Troubled Teen Girls
Troubled Teen Girls and Authority Issues
Has a troubled teen replaced your once sweet and respectful child, slamming doors, yelling, cursing and generally being disrespectful to you? Are you both becoming increasingly frustrated with each other? It's a fact of life that once some children hit their teen years, a transformation occurs. This is one of the most common problems families face. Early intervention is the key to helping your child navigate this difficult time in their lives, but you may have to keep dealing with it as often as needed, for the health of your family.
Causes of Problem Behaviors in Teens
Teens struggle to find their identity as young adults, but at the same time, they are not mature enough to handle the responsibility that accompanies an adult role. It's a confusing time, and though they may not act like it, teens need parental guidance.
Other factors may contribute to your teen's disregard for authority as well. If you notice they are around peers or adults who speak and act disrespectfully, this could be one reason for behavioral changes. Since teens tend to mimic the behavior of those around them, they will adopt a disrespectful attitude if they see their peers doing so.
Your parenting style may also be frustrating your teen. While it is your job to discipline and monitor your child, you must be aware of whether your demands are realistic. Consider whether you're being unnecessarily harsh in your punishments. Allow your child the chance to be heard, or she is liable to become frustrated and lash out at you or others.
Does your teen have a reason to distrust authority figures? If an older family member, teacher, mentor or family friend has betrayed or abused your teen in some way, then this may contribute to her actions.
How to Handle Your Teen
Parenting a teen who is disrespectful and has a problem with authority can be frustrating, but you must remember a few important facts. First, you can't take your teen's actions personally. It's natural for teenagers to challenge ideas, and having a healthy way to question authority is an important skill in adulthood. The key is to challenge ideas respectfully. Teach your child that she will be heard in a more positive way if she remains calm and respectful while raising her concerns and objections.
As tempting as it may be, don't mirror your child's disrespectful behavior with even more disrespect. Try not to get into a shouting match or throw insults back at her. If you act like she does, then it's only teaching her that this is an acceptable course of action - the opposite of what you want! Be clear and realistic with your requests. Listen to your child when she asks respectfully for you to consider a different course of action, no matter how outrageous her request may be. This doesn't mean you have to give in to her demands, but it will help her to learn to resolve issues in a reasonable, adult manner.
In some cases, teenagers may elevate their resistance to authority to an unhealthy level, or fail to respond to reasonable requests for discussion. In that case, experts advise seeking professional help. Investigate residential treatment facilities for teenagers, especially those that specialize in experiential and other non-traditional forms of therapy that will be effective in helping your troubled teen.
Jen Stott is a writer and blogger, and works as the Content Director at Be Locally SEO in Salt Lake City, Utah.
If your teen is resisting authority research residential treatment facilities to get them the help they need.
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