Uncils want social networks to introduce Neknominate warnings. 22 February 2014Last updated at 00:00 ET Prof Mark Bellis: "Deaths caused by Neknominate are probably the tip of an iceberg" Social networking sites Facebook and Twitter should introduce warnings over the drinking game Neknominate, councils in England and Wales have said.
The game, which involves people filming themselves downing alcohol and then nominating someone else to continue, has been linked to several deaths. Test 'predicts' teen depression risk. 17 February 2014Last updated at 19:56 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News The findings identify risk of clinical depression among boys but not girls A tool for predicting the risk of clinical depression in teenage boys has been developed by researchers.
Looking for high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reports of feeling miserable, lonely or unloved could find those at greatest risk. Researchers at the University of Cambridge want to develop a way of screening for depression in the same way as heart problems can be predicted. However, their method was far less useful in girls. Teenage years and early adulthood are a critical time for mental health - 75% of disorders develop before the age of 24.
But there is no way to accurately say who will or will not develop depression. Risky combination Now researchers say they have taken the "first step" towards a screening tool. 'Many contributory factors' However, the test is not yet ready for clinical use. Negative stereotypes 'hurting teenage job prospects' More than two thirds of 14-17-year-olds believe negative portrayals of teenagers in the media are affecting their job prospects, a survey suggests.
About 80% of teenagers questioned also believed they were more engaged with social issues than their predecessors. The think tank, Demos, which commissioned the survey, said the findings "shatter misconceptions of disengaged teenagers". More than 1,000 14-17-year-olds from England and Northern Ireland took part. Demos said false stereotyping of young people in the media and wider society was having a negative effect on both their self-esteem and employment opportunities. Young people 'feel they have nothing to live for'
As many as three quarters of a million young people in the UK may feel that they have nothing to live for, a study for the Prince's Trust charity claims.
The trust says almost a third of long-term unemployed young people have contemplated taking their own lives. Urgent action must be taken to prevent the young jobless becoming the young hopeless, it says. Immigration and Syria on front pages. 18 December 2013Last updated at 00:57 ET By Andy McFarlane BBC News Concern over the number of migrants to Britain makes headlines once again, with the Sun printing a front-page comment demanding David Cameron "draw a red line on immigration... or else".
It cites a poll suggesting the public wants the prime minister to "win back power to halt immigration from the EU" and the "or else", it seems, refers to a perceived likelihood the British public would vote to withdraw from the union altogether after the next election. Associate editor Trevor Kavanagh writes: "[Mr Cameron's] dithering over the past year has transformed a simmering drama into a potent political crisis". However, according to the Guardian, the prime minister is "rushing through a block on European Union migrants' access to benefits from 1 January", when remaining work restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians will be lifted.
University segregation advice may need court ruling. 12 December 2013Last updated at 11:25 ET By Judith Burns Education reporter, BBC News Guidance on segregation of men and women at university guest events may need to be tested in court says Universities UK Controversial guidance on voluntary segregation of men and women at events at universities may need to be tested in court, says a university body.
Earlier Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), suggested segregation was not completely "alien to our culture". One shadow minister described himself as "horrified" by UUK's position. Universities UK says it has today requested legal clarification from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
In a letter, Universities UK which represents 132 institutions, has asked the Commission to consider having the issue clarified by the High Court, "or provide a clear and public statement about the law and the relevant policy considerations". 'Weight terror' common in 13-year-old girls, study says. 16 December 2013Last updated at 22:10 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News About 10% of 13-year-old girls are "terrified" about putting on weight, the first UK study looking for warning signs of eating disorders suggests.
Doctors said they were "worried" by the high degree of weight fixation found in 13-year-old girls, years before eating disorders typically start. Researchers say it might be possible to stop full eating disorders developing. Their findings, in the Journal of Adolescent Health, came from interviews with the parents of 7,082 13-year-olds. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, tend to start in the mid-teenage years, although they can begin before then. The study, by University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, looked at the years before those disorders tend to start. Nelson Mandela death: South Africa and world mourn. FA to target adult misconduct at youth level football. 28 November 2013Last updated at 23:09 ET By Emma Forde 5 live Investigates Almost 4,000 misconduct offences have been committed by adults at youth level football, according to the Football Association.
