As a child grows up, the parental word for him becomes less authoritative than the opinion of his environment and the standards of behavior that he meets in society. Parents are not able to continuously protect their child from evil influence, because sooner or later the child will want freedom.
Adolescent maximalism, pushing even the most decent and calm children to recklessness, can lead to bad consequences. At this age, the likelihood of a child falling into bad company increases.
Why do children go astray?
In most cases, children fall under the influence of a bad company for the following reasons:
1. The desire to get rid of the stigma of Tikhoni. Children with good school performance and exemplary behavior are often ridiculed by peers. As a result, the child may get bored with the image of Tikhoni, and under peer pressure, he will want to break this pattern by trying something out of the ordinary: drinking alcohol or drugs, extreme activities - riding on trains, visiting abandoned buildings.
2. Strict requirements of parents. The many obligations that a teenager must fulfill unquestioningly can engender rebellion in his soul. As a result, he will begin to seek freedom in a bad company.
3. Youthful maximalism. Adolescents at the psychoemotional level remain children, but physically feel like adults, and therefore often commit rash and dangerous actions. It seems to them that they will cope with all the problems on their own and, if they wish, will be able to leave the group they are at any time, so they don’t feel the danger of being in a bad company.
4. The desire to gain credibility. If the household tells the child that he is a failure and does not achieve anything in life, there is a greater likelihood that he will begin to do bad things in order to obtain recognition from peers. Fuel is added to the fire and the tendency to prove to friends their exceptionalism.
How to help your child get out of bad company?
Even loving and attentive parents may not immediately realize that their child is in bad company. If a child's mood changes abruptly, depression and a number of other behavioral characteristics not characteristic of him appear, then parents should carefully look at their child. A lot can solve a sincere conversation with a teenager. Parents should find out with whom he communicates, what interests his friends have and what plans he is building. Often, after a frank conversation, fears become vain.
To help your child get out of bad company, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
1. No need to shout at the child and insult him, because he considers such actions to be aggression. As a result, the adolescent will only be rooted in a desire to go against.
2. Hint to the child about the unpleasant consequences of communicating with a bad company, discussing with him criminal news or films on a similar topic.
3. To offer an alternative to communication with a bad company: hiking at various events, traveling, extreme sports, interesting hobbies.
4. To teach the child to say no - this skill will significantly reduce the likelihood of a teenager getting into a bad environment, and if this has already happened, he will help get rid of bad influence from peers.
5. Meet and chat with the child’s friends, inviting them to visit, for joint events and holidays.
6. Recognize the virtues and talents of the teenager, contribute to their development.
If all efforts to confront a bad company are in vain, you need to contact a family psychologist or change your place of residence.
