You can help your teen navigate safely through the difficult adolescent years, according to Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that studies children, youth and families. Not only can they get through those years relatively unscathed, positive activities can help build a better teenager, researchers say. Contrary to popular opinion, most adolescents have strong bonds with their parents and many continue to spend time with their parents. Kids who report feeling close to their parents are less likely to experience emotional distress, use drugs and alcohol or become sexually active at a young age. Voluntary community service helps promote a sense of compassion and responsibility.
Community service can engender a sense of belonging to the larger community.
Involvement in at least one school club, activity or sport decreases the chances of a youth becoming involved in risk-taking behaviors. Finally, religious involvement is also associated with better adolescent health and safety. Sports-related eye injuries have more than doubled in the last four years from 41,000 to 100,000 nationally. Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children, and sports are the major cause of eye injuries in school-age children. 90 percent of injuries could have been prevented by the use of protective eyewear.