Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
There's A Nearly Fourfold Increase In Child Abuse On Saturdays When Report Cards Are Released On Fridays
The Associated Press: Child Abuse Climbs After Friday Report Cards, Study Says
Child abuse increases the day after school report cards are released — but only when kids get their grades on a Friday, a study in Florida suggests. The curious finding startled researchers, who had figured abuse might go up regardless of the specific day kids got their grades. But their study of reports to a child abuse hotline that included broken bones, burns and other confirmed abuse found otherwise. An increase only occurred on Saturdays after a report-card Friday. (Tanner, 12/17)
The New York Times: When Report Cards Go Out On Fridays, Child Abuse Increases On Saturdays, Study Finds
Dr. Randell C. Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla., a pediatrician who specializes in treating victims of abuse, said that for years he and his colleagues had heard children recount episodes of violence arising from unsatisfactory grades. They would see children with black eyes, marks from belts and electrical cords, and at times more serious injuries, he said. “When you say, ‘How did you get it?,’ they say it’s because of their report card,” said Dr. Alexander, an author of the study and the chief of the child protection and forensic pediatrics division of the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, Jacksonville. (Jacobs, 12/17)
Politico Pulse Check: Surgeon General Jerome Adams
The U.S. surgeon general explains why he's issuing a rare warning on e-cigarettes and kids. (12/18)
The Washington Post: Raising Boys Today: Eliot’s Father Wants Him To Be The 8-Year-Old He Is, Not What Society Expects
Brian and Bonnie, who live in Raleigh, N.C., are raising their son at a turbulent time, when the boy next door could be exposed as the next perpetrator of a Me Too moment or grow into the bully in the C-suite. How, in the words of Bonnie, can they make sure to “not raise a jerk?” Such questions are close at hand but not always solvable. Especially at a time when the problems facing boys are mounting. (Joyce, 12/17)
PBS NewsHour: Why Helicopter Parenting May Jeopardize Kids’ Health
Several high-profile news stories, along with increasing rates of childhood obesity, anxiety and depression, have sparked a movement encouraging parents to allow their children greater freedom. The nonprofit Let Grow is leading the call for what’s known as “free range parenting,” in which kids can just be kids. (William Brangham, 12/17)
Austin American-Statesman: Advocacy Groups Demand Child Care Fixes After Statesman Investigation
Nearly two dozen advocacy groups are calling for improvements to the Texas child care system in the wake of an American-Statesman investigation that found dangerous conditions in many day cares across the state. The groups on Monday sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, state legislators and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, asking them to, among other things, increase the number of caregivers required to look after children at licensed day cares; require the state to collect data on the connection between caregiver-to-child ratios and unsafe day care environments; and improve access to quality day care. (Ball, 12/17)
Arizona Republic: Arizona Vaccine Education Course For Parents, Cut Once, Could Return
The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed it is working to develop a redesigned program to address falling immunization coverage among schoolchildren in the state. The revamped immunization education program is expected to launch in the 2019-2020 academic year, the state health department said in a statement. (Innes, 12/17)
WBUR: Teen Girls And Their Moms Get Candid About Phones And Social Media
A recent survey by the Deseret News and Brigham Young University showed that technology overuse was the number one concern of parents of teenagers — more than sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. And teens themselves even admit to being concerned. In a Pew survey in August, over half of teens said they'd tried to cut back on smartphone use and social media. Recently I sat down with two teen girls and their mothers in New York City to get a snapshot of what it's like to grow up with smartphones right now. (Kamenetz, 12/17)
Meanwhile —
The New York Times: Trump Officials Plan To Rescind Obama-Era School Discipline Policies
The Trump administration is planning to roll back Obama-era policies aimed at ensuring that minority children are not unfairly disciplined, arguing that the efforts have eased up on punishment and contributed to rising violence in the nation’s schools, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. (Green and Benner, 12/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump School-Safety Panel Targets Obama Policy On Race And Discipline
The commission, formed after the school shooting Feb. 14 that killed 17 people in Parkland, Fla., largely sidesteps making any recommendations to tighten access to firearms, falling far short of what Democrats and most education policy officials say is necessary to reduce the frequency of gun-related violence. The 177-page report, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and will be released publicly Tuesday afternoon, does recommend that individual states or districts consider arming school personnel, either teachers or law-enforcement officials present in school buildings, particularly in rural areas where supplemental help would take longer to arrive. (Hackman, 12/18)
