Posted on Brain Injury Blog / Blog / Secrets of Teen Brains

Don’t Be So Quick To Write Off Your Rebellious Teen.

Parents are often confounded when a once loving and sweet child suddenly begins acting out, rebelling, and exhibiting inappropriate behavior. Although Freud used the term ‘acting-out’ to describe behavior during therapy sessions, the term is now used by the mental health association to describe the activities of teenagers as expressed through actions, outbursts, and emotions. It has long been known that teens often have difficulty talking about how they feel or think. Most of the time, the child doesn’t even know what he or she is feeling, so discussing it is out of the question. That leads to a conundrum for parents and school officials.

How many television shows or movies have you seen exploring the teenage mind? There are many pages of scripts devoted to the idea of teenagers being unstable or rapidly changing due to puberty. Moreover, many changes happen during those formative years. Many personality alterations remain often overstated or ignored to fit into a more comprehensive narrative about coming of age.

Some of these misconceptions could cause severe risks to understand these youths and what they are going through. After all, we have all gone through it– but some of us remember it better than others.

As parents, some of us have experienced the extremes of the rebellious and unsavory things teens can do—examples including sneaking out, having pre-marital sex, ditching school, and so on. But there are also good things that can come with teen hormonal changes with the right leadership.

Modern medical science is explaining more and more about the teenage mind and body and how it affects behavior.

Let’s review some of the common myths and their effects:

• It’s often considered a given that hormones released during puberty drive teens crazy. There are so many tropes in popular culture that it is nearly redundant. Instead, medical science finds that the changes often do not result directly due to hormones but instead due to massive changes happening in their brain structure.
• Teens are often told to grow up or grow out of something. Sometimes this is appropriate advice. But many other times remains is a misunderstanding of what the young person is going through and thinking. Thoughts of suicide, running away, helplessness can all permeate the changing teen brain. There are often causes that lead to massive changes in behavior. Many of these changes or fads serve as a chance for a teen to determine what the world around them is like, often with little risk. Many actions that are considered different are a means of testing the social norms and their abilities. Instead of coming off as immature, many teens are instead just acting their age– and should be allowed to.
• Most of all, teens need structure in their life. It might seem that teens are a non-stop battle with rebellion. Instead, many truly respect their parents and require barriers rather than merely punishments. Often blind or heavy sentences serve to push the teenager further away and into seeming isolation. A recent article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science explored the role of social pressures and reinforcement on young people. It stated that “peer-related stimuli may sensitize the reward system to respond to the reward value of risky behavior.“ This reinforces the idea that character building begins at home for even the most seemingly rebellious teen.

Teens are not alien life-form in your house. They’re rational beings, just as you were at that age. Many factors could affect teen judgment and actions. But that can often be shown a good example and led to the right path rather than an injurious one. Mentoring and leadership, the especially male leadership, remain a tested, proven method in rearing teens with changing brains.

Keep in mind that teen sports, such as football or soccer, can lead to a serious brain condition called CTE, a form of traumatic brain injury. This type of injury on a still-developing ten mind can speel curtains for that kid’s future.

The allure of summertime fun at the local park is irresistible. We remember all of those sunny days practicing and playing with the team and forget that such activity could be hazardous. There are many potential injuries on the court or in the rink, including broken bones, lacerations, and bruising. However, one that people do not always think of is the risk of brain injury.

The surprise retirement of the San Francisco 49ers’ Chris Borland, as reported by ESPN, came as a shock to many. However, those paying attention to the risk of severe brain issues due to impacts and concussions were not surprised. There are very similar risks for children playing sports, as well.

The CDC reports that there are nearly a half-million traumatic brain injuries among children each year, many of which happen due to involvement in childhood sports. There is a high risk due to the age of causing issues that could carry the child’s life. Such brain injuries could severely impact the child’s growth, motor skills, social interactions, and other factors needed for a high quality of life. Many of these injuries could last for years and require thousands of dollars of therapy or rehabilitation. This is often too much for young children and their families to go through.

Meanwhile, research in the medical journal the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation from 2005 finds a disparity in brain injuries between different backgrounds of children. If your child has been injured due to a sports league’s negligence, you must protect them and other children that could be hurt. Making sure that sports leagues put in proper procedures can go a long way.

Also, the cost of your child’s medical expenses and recovery is vital. An attorney skilled in childhood sports injuries and brain trauma, such as one from the Ehline Law Firm PC, can assist you in this difficult time. They know the precedent and have worked with parents of children injured due to similar accidents. They understand the tremendous physical, emotional, and financial toll such accidents can create.

Ask the teen if they ever were knocked out on the playing field or have been diagnosed with one or more concussions. If you or someone you love is a teen with depression or contemplating taking their own life, you owe it to them to help them find a professional.

Often, a mentor or counselor or reconciliation with a parent or sibling is the cure. Other times, the teen is in desperate need of psychological help and perhaps medicine. It’s not up to you to make medical decisions. But you can start by taking the depraved teenager to a church counselor and go from there. Just get help and intervene. Be a friend.

To learn more about teens, brains, and personal injury law, use our online contact form or call a local lawyer near you (213) 596-9642. We are ready to listen and build attorney-client trust.

Ehline Law Firm serves the Greater Los Angeles, California cities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marina del Rey, West Los Angeles, and Torrance. We are ready to listen and earn your trust at a moment’s notice.