Shy teens at higher risk of substance abuse – While shyness is often thought to be relatively harmless, it can in fact have damaging effects on young people. Dr. Bernardo Carducci, Director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast, finds that shy male teens, who may turn to drugs and/or alcohol to help deal with stressful social situations, are at a higher risk than their peers to develop substance abuse. One way to help shy teens avoid these potential dangers is to encourage them to get part-time jobs at which they are forced to interact with customers.    Read more...