ADDRESS THE VULNERABILITY, NOT THE BEHAVIOR

The adolescent brain is hard-wired for experimentation and thrill-seeking. It’s why we parents often find ourselves shaking our heads in dismay and bafflement, saying, “What in the world were they thinking?” While some hyper-vigilant parents may want to quash any kind of risky behavior by imposing strict rules and constant limitations, the polar opposite style of parent may simply throw up his/her hands and say, “What are you gonna do? Kids will be kids.”

But the middle ground suggests while adolescent experimentation can be viewed as normal and evolutionarily important, making kids more flexible and adaptable, parents should still keep a firm hand in.  And a recent test done in the UK suggests rather than simply telling kids why they shouldn’t do a particular behavior, like binge drink, a more effective deterrent may be to address the underlying personality trait that makes a child more vulnerable to that behavior. For example, kids with low self esteem or social interaction issues may be particularly affected by peer pressure. Instead of harping on the behavior, the study says, focus on addressing the underlying issue.  The study’s author, Dr. Patricia Conrod of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, explains, “Teaching young people how to better manage their personality traits or vulnerabilities helps them make the right decisions in given situations, whether it is a matter of overcoming their fears, managing thoughts that make them very emotional, controlling their compulsions, analyzing objectively the intentions of others or improving their self-perception.”

Here’s the write-up fromDrugFree.org.