Understanding Your Teen's Behavior

Behavior is the part parents can see, and some of it is dangerous, so it needs to be taken seriously. This guide helps you look at what may be underneath it, respond without breaking the relationship, and know when a family needs outside help.

We're not clinicians or doctors, and this practical guide isn't medical advice. For guidance about your teen, always talk with their doctor or therapist. If you're worried about their safety, call or text 988, or call 911.

5 articlesBy Jeremy MannéMore on the way

If you're new here, start with these

Start here

Acting Out Is Communication: What Your Teen May Be Telling You

Teen acting out, like slammed doors, broken rules, or sudden outbursts, is often a message about stress, fear, sadness, or feeling unheard that the te…

Then

Behavioral Issues Versus Mental Health Issues: Why the Line Is Blurry

Teen behavior problems and mental health problems often overlap, because anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and substance use frequently show up first…

Then

When Your Teen's Behavior Is Beyond What Your Family Can Manage Alone

A teen's behavior is beyond what a family can manage alone when it puts anyone's safety at risk, keeps getting worse despite steady effort at home, or…

Every article in this guide

Behavior

Acting Out Is Communication: What Your Teen May Be Telling YouTeen acting out, like slammed doors, broken rules, or sudden outbursts, is often a message about stress, fear, sadness, or feeling unheard that the teen can't yet put into words.9 min Behavioral Issues Versus Mental Health Issues: Why the Line Is BlurryTeen behavior problems and mental health problems often overlap, because anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and substance use frequently show up first as anger, defiance, lying, or dropping grades.9 min When Your Teen's Behavior Is Beyond What Your Family Can Manage AloneA teen's behavior is beyond what a family can manage alone when it puts anyone's safety at risk, keeps getting worse despite steady effort at home, or leaves the adults too exhausted to respond calmly.9 min Defiance or Distress? How to Tell the Difference in Your TeenSome defiance is a normal part of adolescence, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry describes oppositional behavior as a normal part of development in early adolescence.9 min Why Punishment Alone Rarely Works With Struggling Teens, and What Helps InsteadThe American Academy of Pediatrics concluded in a 2018 policy statement that harsh discipline, including corporal punishment and yelling at or shaming children, is minimally effective in the short term and not effective in the long term.9 min

When it's more than home can handle

You don't have to figure out the next step alone

We're not clinicians, so the Getting Help guide explains your options in plain language and points you toward people who can evaluate your teen. If you're worried about safety, call or text 988, or call 911.

Levels of care, explained →What level of care your teen needs →Crisis options →