You’re placed in charge of dealing with teenagers and you hear one or more begin shrieking at what seems to be the top of their lungs. What do you do?
The absolute worst thing you can do is begin to shriek back. Yelling at a teen is generally unfruitful. When presented with a behavior situation like this it is important that first impulses are not followed especially if you ever want to maintain some respect with the teen.
You may not care if you are respected or not which is fine. Just remember if you ever want future obedience, compliance or cooperation you must not burn this bridge of respect. Even if the teen you are dealing with tramples on it daily. Remember the roles of each party and you will be fine.
What makes dealing with flagrantly defiant teens difficult is it seems impossible to get them to understand reason as an adult understands reason. Telling them how bad they are and trying to humiliate them with disrespectful terms just does not work.
The other problem is many times, if not most, the outbursts are a display to other peers who may be present. If you get teen alone, one on one you will have a much better chance reaching the teen and come to an understanding.
Be diligent and consistent in your efforts to guide and explain in clear terms what is expected regarding behavior. It can be very helpful to explain why as you attempt to reason with your teen. During this process make sure you allow a measure of fun and the teen will reward you with respect and future obedience.
Kevin is a veteran police officer with over 12 years experience. He has served in many different capacities including Field Training officer, SWAT operator, DARE instructor, Taser Instructor, Detective and School Resource officer.
You are invited to visit: http://myteensuccess.blogspot.com/
For more Valuable Resources and FREE REPORTS go to:
http://whattodo-disrespectfulteen.com/ for help with a Disrespectful Teen
http://howtostopmyabusiveteen.com/report/ on how to code with an Abusive Teen
http://howtomotivatemylazyteen.com/ on what to do with a Lazy Teenager
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