TEEN TRUTH is excited to announce our new partnership with TEEN LINE - a confidential telephone helpline for teens, by teens. We know how important it is to talk to someone when you have a problem, so we're really happy to join forces and announce TEEN LINE as the official crisis hotline for TEEN TRUTH. Wherever TEEN TRUTH goes, we'll be sharing the TEEN LINE number so that anyone who needs help with body image, bullying, substance abuse, depression and self-harm can talk to another teen. Please call: (310) 855-HOPE (4673) Or visit: www.teenlineonline.org for more information. Teen operators are available from ...

FULLERTON -- As dozens of bright yellow busses pulled alongside the sunny practice fields at Cal State Fullerton Friday, thousands of high school students lined up to give the passengers the red-carpet treatment -- a human corridor of applause and cheers. The people streaming out of the busses all had different special needs. Some have developmental problems and others have physical difficulties, such as impaired sight or an inability to walk. But they all paired up with high school students at the 25th annual Kathleen E. Faley Memorial Special Games, a day of all-inclusive sports and music that provides understanding and entertainment ...

Students who bully their peers should be allowed to stay in the classroom, Baltimore schools CEO Andres Alonso said Monday as he addressed several high-profile harassment incidents by urging parents and community leaders to step up their involvement. "We believe that to punish children by excluding them and pushing them outside of school classrooms is something that does not work, will not work," he said in remarks at a news briefing at city school headquarters to discuss recent claims of chronic bullying. "The children come as is. We don't choose them. We have an obligation to all of them." Last week, the mother ...

LANDOVER, Md. -- Washington Redskins fullback Mike Sellers said Monday that it's still "extremely tough" for NFL players to resist the temptation of steroids. But Sellers added that he had some simple reasons to stay away from them. "I've never been a fan of needles, so that helps," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's just a matter of your values. Are you going to be stupid enough to make that choice? For me, I didn't feel it was worth it. I like my money. "I don't want to get suspended, and I don't want to be labeled as a ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Obese children in grades 3 through 6 are more apt to be bullied by their classmates than children who are trim, regardless of their gender, race, social skills, or academic achievement, a study published today in Pediatrics shows. This finding is "so disturbing to me," Dr. Julie C. Lumeng from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who led the study, told Reuters Health. She also admitted being a bit surprised. "Unlike in the 1980s," she explained, "so many kids are obese now. In some schools, half the class may be overweight...so I really thought that maybe being obese ...

RIPON -- A few months ago, gripped by grief, Melinda Shaw decided she'd create a lasting memory of the daughter who died so tragically last year. Before 17-year- old Marissa McLeod took her own life Dec. 1, the Ripon High senior had begun collecting dresses for winter formals and proms, to give to girls who otherwise could not afford them. Shaw decided to continue with her daughter's work through "Marissa's Closet." In February, with help from family members and friends, Shaw set what at the time seemed like an overly ambitious goal: collecting and distributing 700 dresses. Jeff Jardine's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays ...

TEEN TRUTH has officially joined forces with Special Olympics Project UNIFY® to build awareness around the hurtful nature of the R-word, meaning "retard" or "retarded." We hope our combined efforts on the Spread the Word to End the Word™ campaign will empower youth to replace cruel words with respectful speech. "Most people don't think of this word as hate speech, but that's exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and friends," says Andrea Cahn, ...

We wanted to let you know that this is the last week for submissions to What’s Your Issue film and song competitions, in association with YouTube, Best Buy, Apple, Sony Pictures, Red Cross, NAACP and others. The deadline is April 19, 2010. Young adults 14 to 24 are invited to submit original solution-project ideas to front-burner issues, in a 3-minute video. Winners will be selected by both a VIP Jury and public online via YouTube. A new Issue Song Competition invites original songs on ...

ROSEBURG , Ore. (KMTR) – A message for a drug-free future in Douglas County from local teenagers continues strong, with “Truth, Lies and Videotapes.” The 7th annual event happens this Friday, April 9th at the Jacoby Auditorium on the Umpqua Community College campus. This year, about 30 teens have their hands in 15 video public service announcements. Those videos will compete for not only prizes, but community pride. Drug use is something that’s played a role in teens’ lives. “I lost a lot of good friends because of drugs and alcohol, and they chose that route,” says Tyler Clardy, a ...

Funeral services were to be held Thursday for a Texas teenager who committed suicide, apparently after being bullied by classmates. Jon Carmichael, 13, of Joshua, took his own life Sunday, reports CBS News Correspondent Don Teague. The eighth-grader had apparently been teased and bullied because of his small size, Teague says. Classmate Chris Montelongo admits he picked on Carmichael, but insists he wasn't alone. "I wasn't the only one," Montelongo says. "I can guarantee you it was most of the school who messed with Jon." Montelongo adds that, despite the teasing, he considered Carmichael a ...