When students feel connected to their schools (i.e., they feel treated fairly, close to people, happy, part of, and safe at school), they are more likely to succeed academically and engage in healthy behaviors. Specifically, school connectedness is associated with better school attendance, retention, and test scores, and lower rates of emotional problems, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts/actions, substance abuse, early sexual initiation, violence, and other risky behaviors (1).

Schools can foster student connectedness by promoting caring and supportive relationships with adults, consistently communicating high expectations for youth (i.e., that they can and will succeed), and providing opportunities for meaningful participation in the school environment (2).

1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/adolescenthealth/pdf/connectedness.pdf
2.WestEd. (2010). California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS): California school district secondary school survey results Fall 2009/Spring 2010, Core Module A. Retrieved from “Core Narrative” at http://chks.wested.org/reports

Life can be stressful but getting help should be easy. LifeNet is a free, mental health crisis information and referral hotline that offers support to all New Yorkers. LifeNet referral specialists are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also email a referral specialist for non crisis, non urgent situations and someone will get back to you in 24 hours or less. For emergencies, always dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

You can call for yourself or for a friend

1-800-LIFENET
website: Lifenet

teen speaking on phone
1-877-AYUDESE (1-877-298-3373) in Espanõl

1-877-990-8585 for Korean and Chinese callers (Mandarin and Cantonese dialects)

All other languages: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638)

1-212-982-5284 (TTY for hearing impaired)

** This is a free and confidential service available
24 hours a day/7 days a week -- call anytime!

Find data about the health and well being of children in communities across California

•Kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, promotes the health and well being of children in California by providing an easy to use resource that offers high-quality, wide-ranging, local data to those who work on behalf of children.
•Through kidsdata.org, the foundation aims to raise the visibility of key issues affecting California's children and make it easy for leaders and policymakers to use data in their work, whether that’s assessing community needs, setting priorities, tracking progress, making program or policy decisions, preparing grant proposals and reports, or other work.
•Kidsdata.org allows users to easily find, customize, and use data on more than 500 measures of child health and well being. Data are available for every county, city, school district, and legislative district in California.

Using Kidsdata.org
•You are welcome to make use of our data, and permission to cite the information and reproduce the tables, graphs, or maps on kidsdata.org is granted. Suggested citation: [Original data source.] As cited on www.kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. Retrieved on [date].
•Find tips about using kidsdata.org, read examples of how other people are using it, or share your own example in the Data in Action section.

During adolescence, young people learn how to form safe and healthy relationships with friends, parents, teachers and romantic partners. Both boys and girls often try on different identities and roles during this time, and relationships contribute to their development. Peers, in particular, play a big role in identity formation, but relationships with caring adults – including parents, mentors or coaches -- are also important for adolescent development. Often, the parent-adolescent relationship is the one relationship that informs how a young person handles other relationships. Unfortunately, adolescents sometimes develop unhealthy relationships, and experience or exhibit bullying or dating violence. (Continued at: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/healthy-relationships/home.html)

*Every NYC teen has a story to tell.

*Learn about dealing with peer pressure, bullying and dating violence as well as depression, and anger. *Do you have questions about preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections? *We'll tell you the facts, so you can decide what to do as well as where to find free and low-cost clinics. *We also have the stories of real-life teen parents.

There are many services at Community Healthcare Network just for teens.
We’re committed to making everyone feel welcome, especially teens! You can trust that when you come to one of our centers you will be treated with respect and your health concerns will be taken seriously and kept confidential.
We give teens a place to learn and express themselves.

Break the Cycle inspires and supports young people to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse

The home of the U.S. Government’s open data. Here you can find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more