Some children—thankfully few—are born without a conscience or the ability to feel compassion.
Michael Stone is professor of clinical psychiatry at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. From 2006 to 2008, Stone hosted the series “Most Evil” on the Discovery Channel, for which he developed a “Gradations of Evil Scale” to rank homicides from 1 to 22 based on their level of evil. He has written 10 books, including “The Anatomy of Evil.”
Source: Big Think
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Researchers at The University of Nottingham are to investigate whether the therapeutic effects of clay modelling could help disturbed teenagers deal with their feelings of anger, anxiety and depression.
Academics are teaming up with professionals in the NHS, Nottingham Contemporary art gallery and local artists for the innovative project that will look at the potential benefits that clay could offer to young people struggling with mental health problems.
Dr Gary Winship, of the University’s School of Education, part of the project team, said: “With its qualities of cold resistance and suitability for moulding, we believe creative play through clay could be an exciting alternative therapy for young people suffering from a range of mental health vulnerabilities.
“Anecdotally, it may offer potential therapeutic effects through the cathartic venting of emotions through banging, squashing, bending or breaking the clay.” [continue reading…]
In the eyes of small boys, football is a game for “everyone”. But when technical skills and mastery become more important, many boys drop out. Image:woodleywonderworks
These are the comments of Kåre, age 14. He lifts weights to be strong and muscular. Like all the other boys, it is important for Kåre not to be scrawny. This is something they can quickly become if they do not play football, practice martial arts or – like Kåre – work out at the gym and develop their muscles.
It has often been described how girls in puberty use clothes and make-up to make themselves into young women. Boys, on the other hand, become young men through physical activity. This is according to the psychologists Hanne Haavind and Mona-Iren Hauge in an article recently published by Routledge in the journal Sport, Education and Society. Along with a group of other researchers, they conducted several interviews with 12 to 14-year-old girls and boys living in Oslo over a two-year period. The teenagers talked about their daily lives, their activities and who they spent their time with. Some of the teenagers were also interviewed again when they were about 18 years old. [continue reading…]
Teenagers are known for their angst-ridden ways, but those who remain happy and positive during the tumultuous teenage years report better general health when they are adults, according to a new Northwestern University study.
Researchers also found that teens with high positive well-being had a reduced risk of engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, binge drinking, using drugs and eating unhealthy foods as they transitioned into young adulthood.
The study, one of the first to focus on the effect positive psychological characteristics in adolescence can have on long-term health, is published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. [continue reading…]
