Wild teenagers
| Published: 8th December 2007 13:51 |
Kevin and Perry. Typical teenagers?
Juvenile delinquency is a huge problem here in the UK with so called hoodies, yobs and gangs hanging around shopping centres and street corners. This can have a negative, sometimes even destructive effect on a community. Not all teenagers turn into serious delinquents but those that do can run wild into a life of crime.
Being a teenager is a difficult time, remember? It involves forming an identity, testing authority and searching for independence and, not surprisingly, most teenagers go through a stage of rebellion. This can be in the form of arguing, disobeying rules and stomping around but the real problems arise when delinquency gets out of hand and into criminal or threatening behaviour.
Experts say that nearly every child will commit at least one delinquent act before reaching adulthood. It is almost like a right of passage. Most teenagers can be described as occasional delinquents whose misbehaviours are minor and scattered.
Dr Waln K Brown, an expert in child behavioural problems, says that no single cause gives rise to delinquency in children. He claims that occasional delinquency is often associated with immaturity, while persistent delinquency is usually the result of deeper problems within the family.
The debate surrounding where the blame lies for juvenile delinquency has raged for decades. Experts, like Dr Brown, make a clear link with domestic problems, but there are many ‘normal' loving parents that have serious problems with their teenage children, so obviously it is not just down to the parents. Problematic neighbourhoods and peer pressure can have a dramatic effect on a child from a loving home.
The roots of delinquency are usually noticeable by the age of 12. During this early period, misbehaviour is often minor, in the form of cheating, lying, disobedience, moodiness and temper tantrums. Dr Brown says that continued misbehaviour may signal the beginning of more serious problems.
Delinquency becomes most obvious during adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This is when children undergo a number of physical, psychological and social changes that can influence the rise of delinquent behaviour.
Their bodies are rapidly changing, their hormones are raging, their social lives and friendships are developing and they face real pressure for the first time in the form of education and finding a future for themselves. It is not an easy time.
It's all in their head, partly at least
During the teenage years, the cortex is developing - this is the area of the brain that controls thinking and judgement. While children see the world through their parent's eyes, teenagers come to see the world more realistically and critically. They have their own ideas and thoughts, which usually come into conflict with their parents' outlook.
Dr David Elkind, author of All Grown Up and No Place To Go, says that arguments are the result of the cortex at work. As a child evolves into a teenager, the brain becomes able to synthesise information into ideas. Teens want to exercise their new skill and they tend to practice on their parents. "It may seem that they argue for the sake of arguing. But really, they're practicing their new abilities," says Dr Elkind.
The good news is that most juvenile delinquents gradually improve as they mature during late adolescence and early adulthood. Even the wildest teenager can grow up to be an angel. Honest.
What do you think?
You will need to sign in to post a comment to this article. if you do not have an AboutMyArea account, you can join now for free.
