Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/523416
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman PHOEBEANDHERUNICORN DanaSimpson ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Bothmy husband and I are profes- sionals. We live in a beau- tiful and affluent part of the country. We have two sons, ages 14 and 10. Some time ago we discovered that our older son had accessed pornography by creat- ing a false account on our com- puter. After confessing, he seemed contrite, promised us that he wouldn't do it again, and we de- cided to give him another chance. A few months later we gave him a smartphone for his 14th birthday, but we chose one that didn't have many bells and whistles. We made him sign the contract, and (just for good measure) I asked my younger son to hold on to the locked phone once the boys came home from school. I found out yesterday that on the days that my younger son was at school for after-school activities, my older son was home watching porn. My hus- band and I are stunned, shocked, repulsed, and have no idea where to go. We are worried that if I enroll him in a group for porn addiction, he will learn other things that we would rather he not be exposed to. I am trying to find research about this, but am not getting the information I am seeking. Other than this, my son gets all As, plays a sport, reads vo- raciously, and in general appears to be a respon- sible kid. —VeryWorriedMom DEAR MOM » Your son created a fake account to view porn at home — and your longer-term reac- tion was to give him a smartphone and have his 10-year-old brother confiscate it after school. Really? Your older son's choice to return to his habit means it is more than youthful curiosity. You should do everything possible to control his access (and be alert about your younger son's Inter- net usage). There is a lot of infor- mation on the increase of teens becoming "addict- ed" to Internet porn read- ily available, including scholarly research papers published by the National Institutes of Health. This information — like the porn your son consumes — is just a click away. The current research on the impact of pornog- raphy on the adolescent brain is alarming. Teens who consume violent porn (the great majority of it involves violence) are much more likely to engage in aggressive or violent sexual behavior — and are far more likely to become sexually active at an earlier age and to have (obviously) unreal- istic views about sex and relationships. Your family needs intervention and profes- sional help and support. Anxiety may be an un- derlying issue for him. At the outset, you and your husband should try to re- duce your hours at work — so one can be home when the kids are there after school. Along with pr of es s io na l c ou n s el i n g and parental involvement, support and communica- tion are crucial for your sons. Family wrestles with how to cope with teen's addiction You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribune.com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Gemini(May21-June20) — Stay on top of your personal files. Unless you are fully aware of your financial position, you won't be able to take advantage of a proposal. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Share your thoughts and feelings with those closest to you. It's easy to take others for granted if you become too busy. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Make everyone aware of what you are doing, and muster support. Trying to do too much on your own will lead to disappointment. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Don't let a negative or critical person prevent you from doing the things you love. Being inspired and involved in exciting projects will be your revenge. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Take time off to pamper yourself and do things you enjoy. You will feel revived and ready to take on twice as much when you are well rested. Don't disregard your needs. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Love is on the rise. It's pos- sible that you have been given false information. You will need to get to the bottom of a ques- tionable situation before making an important personal decision. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Change is in the air. Take an objective look at a deteriorat- ing partnership. If the results are not what you expect or de- serve, consider making changes or moving on. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Mixing business with pleasure will lead to problems. Your charisma is strong and will spur a situation that can have negative effects on your work and productivity. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Patience and understanding will help ease discord. If some- thing is not progressing, work as a team player to repair matters. Placing blame will only escalate an already volatile situation. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Join an organization that enables you to meet prospective partners. Brainstorming with like-minded people will enhance your social network. Busi- ness events or seminars figure prominently in your quest to get ahead. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Prosperity is within reach, but it is imperative that you do your own research. You will regret moving too quickly on an ap- pealing but risky venture. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Try something different. In- teresting friendships are bound to develop once you move out of your current circle. Explore di- verse venues in your community. Horoscope By Eugenia Last FRIDAY, JUNE 5 FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 5 B

