Just for Teens

A message for my younger friends...

I'm not even going to try to pretend that teenagers don't visit sites like this one. I know because I did it. I can tell you that it's not appropriate and you should leave but you won't. I've been there, and not that long ago. When you want to know, you want to know. And usually you want to know because you need to know. Some silly little warning isn't going to get in your way.

You may be here for yourself or for a friend but whatever it is, you came here for a reason. I mean, this site isn't exactly entertaining and I don't offer a whole lot of fun things to do. It's just straight up talk about some serious stuff. In a perfect world, you'd go to your parents or another trusted adult to talk about these things if they became an issue in your life. But if these things are an issue in your life, you already know we're not living in a perfect world.

I would, of course, prefer that you got the proper counseling and support offline to deal with whatever is going on. I'm not here to offer advice or provide solutions. Please don't take anything said here to be solid truth because I don't know a whole lot more than you do. I'm a few years older and may have seen a little more of life but I'm not an expert.

Everyone knows that being a teenager is hard, no matter what. But when you have to deal with topics like these on top of everything else, every day just seems to get longer and harder to handle. People your own age rarely understand what's going on with you and that can make you feel like an outsider. And just because you may be more mature and relate better to older people, that doesn't mean they will accept that and be eager to let you into their world ahead of schedule.

It's a really messed up, confusing time but the bright side of it all is that it does end eventually. I'm just here to tell you to hang on and remember that you're not alone. There is hope, as hard as that may be to believe right now. And I'm not just another adult trying to shut you up. I suffered through it and came out the other side, not completely unharmed but definitely a lot stronger!

 

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop 'n look around once in a while you could miss it. -Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Helpful Phone Numbers

**If this is an emergency, dial 911 or call your local police department**

Below are toll free confidential hotlines in the U.S. for less urgent situations.
*I don't necessarily endorse any of these numbers or take responsibility for how you use them or what they may tell you.*

AIDS Hotline for Teens - 800-234-TEEN M-F, 4pm-8pm

Al-Anon/Alateen Hotline - 800-344-2666 8am-6pm EST

ChildHelp U.S.A. National Child Abuse Hotline - 800-4-ACHILD

Covenant House Nine Line for Depression and Suicide Prevention - 800-999-9999

Domestic and Teen Dating Violence Help Line - 800-992-2600

Eating Disorders Help Line - 800-382-2832

Gay and Lesbian Teens Help Line - 800-850-8078

General Crisis Help Line - 800-233-4357

National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Hotline - 800-662-HELP

National Domestic Violence Hotline - 800-799-SAFE

National Hopeline Network Hotline for Suicide Prevention - 800-SUICIDE

National Runaway Switchboard - 800-621-4000

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) - 800-656-HOPE

Runaway Hotline - 800-231-6946

Youth Crisis Hotline - 800-HIT-HOME

 

Helpful Links for Teens

Advocates for Youth - The Youth Activist Network is a community of young people from all over the U.S. working to fight for accurate, science-based sex education.

Afraid to Ask - In depth information and graphic photos helping to answer a lot of those questions that you've been to embarrassed to ask your doctor or other adults.

AVERT - Teen page of the international AIDS charity. Information on sexual health, including birth control, AIDS, relationships, puberty, and sexual orientation.

Bursting the Bubble - Australian site with general info about what is and isn't ok family behavior. Helps teach about abuse and what can be done if you or someone in your family is being abused

Campus Blues - Aimed mostly at college students but has a lot of info that everyone can benefit from.

Chat Danger - General information about the potential dangers you might encounter online and how to deal with them.

ChildLine - This is the website for the helpline with the same name. A free and confidential 24 hour helpline for young people in the UK. Any topic you need to talk about, there are counselors waiting for the call. There's also some cool stuff on the site itself.

Connexions Direct - Housing, financial, health, and career resources are just some of the things you'll find on this UK site, aimed specifically at teens.

Cool Nurse - Covers so many important topics - things like fitness, nutrition, sex, substance abuse, safety, and first aid. Separate sections for male and female health concerns including forums.

Courageous Kids Network - A group of young people who were forced to live in abusive situations due to court rulings. Read their stories and find out what you can do if you are being separated from the parent who protects and loves you and being forced to live in an abusive home.

Court Prep - This Canadian site was created for kids who have been victims or witnesses to a crime. It has great advice and information for testifying and gives you an idea of what it's like in the courtroom. Specific laws are different everywhere, but there is definitely useful info here, no matter where you live.

Do It Now Foundation - Alternative information site for those of us who are annoyed by the more conventional drug, alcohol, and sexuality sites. Same info, different approach. Check it out.

Don't Hide It - Site by UK's ChildLine encouraging young people to speak out if they're being abused.

Eighteen and Under - UK site providing confidential support and info for anyone under 18 who has experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

FACE Up To It - Fighting Against Child Exploitation. Organization of young people, ages 12-18, joining together to raise awareness about this important issue. It can happen anywhere!

Facts on Tap - Prevention and intervention programs for high school and college students. Includes info and resources on drugs and alcohol.

FRANK - The A-Z resource for drugs and addiction. A UK site with all kinds of info and straight up advice without the preaching and attitudes. They also have a toll free, anonymous phone line for real one-on-one contact, available whenever you need it.

Free the Children - An organization of children helping children break free from poverty and exploitation. The great thing about this is that it lets kids and teens know that, with a little dedication, they CAN make a difference. Check it out!

Freevibe.com - Yet another source of information on drugs and addiction.

Get Connected - Free, confidential helpline for young people in the UK. Volunteers will listen to your problems and help connect you with the resources to help you deal with them.

Girl Thrive - A site designed especially for female teens who have experienced sexual abuse or assault. It was created by a New York psychologist who specializes in the treatment of survivors.

Girls Inc. - National, nonprofit with a long history of encouraging girls to be "strong, smart, and bold".

Got Anxiety? - The ADAA's site aimed specifically at college students. This site goes beyond the regular stresses of school and life and deals with things like OCD, PTSD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Social Phobias.

Gravity Teen - A nice little site dedicated to building self esteem in teenagers. Stories and quotes written by teens for teens.

Gr8Mates - Great site created just for the wonderful friends who are looking to learn more about how to support a friend who has been sexually assaulted.

Half of Us - Did you know that nearly half of all college students reported feeling so depressed that they couldn’t function during the last school year? This site was created to encourage awareness about the emotional problems that so many young people are facing.

I Wanna Know - From the American Social Health Association. All about teen sexual health and STDs. Info for parents too.

Keep Schools Safe - Violence in schools has become a huge issue. This site gives you ideas for dealing with it and links to all kinds of information on related topics like gangs, bullying, hazing, and statistics.

Kids Help Phone - "Canada's only national, bilingual, 24-hour, toll-free confidential and anonymous phone counseling, referral and Internet service for children and youth".

Kids-In-Crisis - Great online resource with tons of info on topics you may be dealing with or wondering about and a bunch of links to learn more.

Like It Is - A UK creation that tells the truth about sex and related topics. This is one of the most honest sites out there that is actually aimed at teenagers, not full of technical stuff nobody wants to read.

Love is Not Abuse - All about teen dating violence. Includes a short online book telling the story of an abusive relationship and the stages it goes through.

Love is Respect - The online home of the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. Help is available through chat online or through their toll free hotline. Serves all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

My Sistahs - A site by and for young women of color with info on sexual and reproductive health.

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy - Tips for helping to prevent pregnancy, research, statistics, media attention, ways to get involved, need I say more?

Promote Truth - Support and information for teens about sexual violence and related issues like stalking, dating violence, internet safety.

Puberty 101 - Not just about the physical changes, though all that stuff is included. There's also info on drug abuse, eating disorders, depression, and more. Plus they have some stuff on getting adjusted after a move, divorce, or with a new step-family. There's also help if you're living with an alcoholic or mentally ill parent.

Reach Out - Australian based site with the goal of helping young people to help themselves. Support information online and referrals for additional help.

Real World University - Also aimed more at older teens but there are things like tips on thinking skills and goal setting and decision making that can be very useful.

Report Someone - A unique site set up to give teens the opportunity to anonymously report things. All you have to do is provide a little information and they go through the process of reporting it to the proper authorities. So if you or someone you know is being abused, if someone you know is talking about suicide, if someone is bringing a weapon to school or threatening to harm other people, this is one easy option for reporting it.

RU-OK - A self help site for teens, developed by mental health professionals, educators, and other teens in the U.K. Basic information available. Free membership allows you access to self-assessments, games, and site enhancements.

Students Active For Ending Rape - A resource for student activists, providing help and ideas for spreading the anti-rape message on campus.

Scarleteen - Another straight talking sex-ed site. Articles, advice, forums, and just all around great content.

Security on Campus - Aimed at college students and created by the family of a woman raped, beaten, and murdered in her dorm, this site talks about staying safe in college. Discusses statistics and laws and serves as an advocacy organization for those who have been victimized. Also working to improve security on campuses and provide more education about drug and alcohol use to students. Even if you're too young for college, if you plan on going someday, this is an issue that will effect you.

Sex Etc. - Pretty much what the title says. Just a ton of info on just about any mental health issue you can think of and a lot of stuff about physical health too. Also a member community with message boards, newsletters, and scheduled chats with health experts. Great place - check it out.

Stepfamily Network - Non-profit organization providing online support and education, as well as links to offline support groups in your area. Dedicated to creating peace in the home.

Students Against Destructive Decisions - Originally Students Against Drunk Driving, this organization has expanded to include all destructive decisions.

Teens for Teens - Another community with a variety of resources.

Teen Growth - Great place for health info, articles, and if you sign up for a free membership you can get advice from actual doctors.

Teens Health - Another site offering general health information and covering topics that teens are faced with.

Teenhelp.org - A mentoring community for teens, run by people with life experiences that make it easy for them to relate to and help others with their issues. Register to chat or post in the forums, all moderated by the mentors.

Teen Matters - This site was put together by the South Carolina Dept. of Mental Health and covers all the issues that teens are faced with. Some great links too.

Teen Moods - A support community just for you with chats, forums, poems, personal stories, and info.

Teen Relationships - Resources to help you understand what a healthy relationship is, evaluate if you're in an abusive one, and get help if you need it.

Teen Wire - Planned Parenthood put together this site for teens, all about sex and relationships. It's grown to include a lot more categories including some fun stuff (yes, I said fun)!

Pro Choice Public Education Project - Raising awareness among young people about the important issue of reproductive freedom.

Scenarios USA - Nonprofit organization encouraging leadership, advocacy, and self-expression in teens through writing and filmmaking.

The Date Safe Project - Teaching the importance of "asking first" in intimate situations, hoping to decrease the occurrence of sexual assault by using clear messages.

U Lifeline - The college students' online resource for mental health and emotional well being.

When Love Hurts - A site from Australia that does have some info relating to that country but the basic messages are the same no matter where you live.

Young Minds - UK site focused on the mental health of young people. Includes a bunch of articles on all different topics, as well as links for more research and information.

Many people feel that mass acceptance and smooth socialization are desirable life paths for a young adult... Many people are often wrong... Don't bother being nice. Being popular and well liked is not in your best interest. Let me be more clear; if you behave in a manner pleasing to most, then you are probably doing something wrong. The masses have never been arbiters of the sublime, and they often fail to recognize the truly great individual. Taking into account the public's regrettable lack of taste, it is incumbent upon you not to fit in. -Janeane Garofalo

 

Young & Apathetic

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. -George Bernard Shaw    Oh, no, not another learning experience

Troubled Youth

If you can read this, thank a teacher    Be the kind of person you always wanted your parents to be.

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