CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Internet can be a particularly dangerous place for teenage girls, according to a new report.

The study's lead author, psychologist Dr. Jennie Noll, said 30 percent of teen girls report meeting up with people they met on the Internet - and that those meetings are more likely to happen for girls who engage in high-risk behaviors.

Those who troll the Web for vulnerable teens are looking for a specific type of online profile," Noll said.

"A girl who's maybe put herself in a bikini, or describes herself as a sexual person, or describes herself as someone who's willing to engage in some sexual conversation," Noll said. "Then that might be the person that you stop and talk to."

Another point of concern, Noll said, is that abused or neglected teenage girls are more likely to present themselves online in a sexually provocative way. She said parents can do a lot to change their teen's behavior if they are willing to have tough, face-to-face conversations about the dangers online.

The lines of communication can easily be shut down if teens simply think they're being spied on, Noll said. Her advice is to talk to them about the consequences of their online behavior without being accusing or shaming. One of her suggestions is to ask them to educate you.

"Engage them by saying, 'Hey, help me figure this out. How can I follow you on Twitter?' or, 'What does this hashtag thing mean?' and they're actually educating me," she said. "But in doing so, I'm creating a bond of trust, and I can have conversations in the midst of that about dangerous ways to present themselves."

The study is part of a larger body of Noll's work on high-risk Internet behaviors. She said she has heard some chilling tales from girls who believed they were meeting someone quite different from who really shows up. She described one girl's story:

"A guy was friends with me on Facebook and he suggested that we finally meet, and I didn't see any harm with it. And I met him at the mall and he asked me if I would go somewhere else with him. I got in the car, and then he took me somewhere, and that's where the victimization happened."

The study was published in the eFirst pages of the journal Pediatrics, and is online at pediatrics.aappublications.org.


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A new report offers some solutions for at least 119,000 young people in Connecticut who are described as being "disconnected" from work or school.

"Disconnection" means they have either dropped out or are close to dropping out of school. It also applies to young people ages 18-26 who are unemployed or unemployable.

Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, said the state making college a priority beyond high school may be a worthy goal but it has also contributed to the disconnection issue.

"We've heavily invested in college as a solid vehicle for post-high-school endeavors," Dias observed. "I think one of the spaces that we need to continue to evolve is the idea that there's a lot of opportunities post-high school."

She added building up opportunities for students to see other pathways will help, including apprenticeships and alternatives to college. The overall goal of the "Young People First" plan is to get 60,000 at-risk and disconnected youth, ages 14-26, back on track by 2035.

The report, from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said having so many disconnected young residents costs the state about $750 million annually. It estimated implementing the entire plan would cost between $600 million and $700 million, combining some new spending with leveraging existing resources. Dias acknowledged doing big things requires big "asks."

"We're going to need to look at our state-level leaders and ask them to make an investment," Dias explained. "Connecticut has resources. There are monies on the table, and we have to remember government exists for the sole purpose of supporting community, and this would be a fundamental opportunity to do that."

Dias pointed out teachers would play a big part in the plan, since they can shape curriculum and how students are prepared for life after high school. Along with building networks with different professionals, she argued it is important for young people to see there are different versions of success.

"Part of our responsibility as educators is to ensure we understand the world we're bringing these students into," Dias asserted. "If we need to learn more, that we do so. And I think, by and large, educators tend to embrace; I mean, we are learners at heart, so we tend to embrace the opportunities to learn more and do more with our students."


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Today is National Daughters Day and for one Utah teenager, the title only seemed like a dream until recently.

Lilyauna Coffey, 19, lives in Salt Lake City. She spent nine years in the foster care system looking for her forever home and family. It was just last year her dream became reality.

Jessica Coffey said she and her husband Sam temporarily took Lilyauna in as she was waiting for an initial adoptive family to be ready. But after not having "clicked" with the family, Jessica said Lilyauna wanted to stay with them.

"When her adoption worker, that does work with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, called us and was like, 'Hey, you know, Lilyauna was wondering if you guys would adopt her?' We already were ready to say yes," Coffey recounted. "What was supposed to be like two weeks max, just turned into forever and it's been great."

Coffey stressed it is important for families looking to adopt to realize there are many teenagers looking for permanent homes. She noted being a teen is hard already and for those who lack the support, consistency and love of a family, entering adulthood can be overwhelming.

The latest state data show there are about 2,000 children in Utah's foster care system, with fewer than 600 adopted per year.

Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, said when a judge permanently severs a child's relationship to their biological family, whether it be due to neglect or abuse, children are promised permanency. But about 20,000 children nationwide turn 18 each year and leave foster care without a family.

Soronen argued more must be done.

"That's why Wendy's Wonderful Kids programs -- for example, in Utah and across the nation -- are so critical to move those children to permanency," Soronen explained. "To minimize the trauma they've already experienced, and to move them toward a journey of healing with a family that can provide them the support and the care."

Soronen added what everyone strives for at the end of the day is a home, which she contended is evident in art and literature throughout American history.

"T.S. Eliot said, 'Home is where we start from,'" Soronen said. "Think of Judy Garland in the movie, right? 'There's no place like home, there's no place like home.' It is at the essence of who we are."

About 53% of high school students think voting is important, according to a survey out today from the nonprofit Youth Truth.

Researchers polled 115,000 American high school students, including Californians, on civic engagement and found 60% believe "helping others is important," but only 44% feel confident in their ability to make a difference.

Jennifer de Forest, interim vice president of Youth Truth, said 30% of students translate their intentions into meaningful action.

"They say, 'We don't know where to start,'" de Forest explained. "And that's the best-case scenario, because for many students, they've actually internalized the message that the system is broken, and that what they have to say doesn't matter."

Latino students report feeling the most disempowered. Only 26% have taken civic action and just 46% believe voting is important. Many students said they are more focused on academic success and college acceptance. But they say extracurriculars like scouting, band and sports do make them feel more civic-minded.

Kate Snow, coordinator of school climate for the Davis Joint Unified School District, which brought diverse student groups together for a youth empowerment workshop, said districts need to build young people's confidence in the importance of their voices.

"There's a link between how schools are engaging students and helping students see their own power and use their power, with how they see and use it in the public arena," Snow pointed out.

The report encouraged schools to promote the importance of voting and students getting involved in their community.