What is an At-Risk Youth?

Troubled adolescents are young boys and girls who are leading negative or self harming lifestyles. Adolescence is a stage in life when children go through hormonal changes which help them adjust to the demands of adulthood. However, these changes usually affect them emotionally and adolescents react in various ways. Some become rebellious and are adverse to parental control. If left unchecked, they will turn into troubled teens and parental and psychological intervention may become necessary.

The typical signs of a troubled teen are when they become aggressive, arrogant and rebellious.

Troubled teens do not show progress in academics and their grades show a steady downward trend. They play truant and do not attend school regularly. They abuse alcohol, tobacco and drugs and are sexually active. Some are caught for petty crimes.

Troubled teens can be psychologically troubled with low self-esteem, experience bouts of depression, anxiety and mood swings. Many troubled teens find it difficult to interact with their peers or society at large. They become withdrawn and avoid social contact. Some become obsessed with their body image and develop life threatening eating disorders.

Parents should pay attention to these tell-tale signs that show that the teen is troubled. Some teens are withdrawn from their family and have no friends. Their behaviour change and they become argumentative and defiant. Parental discipline is suddenly looked upon as dictatorial. Parents cease to be the role models they were when the teen was younger. Some have friends that parents have never met and the teen is reluctant to introduce these friends to his or her parents. Troubled adolescents do no communicate openly with parents and are secretive about their activities. The grades of the teen suddenly show a downward slide. Violent behaviour, excessive consciousness of their body image, anger and mood swings are factors that indicate that intervention is required. Certain teenagers show suicidal tendencies and for these teens, the parents need to seek immediate professional help.

Experts attribute many reasons for adolescent misbehaviour. Hormonal imbalances can cause emotional disorders in teenagers. This can easily be corrected through a simple diagnosis and prescription treatment by the family physician. Psychological problems are treated with the help of specially trained therapists. Just as young children need their parents attention, teenagers need them as well. but in a slightly different way. Parental neglect often result in teens becoming destructive and negative. Parents need to be there for their teenagers, to listen and to understand rather than to judge them. Teenagers can no longer be treated in the same manner as when they were young children.

A troubled teen will no longer tolerate being treated as a child. Treating them in a more adult manner will make it easier for them to understand the need for discipline and to nurture them to have a more positive outlook. Teens need to develop positive skills, self esteem and a healthy interaction with their peers to move into adulthood without problems.

Many adolescents sail from adolescence to adulthood without any emotional upheavals. However, the few who are troubled by behavioral problems can get help from family or trained professionals and enter adulthood in a healthy manner after overcoming their troubles.