“Raising a teenager is hard…But, being a teenager is hard, too, which is why our kids need someone they trust to lean on, to come to for advice and to share their lives – the good, the bad, and the ugly”
-Unknown
Articles
Fight Flight Freeze – Anxiety explained for teens
Anxiety Canada
The Adolescent Brian
Dan Siegel
What Teens Need Most From Their Parents
Sue Shellenbarger. (2016). The Wall Street Journal.
How I Raised Teenagers Who Tell Me Everything – Even When it’s Hard
Gracie X. (2015). Mind Body Green.
5 Simple Tips to Help You Have a Real Conversation With a Teen
Shelja Sen. (2018). TED. Ideas.Ted.com.
Anxiety in Teens: How You Can Help
Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell. (2019). Psychologytoday.com.
Research
Adolescent-Parent Attachment: Bonds That Support Healthy Development
Moretti, M.M. Peled, M. (2004). Paediatrics Child Health.
In Adolescent-Parent Attachment, Maralene Moretti and Maya Peled discuss the importance of the parent-adolescent bond and the developmental changes occurring during this time. The social, neurological, and biological growth during adolescents is considered to be just as fundamental to our development as early childhood. Due to these vast and rapid changes adolescents are “associated with the onset of or exacerbation of a number of health-related problems”. Research has shown that parents can make a difference during this stage of their child’s development, and that the difference can be made through “their attachment bond with the child”.
The authors begin the article by examining the transitional period of adolescents by providing the reader with brief descriptions of the neurological, social, and biological changes. They examine the concept of attachment and the importance a secure parent-adolescent attachment plays on shaping their teenager’s development. In conclusion, Moretti and Peled highlight the importance of adolescent-parent attachment and assesses ways families can be supported.
Prospective Relations between Family Conflict and Adolescent Maladjustment: Security in the Family System as a Mediating Process
Cummings, E.M. Koss, K.J. Davies, P.T. (2015). Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
In Prospective Relations between Family Conflict and Adolescent Maladjustment, the authors examine the impact of family conflict and emotional security about the family system on adolescent symptoms of specific disorders and adjustment problems. High levels of conflict within the family dyad has been linked to children’s risk for developing adjustment problems and psychological disorders in adolescents. The authors believe research in the area of family conflict is limited and generally focuses on specific family dyads, such as parent-child conflict, rather than investigating the conflict between multiple family members and systems.
The study utilized a longitudinal project assessing family process and child adjustment. Two separate cohorts were analyzed. The first cohort were participants recruited during early childhood while the second cohort utilized participants recruited during early adolescents. A total of 295 mother-father-child families participated in the study. Observer-reports and questionnaire assessments were used to assess the families, and data was coded using multiple measures, depending on the family task completed.
After examining the process and identifying the results of the study, the authors proceed by analyzing two mediators; Higher-order Emotional Insecurity in the Family System and Specific Scales on Emotional Insecurity. Lastly, the authors discuss the importance of the study for future research of family conflict and adolescent maladjustment.