“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel."
      —A Charlie Brown Christmas

Adults know that the holidays are stressful. Between addressing greetings cards, shopping for gifts, financial woes as a result of said shopping, cooking, cleaning (overnight guests, anyone?) . . . good grief! We may long to change places with the “carefree” children in our lives—but the holidays can be an anxious and stressful time for kids too.

This has been an exceedingly difficult week for our nation. As we continue to mourn the horrific events in Newtown, Connecticut, which occurred one week ago today, the holidays—a time to spend with family and think about our hopes for the upcoming year—are upon us.

A number of international reports, such as the United Nations Education Index and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Program for International Student Assessment, rank countries by the quality of their education systems.

Many mental health experts estimate that 20 percent of children experience a mental health disorder at some point during childhood, and that more than 10 percent suffer from a serious emotional disturbance.

For many girls, the journey into the juvenile justice system does not start with committing a violent crime, or even a misdemeanor, but rather with a “status” offense—a violation that is not considered illegal for adults—such as breaking curfew or running away from home. In 2010, for instance, girls were detained for status offenses at nearly four times the rate of boys, according to Child Trends Data Bank.