Teen Anger Management

“A gentle answer turn away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1

Teenagers face many physical and emotional issues during adolescence. It is a critical period of change in their bodies, minds and hormones as they develop towards adulthood. They begin to question and rebel. They seek to gain greater independence. They feel frustration and confusion when what happens around them is not readily understood or to their liking.

Some of them will deliberately violate rules, consider them stupid, throw tantrums to get their way and refuse to accept ‘ no’ for an answer. Others will repress anger, withdraw, exhibit sarcasm, refuse to engage in conversation and become a ‘ loner ‘ with few friends. Extreme cases may follow an anger style that seems to be calm on the surface, but develop scheming, planning and raging passions beneath.

Much of what happens in the household has a bearing on their behavior. They may react negatively to their parent’s behaviors which in turn causes parents to react in an equally negative manner thereby compounding the problem. This escalates the tensions between parents and teens as both parties attempt to gain the upper hand.

Angry teens can be a threat to themselves, loved ones, and innocent bystanders. If left untreated, their behavior can be costly and ruin lives. The intention should be not to deny their anger, but to control that emotion and find a way to express it in a productive or at least, a less harmful, manner.