Poonam Ethakotu

The jury is still out about whether video games are really responsible for increasing aggression in youth, and promoting youth violence. Some firmly attest that it is, and many firmly stand by the idea that results are subjective, and inconclusive.

I was forced with a decision to put my ten-year-old black cat, Midnight, to sleep after being told that what I thought was an infection turned out to be an inoperable tumor. The pain was indescribable. My heart was breaking, and life was still going on.

In any given community of color, the title of this blog sounds very familiar. Spanking, or formally known as corporal punishment, is a very common disciplinary action. Culturally and historically, it is considered quite normal and rather accepting for discipline to be handed out through some form of physical action like spanking, hitting with a belt, slapping etc.

We often describe adolescence as the point where dramatic changes occur, both developmentally and socially. Teenagers are gathering information, trying to gain a sense of self as it relates to others. Adolescence becomes a journey of self-discovery, risks, decision making, and the forming of interpersonal relationships that they choose.