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Walk Your Path: How to Understand and Combat Peer Pressure

combat peer pressure

Peer pressure at school, a universal phenomenon experienced by teenagers across the globe, plays a considerable role during these formative years. As adolescents strive to carve out their unique identities, these external influences can deeply impact their mental health, choices, and overall well-being. The Faces of Peer Pressure Peer pressure can manifest itself in various […]

Bullying, Stress, and Your Teen Explained

Anti-bullying and prevention

World Kindness Day & Anti-Bullying Awareness Week With World Kindness Day on November 13th and Anti-Bullying Awareness Week taking place between November 14th and 18th, A Brighter Day is acknowledging, celebrating, and bringing awareness to these two special occasions. We hope you were able to do a kind act for yourself or for another person […]

“Man Up!” The phenomenon that affects young men across America

The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions of masculinity to refer to certain cultural norms that are associated with harm to society and men themselves. Traditional stereotypes of men as socially dominant, along with related traits such as misogyny and homophobia, can be considered "toxic" due in part to their promotion of violence, including sexual assault and domestic violence. The socialization of boys in patriarchal societies often normalizes violence, such as in the saying "boys will be boys" about bullying and aggression.

“You aren’t man enough.”  “Man up!”  “Come on, don’t be a ______.” What do these phrases have in common? You guessed it: They all reinforce toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is one explanation for male violence and sexism. This term distinguishes “toxic” traits, like aggression and self-entitlement, from “healthy” masculinity. It has grown to the point […]

The 5 Most Important Ways Parents Can Support LGBTQ+ Youth

LGBT is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQ, or even LGBTQIA, to include queer, intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don't experience sexual attraction.

All teens face issues like academic pressure, personal identity issues, and tricky relationships — friendships, romance, frenemies, parents, siblings. Adolescents and teens who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQ+) face these issues, as well as an added slew of challenges. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ teens are challenged by concerns like […]

Warning Signs that Your Teen is Being Bullied

stressed out redhead teenager looking at laptop with teal cup

As parents, one of the things we often worry about is the possibility of our children getting bullied or picked on at school. This worry never goes away, even as our children become teenagers and adults. We all know first-hand how cruel kids can be, and just how damaging it can be to feel isolated—especially […]

5 Moves to Dodge Peer Pressure

two teenage guys teasing a teenage girl

Everyone experiences peer pressure. It’s totally normal to want to fit in and be accepted by a group, especially in your teenage years! There are so many great things that come with having friends. For one, it feels good to belong to a group of people whom you admire. On top of that, you’ll always […]

6 Golden Rules for Dealing With Cliques

happy girl wearing yellow sweater and pink pants

Mean Girls. Pitch Perfect. Emily in Paris. 13 Reasons Why. What do all of these movies and TV shows have in common? They all explore the world of cliques. Here’s the thing: There is a pretty good chance that you’ll have to deal with cliques sometime during middle school, high school, or college. Believe it […]