The relationship between a parent and a teen is often described as tense or strained as the latter tends to get away from the shadow and the rules of the former. Indeed, the teenage years are a period when teens like to experiment and explore, causing a lot of worry to the parents.
The gap that exists between parents and teens, however, may result in a more negative consequence as parents end up not knowing what truly concerns their children.
In a new Australian survey, the things that parents think are the major problems of teenagers are significantly different from what these teens are experiencing.
For the research, the team asked the parents to rank the possible major causes of distress among their children between the ages of 12 and 25 years old. Bullying topped the list at 61%, followed by depression at 58%. More than 55% believed that it's alcohol and suicide.
However, these answers were nowhere near those of the teens. While they also acknowledged bad habits such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs, it wasn't among their top answers. Rather, self-image and stress took the highest spots.
According to Headspace, an organization that oversees the mental health of teens, the results of the survey clearly showed the seeming disconnect between parents and needs. The differences between expectations and realities mean that parents should learn to pay more attention to what is actually happening in the lives of their children. This way, they will be able to promptly address the real challenges their teens are facing.
Communication is considered to be one of the best ways to close the gap and obtain a better understanding of the needs of the teens.
Meanwhile, two health specialists in the United States have developed an app in an effort to encourage teens to be more open and honest about their experiences including sex, drugs, and alcohol.
