Pa Helping Teens Cope With Everyday, Real-World Problems (NAPSA)—In a pressure-filled modern world where youngsters constantly struggle with everything from alcohol and drugs to being too thin or too heavy, there is a book that should be on every concerned parent’s shoppinglist. The book—written by leading authorities—may be just the resource that America’s youth needs to help teens handle difficult and high-risk situations, whether experienced personally, by their friends or with family members. The authorities? The 125-year-old national children’s crisis charity KidsPeace and more Pe AnrcaCd MTV’s The Real World: Chicago andauthorof Clean ical School’s Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Meal Teens ano Their Friends than half a million of America’s teens. Written in the voice of today’s young people, “I’ve Got This Friend Who...” (Hazelden) was designed to help kids through a critical time in their lives. That’s because today’s youngsters face an array of pressures and dangers that would have been unimaginable to most of us just a generation ago—dangers that undermine their peace of mind and sound judgment every day. And since young people’s peers know just about as much as they do, this can often lead them into trouble that could have been avoided if only they—or a friend—had a little more information about how to handle things. “The teen years can be an exciting and exhilarating time of self-discovery,” explains Chris Beckman, TV celebrity and author of “Clean.” “But they’re also a terrifying time of walking down a winding road you've never walked before, not knowing whereit will take you or what dangers might be just around the corner.” “lve Got This Friend Who...”is vative, problem-solving resource designed to help young people work out stresses and problems before they become overwhelming. About TeenCentral.Net TeenCentral.Net was created in 1998 by KidsPeace, Harvard MedBrown University Child Study Center founder Dr. Lewis P. Lipsitt and KidsPeace Executive Vice President Joseph A. Vallone, all co-founders—with Lee Salk’s brother, polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk—of the KidsPeace Lee Salk Center for Research. Providing anonymous and free 24/7 counseling, TeenCentral.Net receives more than 2 million hits youngsters survive the perilous teen years. a unique “how-to” manual to help teens and their friends avoid the dangers of alcohol, smoking, drugs, eating disorders, selfinjury, and risky behaviors associated with the perilous adolescent years. Written in the voice of six young characters with whom today’s teens can easily identify, the book was designed to help young people at exactly the point in their lives when they are least likely to turn to adults for help. The book is the result of more than a century of work by KidsPeace, its 3,000 doctors and child care professionals, child and adolescent development experts and—most importantly—more than half a million of America’s teens. The topics featured—along with detailed information and coping techniques—are based on expert knowledge and the firsthand experiences of actual teens, obtained through TeenCentral.Net, an inno- each month from teens with diverse backgrounds in all 50 states, military bases around the world and 100 foreign countries. Powered by innovative software that guides kids through a process of problem identification, information sharing and crisis-resolution techniques, the site has become an ever-expanding database of real stories, revealing what’s actually happening to our kids, what they’re feeling, what the critical trends and hot-button issues are, and what they’re doing about them. Since its founding in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1882, KidsPeace, the National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, has been working to develop new ideas, programs and practical strategies to help millions of children and families avoid and overcome the kinds of crises that can strike any child. “T’ve Got This Friend Who...” is available through www.kids peace.org, by calling 1-800-25PEACE, and at bookstores nationwide.
