Sexual Behavior
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School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Drug Use, Smoking, Sexual Activity— and Milk—Down Among Teenagers
Fewer U.S. teenagers are smoking, having sex, and doing drugs these days—and they're drinking less milk. Less than one-third of high school students drink a glass of milk a day, according to a large government survey released last week.
Student Well-Being
Sex for Food: Reports Highlight Fallout of Teen Hunger
Teenagers in 10 communities report engaging in risky behavior to avoid food insecurity, according to new Urban Institute studies.
School & District Management
Teen Birth Rates Hit All-Time Low, But Disparities Persist
Births to American teenagers have dropped 40 percent in the last decade, hitting an all-time low in 2014, new federal data show. But Hispanic and black teens still have significantly higher rates than their white peers.
Education
Opinion
'Affirmative Consent' Won't Work in Sexual Situations
Sexual passion and rational thinking do not mix any more than oil and water.
States
California Blazes Trail With New Sex Education Mandates
A pair of new laws includes a requirement that students learn about affirmative sexual consent, known as "yes means yes."
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Teenagers Often Get Wrong Idea About Peers' Behaviors, Study Finds
Teenagers overestimate how often their peers participate in risky sexual and drug-related behaviors, and those misperceptions may cause them to adjust their own behaviors, adapting to social norms that don't actually exist, a study has found.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Teenage Pregnancy
Eighty-three percent of U.S. teenagers did not receive any sex education before they first had sex, according to a new federal report.
Student Well-Being
Study Weighs Academic Effects of Sports, Early Sex, Bullying on Teenagers
A new research review examines the academic impacts of a wide range of teenage behaviors, from television-watching to early sexual activity to playing sports, and finds that the effects are often mediated by a student's particular social milieu.
Student Well-Being
Teenagers Have Discovered Sexting, Researchers Conclude
A new study attempts to probe how much the practice can explain adolescent sexual behavior.
School & District Management
Teen Pregnancy Rate at Its Lowest, Again, CDC Says
In the latest figures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the overall rate dropped 25 percent since 2007, and about 50 percent since 1991.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Knowing the Warning Signs of Sexual Misconduct
Educators can prevent much of the sexual misconduct in schools if they know how to recognize and respond to suspicious patterns and if administrators enforce an environment of high expectations for behavior.
Student Well-Being
Teen Pregnancy Rate Drops to Lowest Ever Recorded, CDC Says
Across all racial groups, the birth rate declined by 25 percent overall from 2007 to 2011, the CDC said in a new report. The birth rate for teenagers ages 15 to 17 years was 15.4 per 1,000, 29 percent lower than in 2007, while the rate for teens ages 18-19 years fell to 54.1 per 1,000, which is 25 percent lower than in 2007.
Education
Opinion
Pregnant Girls Pushed Out of School
If we as a nation want to address the dropout crisis, we must address discrimination against pregnant and parenting students. This is a critical first step to keeping these young women in school and securing a better future for them and their children.
Ed-Tech Policy
News in Brief
Study Finds Texting Linked to Sex and Drug Use
Teenagers who text at least 120 times a day are more likely to have had sex or used alcohol and drugs than their peers who don't send as many messages, according to provocative new research.