Bullying, adverse childhood experiences and use of texting to promote behavior change.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article addresses three areas in which new research demonstrates the potential to impact the health of children and adolescents: bullying, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and texting to promote behavior change.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research on bullying emphasizes its impact on children with chronic medical conditions, and highlights cyber bullying as a rising issue. ACEs are now recognized as risk factors for many health issues, particularly mental health problems. Text messaging is a promising new method to communicate with parents and adolescent patients.

SUMMARY: Pediatric healthcare providers can help patients with chronic medical problems by addressing bullying at well child visits. Screening for ACEs may identify children at risk for mental health issues. Incorporating text messaging into clinical practice can improve disease management and patient education.