Host: What are the important protective factors for teens?
Judith Welles Cousins: I think important protective factors for teens are, number one, close family connection. Number two, family spend - and is close together, families spending a reasonable or more significant amount of time and consistent amount of time of time together. Number three, to have again, this goes with the first two, having family activities together. Now when you have a teenager they are going to be doing a lot with their friends, but I think it's still important to have time when you do things as a family that are fun, not just asking a teen, "Have you done your homework and who are you going with? Have you cleaned up your room?"
Those kinds of this that are really obnoxious to teenagers in particular, but to be doing fun things together. So a teen knows that they can spend time with their family and enjoy family company. Another is to be really clear about what your family values are. What your personal values are as a parent and what -- and to help your teen clarify what their values are as a teen. What are your family values? What is okay as a family, what is not so okay as a family? To have family rituals and family traditions. All of those things allow a teen to see healthy behavior in action and also to maintain connection with family and that's really important