The 8 most common problems in adolescence

Adolescence is a stage in which countless physical and psychological changes occur in young people. It is often difficult for them to cope with this period, causing different conflicts with their family or social environment. One of the keys to addressing these situations is knowing how to identify them. Therefore, we will explain the 8 most common problems in adolescence.

These are events that usually occur at this age, but it does not mean that all adolescents experience them. Furthermore, each person has their own personal story that influences their reaction to these situations and the way they handle them.

What are the most common problems in adolescence?

For many of us it is difficult to cope with sudden changes that occur in our lives.. For example, losing a job can make us feel confused. Now, as the body begins to change, so does your perspective on many things.

It is likely that our first-hand experience with adolescence made us aware of how overwhelming it can be. For this reason, it is natural that it is a stage in which different conflicts arise.

If you have a teenager, you may not know how to deal with these changes. In this sense, it is important that you are aware that there is no manual that works for all circumstances. It is recommended that you try to carry out this moment in your life with love and patience.

1. Anxiety about receiving social acceptance

When adolescence arrives, social relationships multiply their relevance. One of the concerns of young people is to be accepted; It is precisely this sensation that builds, in many cases, the consciousness of value. Likewise, the absence of this sensation feeds that of lack of value. Not being accepted by others can affect them on all levels.

A study evaluated the relationship between peer pressure and academic performance of adolescents. It was found that young people are often expected to react positively to peer pressure to avoid its negative effects. Then, it may happen that they approach it with an optimistic perspective or that the pressure damages their academic performance (Moldes et al., 2019).

2. Self-esteem problems

Low self-esteem is one of the adolescent conflicts and can bring other complications. It is common for young people to not feel comfortable with their bodily changes or to perceive rejection in social environments.. Consequently, they experience emotions such as anxiety, sadness and stress.

Following this line, the evidence suggests that gender is an important factor in adolescent self-esteem. Research (Minev et al., 2018) found that girls have more negative attitudes toward themselves than boys. A possible explanation is that women tend to suffer more pressure to look attractive and behave in a certain way.

3. Eating disorders

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are disorders whose onset usually occurs in adolescence. Body changes, low self-esteem, social pressure and other factors would generate distortions in body image. Therefore, eating disorders are one of the repetitive problems in adolescence, especially in women.

However, a work by Limbers, Cohen and Gray (2018) points out that it also affects men significantly. The study shows that, in the United States, 5.5% of the male population reports a high risk of suffering from eating disorders. For its part, in Canada a prevalence of 1.1% was found among adolescents. In turn, in a sample of young Dutch men, a predominance of 1.2% was found.

For girls, the pressure tends to be towards looking thin, to meet beauty standards. While boys’ inclination is more to look muscular and athletic. In both cases, eating disorders put the physical and psychological integrity of adolescents at risk.

Both bulimia and anorexia stand out among the conflicts that affect adolescence. Timely care is essential to avoid serious consequences.

4. Sexuality is another of the most common problems in adolescence

Adolescence is the stage of awakening sexuality and that can lead to certain difficulties. In some families, sex is treated as a taboo topic and teenagers do not have enough information about it. They may also not feel comfortable discussing these topics with parents or other family members.

The lack of sexual education exposes young people to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. In the same way, sexuality is one of the common problems at this stage, as adolescents begin to discover themselves. Those who identify as homosexual or bisexual may encounter rejection from their environment.

5. Risky behaviors

An interesting thing about the brain is that it takes a considerable time to fully develop. The prefrontal cortex finishes its development between 25 and 30 years of age. In this same sense, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for reasoning, decision making and other executive functions.

For this reason, in childhood and adolescence, emotions usually dominate people’s behavior. This way, Young people are more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as drug use or dangerous activities..

6. Conflicts with parents

Sometimes parents or the rest of the family cannot handle the changes that teenagers go through well. Because of this, conflicts between parents and children can become frequent at home and affect the relationship.

While it is important for parents to set limits to protect their children, they should be flexible. The ideal is to create agreements where both parties are satisfied. For example, if you want to go out with your friends on the weekend, it is valid to allow it, but only up to a certain time. This way, he or she can have fun and return home at a convenient time.

7. Psychological disorders

Changes at different levels associated with adolescence can constitute risk factors in relation to mental health.. At this stage of life, it is common for the first signs of psychological disorders to begin to appear. It is essential that parents be alert to abrupt and abnormal changes in their children’s behavior.

8. Bullying

Bullying at school is a current problem. In this era of the internet and social networks, this situation also arises in virtual spaces. In fact, in this last scenario it tends to be worse, due to the anonymity that the network offers. Teenagers can be both bullies and victims; In both cases it is necessary to act.

Harassing other people can be a sign of emotional conflicts that need to be addressed professionally. On the other hand, we know well that being a victim of bullying would have negative consequences on mental and physical health.

It is possible that the changes that adolescence entails lead to constant disagreements between parents and children.

Common problems in adolescence are not the same in all adolescents

Finally, parents should keep in mind that the most common problems in adolescence are not the same for everyone. Therefore, they should avoid comparisons with other kids their age or even with their own experience in their youth.

The best thing they can do is offer a safe space for teenagers to express their concerns and find solutions.

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