September included two new client organizations - the California Association of Orthodontists Annual Conference and the US Dept of Education - Conference on Mentoring. Both provided us a gratifying opportunity to encourage those who work with teens and seek to inspire and guide them to good choices!

October is also Red Ribbon Week month, with an emphasis on drug and alcohol awareness. A busy month for us including
PARENTS FORUM
Open to the Public - free
Tuesday, October 11th - 7pm
Irvine United Congregational Church
Local friends and supporters are most welcome to attend this free presentation which will include characters from LEGACY OF HOPE and insights from 52 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR TEEN.

Even though legal gambling is restricted to those over 18 years of age, an increasing number of teenagers borrow money, neglect themselves, miss class, pawn items and lie to hide their gambling addictions- and the Internet makes it easy.

Gambling Statistics
According to Ed Looney of Clifton, N.J., the executive director for the Council on Compulsive Gambling awareness of New Jersey, Inc., 12 percent of people have compulsive gambling problems and the numbers are increasing among teens.

Betting Through Bookies
Looney says one of the most problematic areas for teen gambling is sports. They often start participating their sophomore year of high school. Teenagers who gamble are introduced to bookies, who give them an opportunity to gamble on games illegally as well as a credit line.

"They might get a credit line of $25 or $50 a game," he says. "He can bet on games all week, and then Sunday night he tallies up if I owe him the money or he owes me the money. It's not uncommon for kids in junior and senior high schools to have a bookie. Now they are dealing with organized crime. They are excited about it because they are betting on their favorite teams."

But just like in the movies, bookies can get violent, starting with verbal abuse and threats if the teenager does not pay up. To avoid harassment, some teens steal jewelry from their mothers. Others might break into other homes or even begin selling drugs.

Gambling becomes easier for some teenagers once they enter college and have more space and freedoms as well as access to credit cards. "They also have Internet gambling," Looney says. "Now they are getting credit cards when they go to college. They can get a credit line and open up an account on Internet gambling and do the same thing from the quiet of their dormitory."

Profile of a Teen Gambler
Parents will not always be able to spot a teenager with a gambling problem. However some of the most obvious warning signs are financial problems. In addition, Looney says gambling teens let their school work slide, miss classes, and don't stay focused. He says its not uncommon for some college students to dropout without telling their parents.

Ironically enough, the profile of a teenage gambler might be someone a parent would want his or her son or daughter to date. He or she is usually a good student, highly motivated, excellent at math, and popular. They don't like to lose, and that contributes to their compulsive gambling problem.

Looney says gamblers go through a phase where they feel lucky and special followed by a downward spiral that ends in a desperation phase where they can't stop gambling. "The critical thing not to do with an addict is to bail them out," he says. "They need to address that pressure in a healthy way. They need treatment."

If a teenager does not receive treatment, he or she may be more likely to become involved in illegal activities or to commit suicide. According to Looney, more than 20 percent of compulsive gamblers think about suicide during their desperation phase.

All in the Family
Carol O'Hare, the executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, says all gambling starts out harmless, and most people don't think a playful poker game will lead to a lifetime of impulse control problems.

O'Hare says adults with a gambling problem need to understand that their problem does have an impact on their children and family. Often times children of gamblers will not develop good coping skills or miss the emotional security that is so important during childhood. "As they get older, they are subject to those same kinds of problems as the parents were," O'Hare says.

Parents can help, not just in leading by example. Although most teenagers do not want to get help for their problem, parents can set up short-terms counseling and introduce them to Gamblers Anonymous, a long-term support group for people of all ages and all walks of life.

-From Teenagers Today

"Competitive food sales appear to be providing needed funding for the schools and school foodservice programs, as other funding sources are decreasing," the researchers write. "Although it has not been determined if there is a relationship between public funding for education or foodservice and the sale of competitive foods, decisions will need to be made that balance the schools' ongoing need for funding with the nutritional needs of students."

- From Medical News Today

"52 Ways to Protect Your Teen - Guiding Teens to Good Choices and Success" is being exceptionally well received by parents, teachers, counselors and teens themselves.

Read what others are saying at www.WaystoProtect.com
Reviews, Endorsements and Table of Contents for you to evaluate - "Is this the helpful guide I could use to understand and better connect with my teen?"

VOLUME PRICING AVAILABLE - A great resource for school libraries, church parent/youth group work, mentors and school fundraisers.

Poker has become a popular game among our youth, possibly fueled by all the celebrity poker shows on TV. They are playing and betting in card games and online. What should you, as the parent, look out for? Does your college student or teen suddenly have a lot of money (or debts) that he can't account for?

Gambling may be the culprit. It has always been a potential hazard for teenagers. Betting seems like fun. It generally involves small sums of money (at least at first), and it has the air of the forbidden without seeming really dangerous.

It can get out of hand, though. And with the arrival of Internet gambling, and the proliferation of credit cards in the hands of teenagers, the problem has gotten much worse.

"If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."
-Chinese Proverb

Wishing you well,
All of us at LEGACY
Susie Vanderlip - Ken Vanderlip - Veronica Garcia
800-707-1977