Teens share their research, insights

SALISBURY — Eric Chin’s initial reaction to the idea of having a clone was “that would be so cool.”“It could do all my homework and chores while I’m on the computer.”But Eric became a little less sanguine after doing some research.Eric, along with fellow Salisbury Central School eighth-graders Ethan Marshall and Colin May presented their eight-grade projects at the Scoville Memorial Library Saturday, May 21.Eric said that while Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned mammal, was born in 1996 with no apparent abnormalities, she developed obesity and arthritis and was euthanized at age 6 — roughly half the typical life span of a sheep.Eric speculated that the genetic age (as opposed to the chronological age) of Dolly’s cells was a factor. He also noted that there have yet to be any successfully cloned primates.Asked about ethical issues in cloning, Eric replied, “I didn’t go deep into it because human cloning is so far in the future. But it wouldn’t be fair to the clone. There would be so much pressure, he wouldn’t have a life.”Colin May, whose project was about cyberbullying, got to the heart of the matter when he pointed out that there isn’t a standard definition to work with, so he came up with this: “Harassment transmitted through electronic methods such as email, chat and text messaging.”Colin said cyberbullying can have devastating psychological effects on its victims, including suicide.Cyberbullying differs from typical bullying because the bully and the victim are not face-to-face (although they frequently attend the same school).“The cyberbully doesn’t know how the victim reacts, which is why some people don’t think they are doing anything wrong.”Colin cited statistics claiming that half of American adolescents report being cyberbullied, and, oddly enough, about the same number engage in the behavior.A quarter of those bullied report multiple instances; only 10 percent tell their parents, and under 20 percent of incidents are reported to law enforcement officials.Colin recommended taking basic Internet safety precautions, such as using password protection, and being wary of putting personal information online.“The Internet’s a big place, and once it’s on there, you can’t take it back.”He said ignoring the cyberbully works up to a point, but because the effects of the cyberbullying are likely to show up in school, a coordinated response from schools and parents is necessaryHe suggested establishing an Internet safety course along the same lines as the DARE anti-drug program.Ethan Marshall, speaking about teen suicide, said many teens at risk for suicide never seek help, but that 80 percent of those who do successfully complete treatment.He said that “successful” suicides only make up a fraction of attempted suicides — and that while women make more attempts, men succeed more often (by a ratio of four to one).A majority of suicides have one or more the following problems: depression or bipolar disorder, a substance abuse problem, schizophrenia, a personality disorder, an eating disorder or an anxiety disorder. Three quarters of suicides have an alcohol or drug problem, he added, and about 11 percent of people with addictions give serious consideraion to suicide, as compared to just 3 precent of the general population — a sobering thought when half of all teens at the very least experiment with drugs or alcohol.Ethan said parents and friends should watch for mood swings; being bullied; cutting; a loss of interest; erratic changes in behavior; and a sudden interest in weapons.On the way out, the audience was asked to respond to a one-question survey on cloning. “And leave a small tissue sample,” quipped Dr. Eugene Chin, Eric’s father.