Boys Town Public Relations Department
14100 Crawford Street
Boys Town, NE 68010
800-448-3000 (Voice - Toll-free)
800-448-1833 (Voice - TDD)
The Boys Town National Hotline is a 24-hour crisis, resource and referral line. Accredited by the American Association of Suicidology, the Hotline has been in operation since 1989 and is staffed by trained counselors who can respond to questions every day of the week, 365 days a year. Approximately 500,000 callers contact the hotline annually to receive help relating to being suicidal, physically or sexually abused, on the run, addicted, threatened by gang violence, fighting with a parent, a parent frustrated by a child, scared of a spouse, or faced with an overwhelming challenge. Visitors can also chat online with counselors every Monday (except holidays) from 8 to 9 PM CST.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a serious psychiatric disorder that affects around 2 to 16% of all the kids. It is a serious behavioral anomaly which when untreated may result in many other disorders in the life of the patient. The main reason why Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or ODD for short, goes unnoticed is because people are not aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease. This is where the importance of the behavior chart comes in.
A child suffering from ODD may show various signs. Some of the symptoms from behavior chart are mentioned below:
1) Defiance of all adults and seniors and refusing to comply with their rules.
2) A case of bad temperament.
3) Arguing with elders and annoying them on purpose.
4) Remaining angry and irritated almost always.
5) Refusing to take responsibility for one’s actions and putting the blame on someone else’s shoulders.
6) Remaining touchy and getting annoyed at the slightest pretext.
The behaviors listed above are not dangerous signs of Oppositional Defiant disorder in themselves as almost every child displays similar behavior at some point of time in their lives. However, when these symptoms keep recurring and become a regular feature for about 6 months or above, then it should become a thing of concern. A child suffering from ODD should not be confused with a child who is slightly moody and emotional in nature. It is completely normal for all children to display the behaviors mentioned in the behavior chart for Oppositional Defiant Disorder but if they persist for almost 6 months, the child should be treated medically at the earliest possible. Behavior modification for Oppositional Defiant disorder is important.
The reasons for a child developing ODD are many and can range from genetic factors to environmental factors to even medical factors. It is believed that if the parents of the child have remained on the wrong side of law for behavioral problems, chances are that the person will also develop ODD in his life. A mother smoking heavily during her pregnancy can also result in the child being born with impaired mental health that might result in the disease later.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is the most common of all of children’s mental disorders. Almost anybody has a chance of getting the disease and it does not happen to people of a certain economic strata. It has however been seen that Oppositional Defiant Disorder seldom features independently. It is almost always accompanied by other such neuropsychiatric conditions. A child with ODD is most likely to suffer from ADHD.
How does one identify and diagnose Oppositional Defiant Disorder? The most important criteria would be that parents educate themselves and come to terms with the symptoms listed in behavior chart. They need to talk to the child and not brush off any of his antics. They would do good to pay heed as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Find out if your child has ADD/ADHD, and what you can do to help.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), now referred to by physicians as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a condition that affects about five percent of American children today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, boys are two to three times more likely to suffer from ADHD than girls.
The classic signs of ADHD are a child's inability to focus and a tendency to act impulsively. Here are some other common symptoms:
Inappropriate levels of activity
Distractibility
Inability to sit still or pay attention in class
Tendency to act "without thinking"
Becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds
Rarely following instructions carefully and completely
Often losing or forgetting things
Frequent fidgeting and squirming
Having difficulty waiting in line or for a turn
All kids exhibit some of this behavior at one time or another. So how do you know if your child is suffering from ADHD or he's just a wild kid? Children who are responding to stressful family situations, are bored in the classroom, or are passing through certain stages of development may, at times, appear inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive. That doesn't mean they have ADHD.
But there are a few clues that may signal that your child's actions are a symptom of ADHD. You should consult with your child's teacher and pediatrician if his symptoms appear:
Before age 7
Continuously -- not just in response to a temporary situation
To last for at least six months
More severely than other children in the same age group
In multiple settings (not just in the classroom or on the playground)
There may be serious consequences for persons with AD/HD who do not receive treatment or receive inadequate treatment. These consequences may include low self-esteem, social and academic failure, career underachievement and a possible increase in the risk of later antisocial and criminal behavior.
One of the most difficult challenges that parents and adults with AD/HD face is what to do about treatment. Because there is no "cure" for AD/HD and no single treatment option that is right for everyone, treatment plans should be tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual and family.
So treating AD/HD often requires medical, educational, behavioral, and psychological intervention. This comprehensive approach to treatment is called "multimodal" and, depending on the age of the individual with AD/HD, may include the following:
You should also consider talking with a mental health professional to rule out other possible psychological problems, such as depression or a learning disorder.

Stephan Hoeller
An excerpt from my book:
"Keeping a writing journal at home and at school will be helpful to you.Write about what type of job you will have when you grow up. Write about your likes and dislikes. Also, write about places where you want to travel."
Tell yourself, “I will do my very best each day that I go to school. I am smart and I will be successful!”
Welcome! Here is where you will find useful information that is meant to give assistance if you have (or know) a boy (9-12yrs) who has lost his direction.
This site is here to provide ideas to cope with young boys who may be dealing with trouble in school,anger, drugs, gangs and destructive friends.The topics covered are listed below:
1.behavior management 2.parent/family involvement 3.school 4.resistance to drugs and alcohol 5. avoiding gangs 6. anger and fighting 7.guns and other weapons 8.choosing friends 9.nutrition 10. safety 11.respect 12. kindness to animals
My biography: Marie Brewer taught school for 27 years in Texas.She taught special needs students, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.She has had behavior modification training and has seen it's benefits when working with children.It is time to save our children! Marie firmly believes that kids should feel good about themselves so that they can give greatness to the world one day.We can turn this thing around! Now, she volunteers in a public school and a medical facility.