Link between bullies and substance abuse and more: news roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform
Commentary: Getting smart on juvenile offending and substance use issues - The role of the prosecutor
Join Together
As the gatekeeper to the system, the DA represents the voices of the community in the justice system. That role is amplified when the prosecutor is in juvenile court, where they also must also advance the “needs and best interests” of affected youth.
OPINION: Life without parole: unfair for children
The National Law Journal
On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality of allowing children to be sentenced to life without parole in homicide cases. The petitioners in Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabama, both 14 at the time of their offenses, are not asking the Court to announce any new legal principles. Their arguments are squarely rooted in established constitutional law.
Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

Schools try creative approach to substance abuse, bullying

Galesburg.com
Churchill Junior High, Lombard Middle School and Galesburg High School have all used programs, incentives and curriculum in the past decade to combat the effects of peer pressure and misinformation about behaviors, like substance abuse and teen sex.

Study finds link between school bullies and substance abuse
Join Together
Students who bully their classmates are more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with their peers who aren’t bullies, a new study suggests.
Lori Howell is a Senior Associate at Prichard Communications. She is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with a background in public policy, fundraising, and education. Lori helps clients with online editorial services, media relations, and publications. Before joining Prichard Communications, she served as chief of staff for Greg Macpherson, a former Oregon state legislator, an account executive for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit educational testing consortium, and once taught English in Choshi, Japan.