The human brain continues to develop until well into early adulthood, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Although rapid development occurs in the first 18 months followed by a 10-year span of formative learning time in brain capacity, changes continue to occur until about age 22 years. During this period, adolescents can change and learn new skills and lose other abilities that are not actively practiced.
Step 1
Look at your own behavior to gauge how your children will behave. According to the American Psychological Association, children who are reared with violence in the home, including corporal punishment and physical abuse, tend to turn to violence themselves when faced with adversity.
Step 2
Talk to your children about how to resolve conflicts to gauge their thinking patterns. In addition to learning violent behavior from parents, children also look to parents for guidance and approval. Even if you don't use physical punishment and don't allow hitting in your home, your children need to know that you disapprove of using violence in any manner as well.
Step 3
Keep track of your child's violent outbursts as well as school reports and complaints from other children. Keep a journal so you can compare the times of the fighting or acting out with other stressors that may be facing your child to find the underlying cause of the behavior. For example, if your child starts fighting soon after the death of close relative, you may need to find ways to help him deal with the loss through counseling.
Step 4
Watch for early warning signs that your child may be developing a conduct disorder. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology, parents can better understand violent tendencies when they are linked to other behaviors that signal a short fuse. Children with conduct disorder become easily frustrated; they act impulsively and are often irritated for no apparent reason.
Tips and Warnings
- According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, early childhood patterns of behavior often become ingrained and difficult to treat as the child grows. The sooner you can get help for your child through counseling and possibly medication, the easier it will be to help him learn other ways to cope with anger, fear and frustration.
- There is a direct correlation between teenage aggression and the use of violent video games, according to the American Psychological Association. Limit the time your children play violent games and insist they spend little or no time with the aggressive entertainment. Although you may not be able to completely remove the games from your kids' lives, you can control the type of games allowed in your home.
Things You'll Need
- Journal to track outbursts
References
- American Psychological Association: Violent Video Games
- American Psychological Association: Parents Use of Physical Punishment
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Conduct Disorder
- National Institutes of Mental Health: Teenage Brain
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology: Conduct Disorder
