A Parent’s Guide to Teen Behavior Issues

Does Your Teen Need Professional Help?

No one ever said that being the parent of a teenager and trying to keep them safe is easy. Nevertheless, parenting a teen that has behavior issues is a far cry from the typical woes of parenting a teen that pushes boundaries and develops a defensive attitude. Sometimes, a line is crossed between typical and atypical when it comes to teen behavior. This crossover into dangerous teen behaviors can lead to having a rapidly escalating situation with catastrophe looming on the horizon.

Red Flags Your Teen Needs Professional Help

Maybe you’ve tried taking your rebellious teen to therapy × Therapy
n.noun ther·a·py Therapy is a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder or disease. Therapy generally consists of two kinds: medical and psychotherapy. Medical therapies treat diseases of the human body such as cancer. Psychotherapies treat the mind of therapeutically or emotionally damaged individuals. Different Types of Psychotherapy: - Psychoanalytic Therapy - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - Group Therapy - Behavior modification - Biofeedback - Collaborative therapy - Family therapy - Marriage counseling - Music therapy - Parent management training - Relationship counseling - Social Therapy - Systemic therapy - Therapeutic community - Twelve-step programs - Wilderness therapy Therapy for troubled teens has become an increasingly popular opportunity for troubled adolescents today. Therapies are offered at many services for troubled teens such as, wilderness therapy programs, residential treatment programs and boarding schools for troubled youth. The most effective type of therapy greatly depends on the individual teen and what psychological and emotional issues the particular adolescent struggles with.
or utilized local resources, but nothing seems to be working. It’s imperative to not allow the situation to continue to worsen. Stepping in before the child does something they can’t recover from easily is critical. At the worst, dangerous behaviors can mean everything from lifelong legal battles to your teen losing their life. As a parent, you have to be able to spot the red flags so you can make some drastic, and sometimes very difficult, decisions to stop the runaway train before it’s too late. 

1. Your Teen Is Using Drugs or Alcohol On a Regular Basis

Forty-seven percent of teens will likely use some kind of illegal drug before they finish high school, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. But regular drug or alcohol × Alcohol
al·co·hol n.noun a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel. When ingested, alcohol can be a deadly intoxicant. Teens and adults alike are more prone to make fateful and negative choices while drinking alcohol. A deadly intoxicant, alcohol has destroyed and ripped apart the lives of millions and yet, remains to be the drug of choice of troubled teens nationwide. Teenage minds are not yet able to fully appreciate the dangers that coincide with drinking. When drunk, teenagers commit and act out heinous activities which they would normally never commit or act out. Teenage pregnancy, driving under the influence, fighting and other consequences are more likely to occur while teens drink. Parents of teenage boys or girls who drink occasionally or struggle with the addiction of alcohol, need to seek immediate treatment for their son or daughter.
use can be detrimental to a developing teen. Drug or alcohol abuse × Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol Abuse /al.co.hol/ /a.buse/  The definition of Alcohol Abuse is the intake of a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks improperly or in a negative view or purpose. There are many different types of alcohol, and the misuse of these types of substances can be very dangerous and can be the cause of many different problems.  This type of abuse can lead to many different types of impairments or distress. Along with physical problems that can come from recurrent drug abuse there are many other types of problems that can occur.  One effect can be a lack of interest in schooling and work.  The failure to fulfill roles and obligations in different settings of life can also occur.   Also, a poor performance in daily actions that may lead to legal problems. It is important to face Alcohol abuse as soon as possible and in an appropriate manner.  There are many different programs that are available to help fix these types of problems to rehabilitate someone’s life.
can lead to dangerous situations, such as poor decision making about sex or other activities, but this behavior can also lead to substance addiction × Addiction
The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as "Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response." Similar to other chronic diseases, addiction may involve cycles of relapse and a mental state of remission. If untreated, or serious attempts of recovery, the progression of addiction can easily result in dire, sometimes fatal, consequences. Addiction can take many forms, from eating disorders to drug addiction and even gambling. Whatever the affliction, or choice of addiction, the teenage psyche and overall well being is at greater risk than that of a fully developed adult. Teens who don't receive adequate rehabilitation for their addiction are almost certain to carry their addictive qualities into adulthood. Parents of a teenage boy or girl suffering from addiction should seek viable treatment options immediately before the addiction progresses further.
, shame, and depression × Depression
Depression /de·pres·sion/ Depression is defined as a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep. Statistics has shown that diagnosis of depression is growing at a very dangerous rate. Globally, depression affects over 350 million people of all ages. Depression has been linked to other negative health outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Compared to those not affected by depression those who face it are more likely to be unemployed and have a higher chance of divorce. Most people that suffer from depression do not seek care or attention. Since this is a global issue, many efforts are made to help those who are suffering depression. It is important for those that face depression to find help so that they can overcome this plague that millions of people face.
. 

2. Your Teen Is Exhibiting Violent Behavior

Teen aggression can be common especially among boys, but violent behavior goes way beyond general confrontational attitudes. A teen that is showing violent tendencies acts out in moments of rage, or becomes abusive to people (or animals) is sending up a big red flag that something major needs to happen to help them before they cause someone serious harm or end up in legal trouble. Remember, roughly 250,000 people under 18 are either sentenced or tried as adults in the U.S. annually, and many of these teens are in those positions due to violent criminal activity. 

3. Your Teen Is Promiscuous or Having Unsafe Sex

Promiscuity can be a blaring warning sign that intervention is critical. Having sex with multiple partners, not being safe during sexual encounters, and seeking sexual encounters without a lot of regard to who they have sex with can all be incredibly damaging behaviors. Teen girls can end up pregnant and both boys and girls can end up contracting an STD, both of which can have obvious negative consequences × Consequences
n. noun con·se·quences The Merriam- Webster dictionary provides the following definitions for consequences: 1.the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier: The accident was the consequence of reckless driving. 2.an act or instance of following something as an effect, result, or outcome. Consequences is a prevalent issue in the life of a troubled teen. Troubled adolescents who suffer from negative consequences, do so because of their poor decision making. Whatever choice a teenage boy or girl decides to make, a consequence of that decision will soon follow. If a teen chooses to make productive choices in life, he/she will reap the benefits of positive consequences. However, if a teen makes poor choices such as, abuse drugs and alcohol, skipping class, hanging out with the wrong crowd or disobeying parents and authority, that teen will reap negative consequences. Negative consequences such as, legal troubles, being grounded from parents, or getting kicked out of school due to inactivity or rebelliousness, are all viable and likely negative consequences a teen will experience if he or she is making poor choices.
for life. Further, promiscuous sexual activity can have a serious effect on the emotional well-being of a teen. 

4. Your Teen Is Defiant of Authority

Defiance × Defiance
/de·fi·ance/ n.Noun Defiance is defined as an open resistance or bold disobedience.  Defiance is a common act among young teens and children.  Defiance can come in many different forms and different levels. An act of defiance doesn't always mean that there are bigger problems at hands but it is important to pay attention if defiance becomes a big part in a teens behavior.  Defiance can be the cause of many different things often times small but sometimes the problem may be much larger.  Defiant behavior come from problems such as a predisposition or disorder in the brain to a problem of substance abuse.  Smaller acts of defiance can just be the cause of lack of sleep or food or also from problems such as bullying. Defiance can be a good indicator of a more serious problem in a teens life.  It is important to ask questions when signs of defiance are used frequently.
of authority can show up in a lot of ways in the life of a troubled teen. The teen may: 

• Refuse to listen to you as the parent or accept instruction from you as a guardian
• Ignore instruction and correction at school or in educational settings
• Do things specifically to break the law or challenge the police or local authorities

All of these actions can lead to extremely serious consequences, from getting arrested to getting hurt or injured. Skipping school, running away from home, sneaking out of the house, smoking or drinking in public—all of these are good examples of authority defiance and should be immediately addressed before the teen gets stuck in a really bad situation.

5. Your Teen Is Shoplifting or Taking Part in Criminal Activity

Shoplifting is a huge issue among teens with as much as 25 percent of all shoplifters arrested being between the ages of 13 and 17. However, shoplifting can also be a big red flag to signal parents that the teen is taking risks because it’s exciting, especially when the act is a repetitive problem in spite of reprimand. Likewise, participation in other illegal activities can be just as problematic, whether it is selling drugs, trespassing, or some other crime. 

6. Your Teen Is Harming Themselves or May Be Suicidal

Cutting or burning the body purposely, abusing or depriving food, or abusing alcohol or drugs can all be forms of intentional self-harm. Self-harm is a huge warning sign that should never be ignored because these acts alone can have serious physical dangers and emotional repercussions. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is typically an attempt to escape certain emotional feelings, but self-harm can also be far more troublesome and related to suicidal tendencies. You must also pay careful attention to a teen that is romanticizing death or joking about suicide, and if there’s already been a suicide attempt, there very well could be another. 

Some Behavior Issues Can Be Linked to Mental Illness

Parents must also keep in mind that some of the most dangerous teen behaviors can have roots in mental illness. Roughly 1 in 5 teenagers in this country have a mental disorder that actually affects their day-to-day lives because it is so severe. Knowing what mental illness could be at play is critical to making sure the teen does get the proper treatment to help them overcome whatever the challenges that are leading to risky behavior problems.

For example, a child may be using drugs on a regular basis because they struggle with depression or skipping school because of social phobias. Even something like teen aggression could be linked to something like ADHD because the teen has a difficult time self-regulating their own emotions. Children who do have issues with behavior problems linked to mental illness can usually benefit from an intensive therapeutic boarding school program or something similar.  

Final Thoughts: Taking Action to Save Your Teen

Dealing with a teen that has behavior problems can be one of the biggest challenges you will ever face as a parent, but it is right now that your child needs your intervention the most. Don’t hesitate to make some big decisions for the teen’s future and their life.