Common Teen Problems

ALCOHOL ABUSE
It has been estimated that over three million teenagers are out-and-out alcoholics. Several million more have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own. The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides -- alcohol is a leading factor in all three. Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is also associated with psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, or antisocial personality disorder.

CRIME
Once every 19 seconds, a teenager is a victim of a crime. In addition to adolescents being victimized, this age group also accounts mostly as the offenders. Arrest rates for teens are the highest among all age groups for most types of crime. With the population demographics for teenagers projected to increase significantly over the next few years, this problem is not likely going to improve much.So, why don't the police do something about this problem? Because one of the major obstacles for police intervention is that teens are reluctant to tell police when they are a crime victim. Their unwillingness to report to the police is probably due to a couple things that occur in the teenage psychic.

DRUG ABUSE
Adolescence is a time for trying new things. Teens use drugs for many reasons, including curiosity, because it feels good, to reduce stress, to feel grown up or to fit in. About 4.5 million young people ages 12 to 17 had used cigarettes within the past month. Among those ages 12 to 17, 11.4 percent reported using some illicit drug within the past month. It is difficult to know which teens will experiment and stop and which will develop serious problems.

TEEN PREGNANCY
The change from child to adult is an especially dangerous time for adolescents in our society. From their earliest years, children watch television shows and movies that insist that "sex appeal" is a personal quality that people need to develop to the fullest. Teenagers are at risk not only from AIDS but from this sort of mass-market encouragement. They encounter many other influences as well. Nearly four in ten young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 this is nearly one million a year.

RUNAWAYS
According to the Department of Health, more than 1 million teenagers run away from home each year. The National Runaway Switchboard reports that 86% of runaways are between the ages of 14 to 17 and 74% are female, while 26% are male. Prior to running away, many teens exhibit classic warning signs that include threats to run away, packing and hiding a bag, and requesting money to purchase necessary items and then secretly stashing the money. Parents should pay special attention if their child threatens to run away. Often, these threats are ignored or taken lightly.

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