Teenage Girls are Influenced by Their Friends

A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that girls are more influenced by their friends than are boys in choosing whether to take math courses or not. To quote,

More than boys, girls look to their close friends when they make important decisions, such as whether to take math and what math classes to take, confirming how significant peers are during adolescence.*

If this is the case in choosing what academic course to take, how much more so in other areas of life?


* Child Development, Vol. 79, Issue 1, Peer Group Contexts of Girls' and Boys' Academic Experiences, by Crosnoe, R, et al. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96726.php

How did I become an "At Risk" Teenager?

I am now going to enter the minds of two different children, based on my experiences with them in therapy. I will attempt to share what I perceive as their thoughts and feelings about their world.

Child #1: "If I can't do what they're asking of me, I'll do something else. Hey, look at that, it worked! They notice I exist! But will they understand my message? Do they know that I can't help myself, that I do this to survive because, if I don't, I will have no reason to exist? Do they sense my desperation?"

Child #2: "I'm scared to try what they're asking of me because, if I don't succeed - and I probably won't - I'll be a total failure. My teachers will get angry, my parents won't love me anymore, and I'll be all alone. It's hopeless. I don't care anymore. School is boring anyway."

Children have many reasons for behaving the way they do. If we could understand the messages communicated through their behavior, we would be able to help them understand themselves. Then, and only then, will they truly have the freedom to choose the way they want to live.