Brainstorm summary

Katey is one of the author’s teenage therapy patients. She was brought to him because of behavior that had gotten her expelled from school.

Her escapades had included drinking so much alcohol at an official school party that she had to be taken to the hospital to have her stomach pumped.

We’ve seen that teenagers like to engage in risky behaviors and don’t always care about the risks involved. But, as if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s another factor which increases their willingness to break the rules: their friends.

Teenagers are particularly prone to peer pressure, as social engagement runs at a high level during adolescence.

When it comes to parenting, some like to opt for the laissez-faire approach. In other words, they’re happy letting their kids and teenagers go it alone. The idea is that they have to figure out life themselves by living it.

That’s all well and good, but some parental involvement is still necessary.

Let’s be honest. The average adolescent doesn’t have the best reputation. Stereotypically, they’re a bunch of lazy, strange-smelling layabouts who party all night long, practice unsafe sex, and then sleep in until noon the next day.

Contrary to appearances, adolescence is a highly productive and stimulating time. It’s just that you have to see it from the brain’s perspective.

We all know that adolescence is a time when teenagers make a real push for freedom. Sometimes this emerges as a desire to distinguish themselves from other generations. 

When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Teens are basically the adults of the future; they will affect social interactions and structures. Adolescence is training for that task.

Adolescence is a curious time. On the one hand, teenagers really want to be accepted by their peers and bond with them socially. On the other, many feel awkward and inadequate. There’s a lot of worry about not being accepted for who you are.

Thankfully, no teen needs to suffer in silence. There is much that can be done to help teens in their relationships with others.