Everywhere in the world and throughout history there have been and continue to be to this day records of misbehaviour on the part of teenagers, which have consequences of various degrees of gravity.
It is a well-known fact that adolescence is a delicate period in a person’s life, full of changes that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. As such, it can prove difficult to navigate. Oftentimes, young people are faced with new challenges, and they struggle to figure out how to overcome them. Additionally, the surge of hormones flowing through their bodies affects their emotional stability and when they do not have healthy outlets for their feelings they tend to lash out and react disproportionately, misbehaving. A prime example is bullying, which often stems from a young person’s own insecurities: frequently a bully hurts other people in order not to think about the hurt he feels himself or to deviate other people’s attention from himself.
Additionally, many teenagers who misbehave live difficult situations at home and they mimic the examples of their parents or family. Indeed, it is common that when a young person is reprimanded for their behaviour in school, the parent lashes out to the teacher instead of disciplining their child. It is not rare to read or hear in the news of physical altercations between a faculty member and the mother or father of a student.
There can be solutions to the causes of misbehaviour highlighted above. On the one hand, emotional education should be discussed and taught within one’s family as well as in schools. At every age, but particularly in a period as delicate as adolescence, it is important to recognise one’s emotion and learn how to express them in healthy manner. Often teenagers are overcome by emotions but with guidance they can develop the skills necessary to not let themselves be overwhelmed.
On the other hand, schools and youth centres could offer engaging activities that could provide a safe environment and a healthy outlet for many young people.
In light of these considerations, it is apparent that the youth’s tendency to misbehave is often connected with their lack of emotional control as well as their personal situations and shortage of role models. However, we all, as a society, could help manage this problem by investing in their emotional education and involving them in engaging and constructive activities.