Are there such children around you:
Full of energy, jumping up and down, unable to stay quiet all day long;
Or perhaps they are immersed in their own world, silent, or sighing deeply, avoiding communication with others;
Or they love to speak in contradictions, have a bad temper, and exhibit violent behavior, despite parents exhausting their “ancient strength,” there is still little improvement.
Did you know that behind these behaviors, the child might have issues with behavioral development or mental health? If some of these issues are not detected and addressed timely, they could affect them for life!
So what should parents do? In response to the common concerns about adolescent emotional disorders, attention deficit, oppositional defiance, tic disorders, and other high-frequency issues, the Taiyuan Angel Expert Team has provided targeted answers.
Kai Kai, a boy, 12 years old. Usually, he has a bad temper at home and is very disobedient, extremely willful; if things don’t go his way, he will deliberately say the opposite or act contrary. For example:
1. If he wants to do A, we suggest doing B before A, but he insists on doing A first. Otherwise, he will say, “Then I won’t do A either,” and get sulky or angry.
2. He knows that doing something is wrong, but when asked, he will deliberately say the opposite, insisting on doing the wrong thing. For example, he says he doesn’t want to go to school, wants to look at his phone, and accidentally breaks a bowl but insists he did it on purpose.
3. He knows that he shouldn’t doodle in the textbook, yet he insists on doing so; the more we advise him, the more he opposes us…
There are too many such situations; may I ask the doctor if this behavior falls under adolescent rebellion? How should parents guide him?
Psychological consultant Teacher Yan Xin:
First of all, a 12-year-old boy has indeed started to enter puberty, during which children generally exhibit rebellion, large emotional fluctuations, a desire for independence, and a pursuit of individuality. However, based on the parents’ description, we find that the child is not merely rebellious (unwilling to obey parents or teachers’ directives, wanting to act according to his own ideas or decisions). Adolescence is a crucial period for children to establish their worldview and learn to distinguish right from wrong. Most children may show rebellious behavior, but are still within limits in their actions. Kai Kai’s situation clearly falls under “I know it’s wrong, but I want to say that anyway” and “I know it’s wrong, but I want to do that.” Here, parents need to pay attention to a condition known as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is one of the most common behavioral disorders in childhood and adolescence, often comorbid with conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, conduct disorder, and emotional disorders.
The clinical manifestations mainly include:
1. Opposing authority and rules
They are hard to manage, often opposing or refusing to comply with school and family requirements or regulations. When criticized, they always emphasize the objective and argue with adults.
When conflicts arise, they cannot compromise with adults or peers through negotiation or concession. They often evade criticism and punishment by blaming others for the negative consequences caused by their own mistakes, even blaming others.
Due to continuous criticism and prevention of their behavior by parents, teachers, and peers, it triggers their hostile emotions, leading to disrespect toward adults and hostility toward peers, often deliberately…
