Identity Projects are Key

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The horrific tragedy affecting the Howard High School community made me think about my father Phil Anderson who graduated as Valedictorian of his class at Howard High many years ago despite growing up on the eastside.  I think about teenager’s opportunity to have life preserving hobbies that keep them psychologically afloat while resisting the temptations of violence and the street. Researchers at John Hopkins studied youth in Baltimore for 10-years all born in the 1980s or early 1990s to families that resided in the city housing projects.  Astoundingly, they found that 94% of youths were “on track” working or in school by the end of the study and all had “Identity Projects.”  What is an Identity Project?  An Identity Project is an interest in an activity such as, music, recording rap songs, participating in a hobby, sports, volunteering to help others or getting involved in a club (not a gang).  These Identity Projects had a powerful influence providing young person’s a sense of self-identity because they inspire discipline, grit and hope to pursue a brighter future.  Overall a large majority were actively resisting the street but were hungry for training and job opportunities to move higher up into the economic ladder.  The power of an Identity Project can be lifesaving. To learn more about the John Hopkins research project go www.tovacares.blogspot.com


~Dr. Nina Anderson

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Cyber-Bullying in the 21st Century

uknowkids.com/victims-of-cyberbullying

Amy Joyner-Francis, a sophomore at Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington, was assaulted in the school bathroom by a group of girls allegedly upset over Joyner-Francis’  comments on social media.  Amy Joyner-Francis died as a result of the attack.  The official  report said she died from a pre-existing heart condition that was aggravated by the assault.   Although this may be an ongoing investigation, could this possibly be a case of Cyber-Bulling?

Questions will surface whether the use of electronic communication led to this assault and whether it could have been diffused if there had been more face-to-face dialogue and interaction instead of the back-and-forth with social media. Electronic aggression or cyber-bullying has been recognized as a major public health issue of the twenty-first century. Teachers and school administrators early on noted the intrusion of technology into their classrooms and the disruption it could cause. Public health officials have declared it a major crisis!  Parents also took note of the number of hours their children were spending with their electronics – both for good and not so good.  It has been almost a decade since the Center for Disease Control (CDC) convened an expert panel that suggested steps forward. The report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/EA-brief-a.pdf.

Following are Steps Forward from the report:

For Educators/Educational Policy Makers

à Explore current bullying prevention policies

à Work collaboratively to develop policies

à Explore current programs to prevent bullying and youth violence

à Offer training on electronic aggression for educators and administrators

à Talk to teens

Considerations for Parents/Caregivers

à Talk to your child

à Develop rules

à Explore the internet and social media

à Talk with other parents/caregivers

à Encourage your school or school district to conduct a class for caregivers about electronic aggression

Our children are our most precious commodity. No one wants to lose a child, especially to senseless violence.  Be alert. Listen to your children and listen to their conversations with friends. Monitor their social networking  activity and take all of their conversations seriously.

Donna Monroe, MS

To Screen or Not To Screen...That Is The Question?

It was easy to say that I would get screened for Sickle Cell Trait, until I actually scheduled the appointment only to find myself contemplating the cancellation of that appointment. This was the case when I started interning for Tova Community Health Sickle Cell Specialty Center. More concerned for the results than the hemoglobin electrophoresis required to screen my blood, I found myself reluctant to schedule the appointment. However, if I remained ignorant of my own status, I couldn’t advocate for others or express to the community the importance of having self-awareness. Prior to the appointment, I contacted Delaware Newborn Screening to learn if I had already been tested for Sickle Cell Trait considering the administration of this test began in the early 90’s. Unfortunately, no record could confirm this test had been conducted as I was born when the program first originated.

          Following the receipt of news that a blood sample had not been collected, the apprehension began to increase. I questioned whether the result was truly necessary information and if I had lived for so long without knowing my status, what was the point of discovering such information now. Dr. Anderson proceeded to explain that as someone who is very active in the gym, it is pertinent to be aware of my status as over-exertion combined with dehydration could trigger an acute crisis (episode of excruciating pain). After acquiring this information, I finally scheduled the appointment, which was quite painless. The phlebotomist drew a sample of my blood to be sent to the lab for a hemoglobin electrophoresis, which evaluates the different types of hemoglobin in the blood. The test had been conducted and the waiting period commenced. The waiting game was probably the worst part of the entire process because during this time I deliberated all of the “what if” scenarios. A few prolonged days passed and the results arrived providing a sigh of relief.

          Once I received my results, I felt more self-aware and more empowered that I had chosen to be in control of my health. I had chosen to live a healthier lifestyle and live free from fear of the unknown. During this experience I learned that when it comes to my health surprises can be avoidable. In order to prevent an occurrence, I must remain scrupulously conscious of my health and should anything arise, immediately take action.

Paris Davis, Tova Scholars Intern

TOVA Community Health, Inc,.

www.tovacommunityhealth.org