Voices In The Family

January 2009

01/05/09
Teens and Sex
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By the time children are in the ninth grade, one-third of them have already had sex. But just as telling, most of these children feel all of their friends have had sex, which suggests great pressure to do so. On the next Voices in the Family, Dr. Dan Gottlieb and his guests discuss what our children are learning about sex, where they are learning about it and what the implications are. Dr. Gottlieb will be joined by David Landry M.A., senior research associate at The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that conducts research on reproductive health and adolescent sexual behavior trends, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer who has been in the field of sex education since the 1970s. We'll also hear from faculty advisor Jan Johnston and teen peer educator Erica Breve with the NJ Teen Pep organization which is a statewide sexual health promotion and peer education initiative.

01/12/09
Special Rebroadcast of Growing Up Big
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Twelve year-old Kayla is being teased in school because she is overweight, and it's affecting her performance as a student. 15-year old Sam is arguing with her mother, because she wants her to lose weight, and exercise more, but Sam doesn't want weight to be the focus of her life. These are not unusual stories.

Millions of children in America are struggling with weight issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past 20 years, going from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. The rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled. The rates for overweight children also tripled among preschoolers and adolescents in the last thirty years, and quadrupled among children aged 6-11. What are the factors that have contributed to the dramatic rise in childhood obesity, and what can be done to reverse this trend? Growing Up Big explores the medical and psychological effects of childhood obesity. We find out how our eating habits have changed, how advertising is affecting kids and what is the outcome of sedentary lifestyles. We also discuss discuss what kids, parents, communities, schools and researchers are doing to move the needle back on the scales.

**UPDATE: Since this special premiered in September, there have been new developments in the field of childhood obesity. Please check out the latest study, which was just published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics.

01/19/09
Hate Crimes
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This week, Americans will witness the inauguration of the first African American president and the man who will lead the prayer at the inauguration is a gay bishop. It seems like our country is getting more tolerant, but many communities and especially university campuses have seen an increase in hate crimes. Dan Gottlieb and his guests will discuss what communities can do when faced with such hatred and how to heal. Dan's guests are Chad Dion Lassiter, Mark Potok, and Novella Keith. Lassiter is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice. Potok is the Director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Novella Keith is Associate Professor of Urban Education at Temple University.

For more information about the Southern Poverty Law Center please click here: www.splcenter.org

01/26/09
Reducing Violence through Art
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In his inauguration speech, President Obama called on Americans to get involved in overcoming the challenges facing the nation. On the next Voices in the Family with Dr. Dan Gottlieb, we'll hear about a local organization, The Arts and Spirituality Center and its major initiative, HeartSpeak, that is working to reduce violence in our communities through the power of creativity and art. We'll find out how the program works and hear from teen poet, Jamillah Harris. Dan's guests are Susan Teegan-Case, Founder and Director of The Arts and Spirituality Center, and Cathy Cohen, Creative Director of The Arts and Spirituality Center, as well as the Founder of "We the Poets." Dan will also talk with Kathleen O'Hara who is the author of A Grief Like No Other which is written for people and family members who have lost a loved one to violence, anything sudden and violent and people who have experienced direct violence. One of the stages that Kathleen describes, in terms of overcoming violence, is creativity. Visit The Arts and Spirituality Center for more information.