Why Troubled Youths Act Out

When people think of troubled youths, often times they brush it off as normal teenage behavior – something that they will soon grow out of. However, people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in these youths’ lives. By gaining an insight as to why many of these youths act out, we can gain an understanding and help them through their troubles.

Biology

The fact is, sometimes teens act out simply due to their biology. It has a lot to do with new hormones and changes in their bodies that cause them to act out in a way that can be perceived as ‘troubled’. During these changes in the body, it can cause the teen to struggle with impulse control issues, emotion regulation and decision-making abilities. The teenaged brain is almost hardwired for trouble – and it affects some more than others.

Psychology

Psychological reasons can be the biggest impact on why a teen becomes troubled and acts out. At the end of the day, teenagers haven’t been on this earth for too long. They simply do not know how to handle certain things that life throws at them.

One example of this is when a child gets put into foster care. Growing up in the foster care system can cause them to shelter themselves out from the world, or become very protective of themselves. This is because they often feel alone and don’t know any other way to react.

There are also many instances in which a teenager enters foster care later in their lives. This can be extremely traumatizing as everything they’ve once known in their lives is now gone. Their minds don’t know how to handle such a large change and act out as a result.

How to Manage a Youth Acting Out

The one thing you must make sure of when managing a troubled youth who is acting is to make sure that you do not give up. It will be extremely tempting to walk away and leave them be, but this is not the way to solve it. The reason why troubled teens act out is because they need help.

Show these teens that you are there for them to talk to. Show them that you will not give up on them, that they can rely on you. They need support, and it’s imperative that they know without question that you can provide that.

Troubled youths can be extremely hard to deal with. Whether you’re a parent, sibling, support worker or teacher, there will be times where the only answer seems to be to give up and let them have their way. However, this is not the answer – these troubled teens are acting out because they need help. Holy Cross wants to help people of all ages live free and happy lives. Find out how.