Participant’s Manual
© 1999, 2016 by Carrie Marchant & FLP. All Rights Reserved.
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Please notice the ACRONYM for The Six Pillars of Character®1:
Collective Group Activity: Participants are asked to break into six small groups. Each group will be assigned to a different pillar and discuss its meaning and importance to life as a teen, an adult, and life in general. 1
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CHARACTER COUNTS! and The Six Pillars of Character are registered trademarks of the Josephson Institute (www.CharacterCounts.org)
© 1999, 2016 by Carrie Marchant & FLP. All Rights Reserved.
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During the last couple of decades, teen suicide has increased dramatically. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 11 to 288. There is no doubt teens are confronted with tremendous pressures to succeed, they are confused, and extremely stressed. Teens ending their own lives as their only way out, is undeniably telling us they need our recognition, respect, support and promise of hope for the future. The good news is that feelings of suicide and depression are curable mental problems. However, it will not be cured if the illness goes unrecognized, undiagnosed and untreated. If a parent or caregiver is ever in doubt, take no chances whatsoever. Schedule an immediate psychiatric examination because symptoms of depression and suicide are very similar. If one or more of the following signs occur in your youth, discuss your concerns with your youth plus seek immediate professional help for an immediate evaluation:
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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 2007
Š 1999, 2016 by Carrie Marchant & FLP. All Rights Reserved.
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RESTRICT TEEN PASSENGERS DUE TO CRASH RISK: In 2012, the estimates were updated which measured the crash risk of teens ages 16 to 17 who had one or more teen passengers in the car. The study concluded beginning drivers were more likely to be killed in a car crash when they had young passengers in the car than when they were driving alone. In fact, for every additional passenger, the risk increased.
The crash risk was found to increase by an estimated 44% when the teen driver had one passenger under the age of 21. The crash risk doubled when two passengers under the age of 21 were present. The crash risk more than quadrupled when the teen driver had three or more passengers under the age of 21. When there was an adult passenger of 35 years or older, the teen driver’s nonfatal crash accident risk decreased by nearly 50%; whereas, the fatal crash accident risk decreased by over 60%. This is perhaps due to the teen receiving driving tips from this M.K.O. (More Knowledgeable Other); although, it could be due to the teen being on his or her best behavior. Therefore, parents or guardians would be well-advised to restrict the number of teen passengers to help their child to remain crash-free. © 1999, 2016 by Carrie Marchant & FLP. All Rights Reserved.
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