapy practice, many [...]

By Arthur C. Brooks, Nov. 21, 2015 Courtesy of NY Times TWENTY-FOUR years ago this month, my wife and I married in Barcelona, Spain. Two weeks after our wedding, flush with international idealism, I had the bright idea of sharing a bit of American culture with my Spanish in-laws by cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner. Easier said than done. Turkeys are not common in Barcelona. The local butcher shop had to order the bird from a specialty farm in France, and it came only partially plucked. Our tiny oven was too small for the turkey. No one had ever heard [...]

By Georgia Wells, Oct. 1, 2015 Courtesy of Wall Street Journal When Jeff Cohen was getting ready to meet his OkCupid date for drinks in Manhattan, he started to have second thoughts as he reread the glaring grammatical error in her last message: “I will see you their.” The date flopped for a couple of reasons, but bad grammar bothers Mr. Cohen. Learning a potential mate doesn’t know the difference between “there,” “they’re” and “their” is like discovering she loves cats, he says. Mr. Cohen is allergic to cats. “It’s like learning I’m going to sneeze every time I see her,” [...]

Drawing on his new book, "Gender and Parenthood: Biological and Social Scientific Perspectives" (Columbia, 2013), W. Bradford Wilcox details the ways in which fatherhood is a transformative experience for men, both biologically and socially. He also explains how fathers make a distinctive contribution to their children's lives. Wilcox, the Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, concludes by discussing the ways in which marriage connects men to their children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frLDr9oQtd0

By Janice Shaw Crouse, March 5, 2015 Courtesy of Washington Times Just as relentless, powerful winds and waves pounding against a strong sea wall can over time bring it down, the institution of the family today is beset by a perfect storm of hostile cultural influences and bad policies that threaten to cripple it, even destroy its existence. Some experts, instead of attempting to identify the root of the problem, are spending their time debating “chicken and egg” dilemmas. For instance, currently there is controversy over whether the breakdown of the married-mom-and-dad family is from  economic or social reasons. Is the decline [...]

Two experts in character-based sexuality education, Dr. Thomas Lickona and Dr. Stan Weed, have written an outstanding comparison of a risk avoidance (abstinence) approach with a risk reduction (comprehensive) approach.  For anyone who wishes to understand the history, evidence, premises of each, and which approach is truly effective, DEFINITELY worth reading.