Teenage girls...

I know I'm in my 50's, but I'd like to think I'm a little more "with it" than some. I know teenagers have issues, are having sex, are making wrong decisions, they did the same thing when I was one. However, here is the deal......I don't remember kids middle school and even younger battling these issues...I played Barbie until 8Th grade, rode my bike and hung out with my girlfriends. Boys were not really around much... more of a high school thing. But doing all this research the passed few months for "Emmie's Hope" I've come to realize all these issues and problems our girls face are coming at a much younger age. Here's the deal, 16 and 17 year olds have a tough time handling sex, drugs, alcohol, depression, etc. Can you even imagine how a 13 year old handles it? Facts show that the earlier a child engages in these at-risk behaviors, especially sex, the more likely they will be at risk for depression. Not just depression for a short time, but a life long battle with depression....it is heart wrenching. There are so many reasons and issues that lead to this mess...but peer pressure is alive and well in 2010. If you are not sure how to help, one thing you can do is boycott products that sponsor TV, movies, and magazines that target young kids with all this crap...start by doing something, even if it's small, you can donate or volunteer. Do something positive to help a young person...they are our future.