Teenage is a time that is full of angst. Teenage problems are rooted in the lack of communication. Most parents do not understand the common teenage problems and end up making their kids more uncommunicative. The preparation to handle teenage should be made since the childhood years. These adolescents go through a lot of issues like bodily changes that accompany puberty, hormonal upheavals, social expectations, parental pressure and a palpable identity crisis.
Below is the list of the common teenage problems and issues that teenagers face these days
10 Teenage Issues that are most common
- Negative body image can cause many mental health issues including eating disorders, depression and anxiety. It is important to help the child feel good about her shape and looks from early childhood.
- Low self esteem can be the bane of many teenagers. Most teenage social problems arise from the feeling that the child is inadequate. These feelings of not being capable enough are the abyss that cannot be bridged.
- Peer pressure and competition is the next big challenge that the adolescent faces. The need to fit in can be so strong that the child is lured into making bad choices in life. The child needs to be secure enough to say a no.
- Defiant and unwanted behaviour is another red flag in the teenager’s life. Any sudden behavioural deviations may point to underlying issues that need to be handled.
- Addiction to substances, tobacco and alcohol may show up if the child is going through any of the above issues. Sound parenting advice would say, keep a note of how much money your child is spending, who he calls his friends and any odd behaviour that may warrant confronting the adolescent and seek help.
- Cyber bulling is the by-product of excessive screen time. Teenagers today are totally dependent on the internet. There is a serious fear that children can be harmed on the internet. Cybercrime has seen a spate of complaints about children who are subjected to bullying and even sexual crimes online. Parents and teachers should look for signs of anxiety and withdrawal from social life to ascertain the same.
- Promiscuity and related issues like teen pregnancy are also on a rise today. Children today have grown up in a permissive environment. This exposes them to a feeling of trying to fit in, to be counted and be noticed. In the race for popularity in the peer group teenagers may indulge in casual and unsafe sex. This is unwanted as it also signifies a serious identity crisis in the mind of the child. The parents are often blissfully unaware of the underlying issues of identity crisis that plagues the child.
- The very real fear of the child falling into depression and anxiety due to the many stresses in her life is palpable. The stress that the teenager faces every day is not overtly noticeable. But, children can be overly sensitive about some things and that can make them susceptible to mental health issues.
- Bullying can be traumatizing for a child at any age. But teenage kids are very capable of making things very uncomfortable for their peers. The child can have severe repercussions to bullying or ragging of any kind. It could scar them for life.
- The teenager may have a problem in communicating their problems to parents and children. Parents may have to go the extra mile in this turbulent period and make an effort to talk to their children.
Teenage is a time of trials and tribulations. It is very difficult for the teenager to reach out and ask for help. parents and teachers should be proactive in checking for signs of distress or unwanted behaviour and step I when needed to avoid these issues in the first place.