Drinking
Adolescent years are durations of mixed thoughts and feelings as young teens strive to have their thoughts and opinions count. One of the ways in which they do this is by taking alcohol. Such adolescents face legal consequences if found, these can be in form of fines and penalties, besides, drunken driving is dangerous. To address this problem, we must examine the factors that contribute to teenage drinking. These factors are outlined below:
Parental Influence. When teenagers watch their parents taking alcohol, their chances of doing the same normally increases. The conduct of the parents usually has a significant influence on the life of young ones since children believe that their parents are always right. During the adolescent years, such teenagers may start taking alcohol whenever an opportunity arises.
Peer Pressure. Adolescents normally take alcohol when they see their peers do the same. They take alcohol to fit into a particular social group whose members drink, failure to do the same may cause them to be shunned from the group and made fun of, therefore, adolescents take alcohol to be accepted and liked by their peers.
Stress. Adolescents are today faced with a number of stress related issues, these include family break-ups and pressure exerted on them at school. For others, it could be handling family expectations. Whenever these situations arise, adolescents turn to alcohol that they believe clears the stress off them, making them feel relaxed and forget the problem at hand (NIAA, 2006, para. 9).
Why Adolescents drink
Generally, adolescents take alcohol since they think it is a way of showing how cool they are to their peers. Such teenagers think that alcohol will make them gain acceptation among their friends for who they are. However, other teenagers say that alcohol makes them forget about their problems at home or school, what they never realize is that this is normally the first step towards alcohol addiction.
Depression
There are three major types depression in teenagers: bipolar depression, major depression, and chronic depression. Bipolar depression is a mild form of depression characterized by recurring episodes of depression. The attacks are generally mild but may cause mood changes for two weeks or less.
Major depression is characterized by a combination of effects that hinder one’s appetite, work, study, sleep, and other daily activities. It may occur more than once in a lifetime and can last seven to nine months in adolescents. Chronic depression is the most dangerous form of depression. Attacks can set an adolescent into depression for most of the day and may continue for several years. Parents can help their depressed adolescents by identifying the type of depression and seeking proper treatment (Schoenstadt, 2007, para. 3).
Learned Psychology Theory
Learned Psychology is a term used in psychology and refers to the state in which a person has learned to act helplessly, even when a condition previously hindering him/her from acting normally has been eliminated. This theory views major depression and other mental conditions as emanating from an apparent lack of control over a situation.
Biological Causes of Depression. There are four main biological causes of depression, these are: genetic factors; biochemical factors; changes in hormonal regulation; and sleep anomalies. Treatment approaches for depression attacks include taking antidepressant drugs and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Delinquency
There are two kinds of delinquent criminal behaviors: status offence and index offence. A status offense is an action forbidden by a nation’s legislation but only applyied to a specific category of people, and is mainly used in crimes committed by teenagers while an index offence is a criminal act for which the offender has been incarcerated or locked up in a mental health institution.
Reference List
NIAA. (2006). Underage Drinking: Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented? Web.
Schoenstadt, A. (2007). An Overview of Types of Depression in Teens. Web.