April Wrap-up
This month was ripe with cause related days and news. Do Something has collected the juicy data for your viewing pleasure.
Alcohol Awareness Month
The death of a 19-year-old student last month resurfaced the issue of binge drinking across the nation. The sophomore, Arman Partamian, at SUNY Geneseo was subjected to a hazing ritual involving binge drinking that led to his subsequent death.
The news made headlines and revealed frightening statistics about binge drinking in college campuses across the country, including various studies that reveal that 44% of students attending 4-year colleges drink alcohol at the binge level or greater.
Autism Awareness Month
Recent studies have found that approximately one in every 150 children in the United States has autism or a closely related disorder -- a figure higher than thought. The sheer number of children affected makes autism an "urgent public health issue" and a "major public health concern," said Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, chief of the developmental disabilities branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The poorly understood behavioral syndrome is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests.
There are distinctive behaviors that characterize autism.
- The hallmark feature of autism is impaired social interaction. As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time.
- Children with autism may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can’t understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don’t watch other people’s faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.
- Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me.”
- Children with autism don’t know how to play interactively with other children.
- Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation.
Genocide Prevention Month
During April, survivors, advocates and activists commemorated six genocides that have anniversaries during the month --Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia, the Holocaust, and Armenia.
Survivors of six different genocides came together to release a statement to jolt the international community to action in Darfur.
“Our collective voices will remind the international community to make its commitment to mass atrocity prevention absolute. Until we do, we are destined to repeat the most shameful chapters in human history.”
Wilson, Roosevelt, Carter, Clinton, Bush. Generations of American presidents stood by during genocide in Armenia, the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. Sadly, genocide is still happening now in Darfur… but you can do something about it. Get the facts, and get moving.
Check out Do Something’s coverage on the genocides that killed millions and has repeated made the world promise “Never Again!”
STD Awareness Month
There are nearly 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U.S. each year. About half are among 15-24 year olds, most of whom don’t even know it!
In recognition of these alarming statistics, MTV launched the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign to increase testing for STDs among under 25-year-olds.
You too can get in on the movement:
- Get the facts about STDs and spread the knowledge!
- Get tested! To find a testing site center near you, visit gyt09.org or text your zip code to 49809.
- Help normalize STD testing by downloading GYT’s Facebook tagging application.
- Catch an encore performance of Pedro, biopic of Pedro Zamora, the first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive main character on TV.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Every two and a half minutes a woman is raped in the United States, and one in four college women will experience rape or attempted rape by the time she graduates. Although many people believe that these women are usually assaulted by strangers, at least 70 percent of rape victims know their attackers. The danger of sexual assault is not limited to women. According to a 2003 study, one in every 10 rape victims is male.
For teens, these statistics are especially concerning because risk for women peaks from 16 to 19 years of age. Women of these ages are four times more likely to experience rape, attempted rape or sexual assault than the general population.
