by guest blogger Raychelle Cassada Lohmann MS, LPC, author of The Anger Workbook for Teens

What on earth would drive a student to the point that he felt he needed to shoot his fellow peers? Were there signs that indicated a potential catastrophe waited? If so, what were they? A youth who is not prone to trouble or violence doesn't just turn into a killer overnight. Right? Odds are the indicators, red flags and warning signs were there all the time. Unfortunately, the pieces didn't fall into place until it was way too late.

As with any troubled teen, there are usually underlying emotions and feelings as well as social and familial turmoil that creates a recipe for disaster. So, what are some of the potential warning signs? While there is no perfect "profile" for a troubled youth, there are some distinct indicators and common characteristics to look for.

by guest blogger Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate

It's about time that we quit using the phrase "freshman fifteen." What's the harm? The term causes freshman a lot of anxiety. Also, talking about it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Students may unconsciously (or consciously) eat more because they believe this is "normal." Worry about gaining weight can also trigger disordered eating habits such as restrictive dieting and binge eating.

Let's stop focusing on weight and start talking about eating healthy and more mindfully! The way students eat now can impact their health in years to come.

by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, author of The Anger Workbook for Teens

Cyberbullies are like monsters in the closet. They seem to lurk in the corners and under the bed, and their victims fear they will appear at any time. Just like a child who fears the dark, the victim of a cyberbully may be scared of what hides behind the screen. In today’s world, clicks and keystrokes have the power to destroy and alter lives. Bullies use many different forms of cyberbullying to engage their victims in a game of cat and mouse.

Here are twelve types of cyberbullying that exist:

by guest blogger Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, author of Anger Workbook for Teens

Sexting behaviors are experiencing rampant growth among college students. According to a study conducted by the University of Rhode Island, 4 out of 5 college kids have received sexually suggestive messages. Out of the 204 participants, approximately 56 percent reported that they have received sexual images and 17 percent of those surveyed have forwarded those messages to others.

But college students aren't the only ones sexting. Just recently there were about two dozen teenagers caught in a sexting ring in Vermont. The 17 girls that were in the pictures were ages 14-17. I would venture to say that none of the parents were aware that their daughters were taking risqué photos of themselves and sharing them with others. Likewise, I bet the boy's parents weren't aware that they were sharing these photos with one another via shared email accounts.

by guest blogger Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, author of The Anger Workbook for Teens

Are high school relationships a thing of the past? According to the research it would seem so. Today's teens now prefer "hooking up", "no strings attached" and even "friends with benefits" relationships to a "Steady Relationship." In fact, the modern day Cinderella story may go something like this:

by guest blogger Randi Gunther Ph.D., co-author of Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice

Every day, an average of 160,000 children in the United States stay home from school for fear of being bullied. Last year, bullying made national headlines when physical and emotional violence towards LGBT teenagers led to a series of painful suicides. The immediate response to this was impressive. Dan Savage created the "It Get Better Project" and inspired thousands of people, from Adam Lambert to President Obama, to send in videos about their own experiences with teenage bullying, violence and prejudice. The issue of bullying even made primetime television on popular shows, like "Glee." The public outcry against bullying was a positive movement, but in its wake we must continue seeking ways to stop violence.

Violence is a behavior we can all help prevent. While there is no single easy solution to ending violence, raising our awareness and learning how to deal with violent behavior can help prevent and reduce violent acts.

excerpt from Stopping the Pain by Lawrence E. Shapiro Ph.D.

Most people who self-injure keep their behavior secret. They might feel that they are the only ones in the world who act this way. Even people who are seeing counselors may be ashamed to admit that they hurt themselves.

In the last few years, more people have talking about self-injury, and it has become less secret. Many books have been written about self-injury. There are also many websites and blogs, although it is important for you to be aware that not everything you read on the Internet is in your best interest.

The more people talk about self-injury, the more we can understand how to help people with this problem. Separating myths from facts is always a step in the right direction.

excerpt from The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens by Gina M. Biegel MA, LMFT

There are two types of mindfulness practice: formal and informal. In formal practice, you actually set aside an amount of time and dedicate it to being mindful. Informal practice doesn’t require any extra time; the idea is to bring moment-to-moment awareness to everything you already do, to zero in on what you are doing as you are actually doing it.

People often do things without being fully present, as if they were on automatic pilot. Living this way, they cheat themselves out of many moments in their lives. Trying to bring conscious awareness to your body and mind while remaining aware of the task you are engaging in will allow you to experience life more fully. Paying attention to your five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) in your daily tasks can help you be aware in the present moment.

excerpt from Free from OCD by Timothy A. Sisemore Ph.D.

Jamaal doesn’t really appreciate his new nickname, Mr. Perfect. Though he has really tried not to, he still has to keep every paper straight in his organizer and catches himself straightening up his friends’ papers. He used to feel good about himself and thought he was pretty popular and cool. But now that his stuck thoughts and rituals have gotten worse, he doesn’t go out with friends much because he just doesn’t want to hear the teasing. He has to go to school but wouldn’t if he didn’t have to. Though his friends say they’re just teasing, Jamaal doesn’t find it very funny. Having OCD is a pain.

for you to know

As if it isn’t bad enough to wrestle with stuck thoughts and rituals, for many teens these symptoms can have a big impact on many areas of their lives—particularly in friendships and self-confidence. In some ways these “side effects” can be worse than the stuck thoughts and rituals themselves.

for you to do

Get a piece of paper and answer the following questions:

by guest blogger Susan Eikov Green, author of Don’t Pick On Me

It is very telling that the word “sexting” is not listed in the Merriman-Webster or American Heritage dictionaries. So where can you find a definition for this word that appears on television news programs and in newspapers and magazines? Wikipedia, of course. And that is perfectly apt, because “sexting” is a word born of the Internet.

Sexting - a combination of sex and text - is “the act of sending sexually explicit photographs and messages primarily between cell phones.” And for teen-agers, who don’t think twice about whipping our their phones, taking nude pictures of themselves, and sending those pictures to friends and boyfriends or girlfriends, it is an act rife with serious emotional and legal consequences.