Ash_Administrator_Ville August 19, 2015
The social life of a teen girl is pretty much the end all, be all of their existence. Impressing their friends with their sense of style, humor and material possessions is extremely important to many adolescent girls. When certain aspects of their social sphere go wrong, it can feel like their whole world is crumbling down. These teen social issues include: bullying, self esteem issues and peer pressure.
Teen girls and bullying
Bullying, one of the major recent teen social issues affecting thousands of teen girls, is extremely harmful to a teen’s self esteem and overall well being. Bullying can range from intense physical attacks in the middle of a school hallway to silent insults sent over social media in the privacy of home.
Bullying takes a variety of forms, but its effects remain similar. Bullying is associated with causing anxiety and depression, headaches and other physical problems and stress. Some teens who have been bullied begin experiencing suicidal ideation and some even attempt suicide. Bullying is important to take seriously and should be stopped as soon as possible.
Self-esteem
Low self-esteem in teen girls is a common issue. Many girls feel inadequate and not as skinny, pretty or popular as their peers. This causes teen girls to devalue themselves. Helping your teen girl with low self-esteem is easier than you think. Get her involved in after school activities where she can feel confident about her abilities. You can help her set goals for things that can be changed, using gradual steps to achieve the final goal. Creating a strong support support system for your daughter struggling with teen social issues like low self-esteem is crucially important to her future success.
Peer pressure
Teens influence each other on a daily basis. From the clothes they wear to being involved in drugs and alcohol, teens mimic the behavior of each other in order to fit in and avoid bullying. The poor decisions made as a result of peer pressure can have lasting, damaging effects. These decisions might include stealing, gossiping, bullying and skipping school.
There can be positive aspects of peer pressure. Teens can encourage each other to become passionate about an extracurricular activity, like sports or theatre. They can help each other do better academically. Some peer pressure helps prevent bullying and other negative activities. All it takes is a friend saying something is “not cool,” and your teen will not take part in that activity.
Getting help for teen social issues
If your teen is negatively affected by social issues such as low self-esteem, bullying or peer pressure, consider sending them to get professional help. A residential treatment center is also a great option for teens struggling with the aftermath of bullying and peer pressure.
Asheville Academy for Girls is a residential treatment center for girls, ages 10-14, that provides clinical and academic help for teens struggling socially and academically.
For more information about Asheville Academy, please call us today at 800-264-8709.
