Typical Teen Health and Safety Issues
There are many negatives and many positives to the teen years. They are currently at an age where they are often experiencing many new things and learning things that they will remember for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, they have poor impulse control overall and often end up getting into trouble because of their own curiosity. There are many dangers that can affect teenagers, and parents should be on the lookout for these dangers in order to protect their children from potential harm.
One issue that can inflict any teen that ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time is addiction to drugs or alcohol. Substance abuse is an issue that affects people of all ages, but some may argue that teens are more susceptible because of everything that they are going through in their lives.
They are dealing with all sorts of physical and mental changes, not to mention angst in their personal relationships with parents, friends, and romantic interests. The differences between addiction in our teen years and those later in life are reflected in the fact several treatment centers in Colorado and other states work exclusively with young adults. They understand the environment and approach must be one which teens feel comfortable and practically at home.
Teen drug use can be very hazardous to the health, jeopardize friendships, ruin academic performance, and in the very worst cases result in serious injury or even death. For these reasons, parents need to be on the lookout for whether or not their children may possibly be on drugs so that the problem can be curbed.
Another issue that is common among teens is dangerous driving habits. Teenagers often get a thrill out of driving too fast and breaking speed limits. Furthermore, they tend to be guilty of common driving mistakes we all make, just more often and usually while driving fast. Simply put, it is important to stress safe driving to teens so that they avoid getting into car accidents that could be dangerous and possibly even fatal. Parents should make sure to let their teens know as strongly as possible that they are not to jeopardize their own safety while they are driving.
One problem that teens have to deal with today that they did not have to in past decades is social media. Many people would argue that it is not only teens but most people of all ages who spend way too much time on social media nowadays, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other similar websites. For teenagers, these websites can be particularly hazardous as they can be used to spread ugly rumors around. Kids who are feeling vindictive can spread false rumors about others that can result in significant bullying, which can have dire consequences if the target of the bullying has a mental health issue. Additionally, spending too much time on social media can take away focus from constructive areas such as schoolwork.
These are some of the most common ways in which teens can get in trouble. It is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good place to start if you are looking to protect your children.
