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Teen Behavioral Issues

Parenting teenagers is a challenge for most parents. The onset of adolescence -- which varies from teenager to teenager, according to their physical and emotional maturity -- often brings about dramatic changes in behavior that can cause distress and conflict between teenagers and their parents. In most cases, this behavior is part of the natural process of growing up, but from a parent's point of view, it helps to have an understanding of typical teenage behavior and some strategies to deal with it.

  1. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

    • Most teenagers experience a phase of "teenage rebellion" during which they display defiant and disobedient behavior. However, if a teenager persistently misbehaves and displays hostility towards parents, teachers and other authority figures for a period of six months or more, he or she may be suffering from a clinical behavioral disorder known as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD may be difficult to diagnose because teenagers with the disorder may demonstrate typical teenage behaviors, namely being irritable, deliberately annoying other people and wantonly defying rules and requests without concern or empathy for others. It is really a question of degree, however, and a teenager may be diagnosed with ODD if his or her problem behaviors are more pronounced and more frequent than other teenagers of the same age and stage of development. A positive home environment, a strong working relationship between parents and teachers and professional counseling can all help to alleviate the problem.

    Staying Out Late

    • Most teenagers will seek to test limits set by their parents -- while secretly wanting limits to be imposed -- and one of the ways they do this is to stay out late at night. Parents should not take too dim a view of this type of behavior, unless of course it is symptomatic of alcohol or drug abuse or other delinquent behaviors that can cause physical harm and/or emotional distress. It can often be dealt with simply and effectively by establishing a reasonable curfew. To set a curfew, parents may consult with parents of other teenagers and add a grace period of 10 or 15 minutes, informing teens of the penalty for breaking the curfew. If a teenager is grounded for a week each and every time he stays out later than allowed, he will soon learn to respect curfew.

    Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour

    • Most older American teenagers engage is sexual activity, sometimes unsafely. Teens who have multiple sexual partners or who experiment under the influence of drugs or alcohol are at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy. This type of behavior can be difficult to detect, other than from pregnancy or an STI, because it is not something that teenagers are likely to discuss voluntarily with their parents. Educating teenagers with regard to the short and long term consequences of their behavior, in conjunction with a physician or mental health professional, if necessary, can reduce the likelihood of such problems.

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