Why Do Teens Rebel?

“Who am I?” That question alone is one reason teens could rebel, because they are trying to find who they really are and why they are here. Parents should help their kids understand the difference between who they are and what the social trends are at the time. “Schneider and Stevenson fault two groups - parents and schools - for not doing more to help teens navigate the maze of choices.”(Gardner 16) Dreikurs wants people to consider that, “…parents and teachers need to learn specific ways of guiding the children, teaching them basic skills that involve, for example, mutual respect, peaceful negotiation, and working in mutually supportive and cooperative ways with others.”(46) An additional issue is trying to be cool in order

They are silently saying, “Look at me!” Sometimes, they will do almost anything for attention. Some of the ways teenagers have been notorious for grasping for attention are underage drinking, cigarettes, illegal drugs, and unprotected sex leading to pregnancy. There are times though that they become extremely desperate, that is noticed with a red flag of self-harm such as cutting or even possible suicide attempts. One may ask why they are desperate to be noticed. The answers are numerous depending on the personal situation stemming from lack self-esteem, very insecure, needy, unhappy with who they are, or the general feeling of wanting to be accepted. Parents need to give their attention hungry teens the attention they crave when it is most necessary. When children are younger, their parents are in complete control of everything they do, what they eat, what they wear, where they go and who they are with. As they get older, children want to make more decisions for themselves and do not want parents always telling them what to do. They need to show their children that they will have more control over their own lives to the extent that they can trust them to make good decisions. Hartman and Harris communicate that “On the basis of what is observed, the child, and later the adult, models and adopts the style demonstrated by an admired parent, but reacts against a parent who is not admired.”