The onslaught of teen violence has frustrated many community leaders, but tools are available to combat this national epidemic, according to Thomas Sexton, professor of education and director of the IU Center for Adolescent and Family Studies.

Realizing the significance of the family in the lives of at-risk kids, Sexton and James Alexander of the University of Utah devised the Functional Family Therapy model more than 15 years ago. FFT targets youths between ages 11 and 18 from a variety of ethnic and cultural groups. The program is short-term, with families usually meeting for eight to 12 sessions. Studies have shown that the program reduces recidivism by 30-60 percent.

In 1995, the federal Centers for Disease Control became interested in at-risk kids when they viewed teen violence as a public health problem. CDC examined more than 600 programs nationwide to determine if the models worked, if they worked in different communities, if they worked with a diverse group of kids, and if they worked over time. FFT was one of 11 programs chosen to be blueprints for violence prevention.

Sexton and Alexander train communities across the country in how to use FFT to deal with at-risk kids. The IU Center for Adolescent and Family Studies is currently tracking more than 60 communities that are using the program. FFT is the only research-based program in the country, and the center is involved in a dozen ongoing research projects.

Parents can help their shy children prepare for the anxiety associated with the first day of school, according to Bernardo Carducci, professor of psychology and director of the Shyness Research Institute at IU Southeast.

Carducci, one of America's foremost experts on shyness, said parents need to be aware of the stress their children can experience when they enter a new school. "Shyness is manifested in periods of transition," he said.

He noted that older shy children can fall prey to peer pressure more easily because of their desire to conform. "Shy adolescents are at a much greater risk to drink, smoke, act out and be sexually provocative," Carducci said. "Parents need to spend time talking with their children every day and develop strategies on how they will deal with peer pressure."

Carducci is the author of Shyness: A Bold New Approach (Harper-Collins), a book that offers strategies for helping children of all ages cope with shyness successfully.

College students are going to drink, so the legal drinking age should be lowered, according to Ruth Engs, an IU professor of applied health science.

Engs has studied student drinking patterns for the past 25 years. She believes current liquor laws contribute to at-risk behaviors as college students drink in unsupervised and uncontrolled situations.

"The drinking laws need to be changed so that young people can be licensed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, official school and university functions, and with their parents in any setting. In these situations, responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. Mature and sensible drinking behavior would be expected," she said.

She does not support allowing young people to purchase alcohol at package liquor stores to take home and drink "because this encourages irresponsible drinking," she said.

She added that under existing conditions, prohibiting underage drinking simply doesn't work. "It is normal and typical behavior for college students to drink and use fake IDs," she said, noting that recent national criticism of the daughters of President Bush for problems in this area is unwarranted. "My research shows that between 70 and 80 percent of all students consume alcohol at least once a year, including those under age 21. Between 20 and 40 percent are at-risk drinkers, and more than half of all students have used a fake ID."

Caring parents are important for responsible sexual behavior in children, according to John Bancroft, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at IU.

Bancroft, an internationally-known sex researcher, assisted with the recently released Surgeon General's Call to Action on sexual health and responsible sexual behavior. He agrees with findings in the report that say "close, warm parent-child relationships are associated with both postponement of sexual intercourse and more consistent contraceptive use by adolescents when they become sexually active."

Bancroft said studies show adolescents will postpone sexual activity and have fewer partners if they are sexually active when parental monitoring and supervision is in place.

"However," he added, "parental control can have negative effects on the adolescent's sexual development if it is excessive or coercive."

He said regular school attendance reduces adolescent sexual risk-taking, and among youth in school, greater involvement in school activities is related to less sexual risk-taking and a later age of initiating sexual activity.

Determining the best available before- and after-school care is always a high priority for working parents. Without the proper questions, though, parents may not know which provider will be most suitable for their children.

"Every program should have written literature explaining philosophy, curriculum, policies and procedures which they can give to each parent," said Jacqueline Blackwell, associate professor of early childhood education at the Indianapolis campus of the IU School of Education. "A tour of the facility should also be a part of the introduction before registering."

But, she added, there are several important questions parents should ask before making a final determination. For example, parents should check the credentials of the individuals providing the services, and have them provide references to call about the program; check out the number of complaints filed with the governing body or outside agencies; determine whether the program is accredited and how it is evaluated; learn how classes are conducted and whether the children move around or sit still; and investigate the number of toys and books, how teachers interact with the children and each other, and how they communicate with families.

"Don't be afraid to ask these questions or any other questions you may have," Blackwell said. "When it comes to your children and their care, you can never be too informed."

Sensitive parents are a key to success for kindergartners, according to Mary McMullen, an IU School of Education professor who specializes in early childhood education.

"The beginning of kindergarten, especially if it is in a setting new to the child, can be difficult for both the youngsters and their parents," McMullen said. "Parents need to think carefully about what they are asking of their children as they plan their school and child care arrangements for the upcoming year."

She said the multiple transitions these children face each day can be very stressful for five- and six-year-olds. "Many of these children go from some type of early morning child care to kindergarten, then to special art, music and/or physical education classes, then after-school child care, and then home. Many are then shuttled off to sports events or other extracurricular activities. Some even have the added stress of multiple living arrangements because of divorced parents."

These situations can result in too many sets of expectations, she said, adding that parents need to make a conscious effort to reduce stress levels for the whole family and facilitate healthy growth and development for their kindergartner.

Freshman interest groups, a nationwide trend, are making the college transition for incoming freshmen easier than it might otherwise be.

Statistics of the FIG program at IU show that these students have the same overall grade point average as non-FIG students, despite a lower high school academic profile, and have a higher retention rate through three semesters.

In IU's program, freshmen are offered a core group of academic classes with up to 20 other students who all live in the same residential hall. "The goal is to make a large campus smaller by providing students a great opportunity for relationship growth with the other students whom they will be involved with on a daily basis," said Jacek Dalecki, director of the IU FIG program. "A student has a large support group to fall back on with the fellow students whom they are living with, going to class with and studying with."

IU offers 52 different FIG programs with varying academic and thematic choices such as "The Business of Sport," "Medicine and Ethics," "Music and Culture" and "Philosophy and Politics." The program also involves a one-credit course, led by a peer instructor, that meets weekly throughout the fall semester and concentrates on study skills. In addition, students attend a variety of intellectual, cultural and academic events on campus as a group.

The trend has spread to universities throughout the nation such as Missouri, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Arizona State.

Community-based HIV/AIDS education programs are important in reaching out-of-school youth, according to Bill Yarber, senior director of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at IU.

"Addressing the needs of youth who are most vulnerable to HIV infection, such as homeless or runaway youth, juvenile offenders or school drop-outs, is vitally important," said Yarber, who has 25 years of experience in AIDS/STD education.

He said it is important for schools to have programs to help parents reach their children in talking about AIDS and that it is critical for school-based programs to reach youth before risky behaviors are established.

"HIV/STD prevention education should be designed to meet the needs of all youth and be an integral part of all school health education programs and community education. The only 'magic bullet' we have for HIV prevention is education," said Yarber, who wrote the country's first school curriculum on AIDS.

A pre-participation physical exam is essential for any student involved in demanding physical activities, according to Dr. Kevin B. Gebke of the IU Center for Sports Medicine at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

A pre-participation physical is a brief overall assessment of health. This assessment can also function as an entry into the medical care system for students who have not previously required medical care.

Indiana's laws mandate that all children be immunized before entering school, but a significant number of children attempt to begin school each year lacking proper immunization.

Since the immunization record is the child's ticket to attend school, Dr. David L. Fryman, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, emphasized that parents must take extra care to maintain their child's immunizations. In our mobile society with ever-changing health plans, this can require a special effort, he noted.

Immunizations should be done at two years of age, before entering kindergarten, and again before entering sixth grade, Fryman said.

Preparing a college portfolio should start at least during a high school student's junior year, and students should have a balanced and challenging curriculum, according to IU Associate Director of Admissions Jane Gantz.

"Taking a balanced core schedule of English, foreign language, mathematics, science and social science classes, and doing consistently well or constantly improving in them throughout a high school career, is one of the most important factors that colleges and universities look at," Gantz said.

As early as the sophomore year, students should start taking advantage of their high school's guidance counselors and other sources who offer advice and information about prospective colleges and universities, she suggested.

"Students should research schools they are considering. They should look at the characteristics of a school, whether it is in state or out of state, religious or secular, or specialized in some way. Students also should start thinking about possible majors and the financial limitations that their families may have.

"Colleges and universities offer a spectrum of financial aid, scholarships and literature containing admission requirements and advice, and much of it is accessible via the Web, including applications. High school students should take time and plan ahead when considering higher education. The sooner they start planning and researching, the less stressful it will be for them down the road," she said.