Two studies - one from Great Britain and another from Florida State University - both point to a biological basis for certain delinquent behaviors in teenaged boys.

The British study, which was conducted by researchers at Cambridge University, found a connection between the hormone cortisol and anti-social behaviors among boys ages 14 to 18 years old. This study appeared in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

The human body produces cortisol when undergoing stress. Cortisol is believed to make people become cautious and control their tempers and violent impulses when they find themselves in difficult circumstances.

The Cambridge researchers recruited 165 boys, some of whom were youthful offenders. The boys underwent cortisol level tests before and after they played a computer game rigged to make them angry. In most boys, cortisol levels rose. However, in boys with a history of difficult behaviors, cortisol levels tended to fall.

The Florida State research team analyzed data about family, friends, and genetics that had been collected from 1,816 middle school and high school students. The researchers found that boys who possess a certain gene variant were more likely to associate with delinquent friends. This did not hold true for girls with the variant.

"This research is groundbreaking because it shows that the propensity in some adolescents to affiliate with delinquent peers is tied up in the genome," said Dr. Kevin Beaver, an assistant professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

However, the team also found that environment plays a role in whether boys associate with delinquent peers. The boys with the gene variant who came from "low-risk" (nurturing) families did not tend to associate with delinquents.

The Florida State study appeared in the Journal of Genetic Psychology.

Labels: anti-social, behavioral_issues, boys

A Finnish study of more than 7,000 teenagers concluded that inactivity in young people is linked to increased anxiety and depression, as well as to emotional and behavioral problems. Inactive boys and girls suffered from more attention and social problems, such as rule breaking, than teens who exercised often. Inactive girls reported more sleep problems.

"Adolescence is a complicated and sometimes difficult stage of life - emotionally, mentally and physically," the study's author, Marko Kantomaa, said. "Compounding that with negative mental and emotional effects brought on by physical inactivity does not help young people ease into adulthood. Physical activity could be a highly effective and relatively easy way to help that transition."

This study appeared in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Labels: behavioral_issues, emotional_issues, exercise

Teens who struggle with depression, anxiety and/or suicidal thoughts may not know how to verbally tell someone they're in trouble. But they know how to show it.

"...depression manifests itself differently in boys and girls. 'Boys show depression through anger or temper outbursts; it's unusual for a teen boy to show sadness,' said Mr. Butero. 'Young people, especially adolescent boys, mask depression as anger. Acting-out behaviors are often as much of a cry for help.'"

A Harvard study found that less than half of teen patients that struggled with depression expressed classic symptoms - instead, they developed a mix of mood and behavior problems, such as agitation or defiance. Source: SouthCoast Today (MA)

Labels: behavioral_issues, depression, mood_disorders

A study from the University of Arizona reveals that the decisions teens make about whether to act aggressively in early adolescence influence their future behaviors as young adults. This is the first research that indicates decision-making and behavior are related over time.

Researchers asked 522 middle and high school students and their parents to complete questionnaires about aggressive behaviors such as fighting, lying, bullying, and stealing. When the teens were in grades 8 and then grade 11, they watched videos that presented situations in which they could choose to act aggressively. For example, in one scenario, a teen picks up an abandoned backpack and then someone picks a fight with him. The first teen has to decide whether to fight back.

The results of the study indicate that there is a link between antisocial conduct and judgments about aggressive behaviors in early, middle, and late adolescence, and that the way teens evaluate aggressive behaviors influences their own behaviors and decisions.

This study appears in the journal Child Development.

Labels: aggression, behavioral_issues, studies

Having a childhood mental disorder, especially hyperactivity, conduct and substance abuse disorders, puts a person more at risk for adult criminality, according to a study from Duke University's Center for Developmental Epidemiology.

Social scientists at the Center interviewed and tested children at ages 9 and 10, and again at ages 11 and 13, and then reassessed them every year until they were 16 years old. About one-third of these children met the criteria for at least one childhood mental disorder at any of the three assessment points.

By the time the children had become young adults (ages 16 to 21 years), about a third had been arrested. Among this group, about one-half had been diagnosed with mental disorders during those earlier assessments. Children with disruptive behavior disorders and substance abuse disorders were more likely to get into trouble with the law later on, especially those with emotional disorders comorbid with substance abuse.

The researchers were quick to point out that their results mean only that a large percentage of young adults who get arrested had a mental disorder at some point in their adolescence. It does not mean that most youths with mental disorders will be arrested. However, the study may have implications for the necessity to treat children with mental disorders.

This study appears in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Think a military school can help your struggling teenager turn their life around? Learn about military schools at www.militaryschoolalternatives.com.

Labels: behavioral_issues, criminals, influences

Teens in Scotland are become the subject of much talk and speculation. As teen violence increases and parental guidance decreases, teens are beginning to terrorize their communities.

"Closer to home, teenage gangs have disrupted life for residents in Granton Crescent, driving at least three families from their homes because of their wayward and uncontrollable behavior, while earlier this month a gang of around 20 teenagers attacked an elderly man in Minto Street before boarding a bus then smashing three of its windows."

Youth workers and other experts remind parents that setting boundaries in a necessary part of parenting. Children need to learn, at an early age, that some behavior is simply unacceptable. Building a solid relationship with your child will make the issue of boundaries an easier one. Read more at Living.Scotsman.com.

An increase in violence can be the result of teen drug and alcohol abuse. Learn how to keep you teen safe and away from drugs and alcohol at the Teen-Help-Directory.

Labels: behavioral_issues, risky_behaviors, violence

Dr. Robert Chalfant, medical director of Colorado West Mental Health and child adolescent psychiatrist says it's time to take mental health issues as seriously as things like high blood pressure and diabetes. The causes, he says, are the same – genetics and environment – for both mental and physical illnesses, but because of the stigma associated with mental health issues, many go untreated.

"Throughout the U.S., 15 million children and adolescents suffer from a serious emotional or mental disorder, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. And when left untreated, youth mental illnesses are associated with higher rates of academic failure, school drop-outs, problems at home, substance abuse and crime."

When a young person is properly diagnosed and seeks treatment, he or she is laying the foundation needed to deal with the disorder as an adult. And because most mental health issues don't disappear in adulthood, learning to cope is important. Read more at VailDaily.com.

Some of the best high school boarding schools are listed at TeenBoardingSchools.com. Private boarding schools, military boarding schools, and other residential schools are all listed at TeenBoardingSchools.com.

Labels: behavioral_issues, mental_health, treatment_programs

Trichotillomania is the medical term for someone who suffers from compulsive urge to pull his or her hair out. The action is often accompanied by a feeling of relief or the release of tension. Though it was first mentioned in the media in 1989, it is believed that there are as many people who suffer with this condition alone as there are people seeking help.

"Dr. [Catherine] Madigan is quick to point out that it is unusual for Trich sufferers to be open about their disorder because of the obvious hair loss, and the stigma that is considered abnormal behavior not only by themselves but by society. She adds that Trichotillomania is very similar to other psychological problems with respect to the silence and social stigma."

Hair pulling is often associated with depression, and can lead to low self-esteem and social insecurities. Some have classified as an obsessive compulsive disorder, but it's more an issue of impulse control and may be precipitated by a stressful event such as a death or divorce in the family. Read more online.

Help for parents of troubled teens can be found at ByParents-ForParents.com. Parents of troubled teens can get help in the form of online resources, articles with tips for parents of teenagers, and a forum where parents can post and answer questions themselves.

Labels: behavioral_issues, depression, disorders

The teenage years are a struggle for most people. Some teens, however, have serious behavioral and emotional issues that go beyond "typical teenager stuff". For these teens, living in a group home for a short time can help them get back on track. But many medical experts advise parents to choose a place that's close to home.

"Mecklenburg County [North Carolina] has more group home beds than any other N.C. county, making it a magnet for troubled kids. Sending them there also means they're often far from caseworkers and family support that experts say they need... More than a year ago, a coalition of judges, child advocates, mental health and school officials sent a letter across the state, warning counties to stop dumping their troubled youths in Charlotte. The letter said youths were 'being effectively abandoned.'"

Experts can point to many case studies which prove that keeping kids close to home, close to parents and support systems, increased their chances of success. Read more online.

Labels: behavioral_issues, emotional_issues, troubled_kids