Troubled Teens Resources

Oppositional Defiance Order attempts to label behavior that goes beyond mere defiance. Parents of troubled teenagers or pre-teens who are merely defiant or rebellious sometimes are confused. How do you differentiate between acceptable teen rebellion and defiance that might lead to criminal behavior or teen age drug abuse?

Here are some basic guidelines as offered by the American Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry:

“In children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), there is an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that seriously interferes with the youngster’s day to day functioning. Symptoms of ODD may include:

* frequent temper tantrums
* excessive arguing with adults
* active defiance and refusal to comply with adult requests and rules
* deliberate attempts to annoy or upset people
* blaming others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
* often being touchy or easily annoyed by others
* frequent anger and resentment
* mean and hateful talking when upset
* seeking revenge

The symptoms are usually seen in multiple settings, but may be more noticeable at home or at school. Five to fifteen percent of all school-age children have ODD. The causes of ODD are unknown, but many parents report that their child with ODD was more rigid and demanding than the child’s siblings from an early age. Biological and environmental factors may have a role.”

(Source)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is officially described as “an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that seriously interferes with the youngster’s day to day functioning.”
The following symptoms are listed:

* frequent temper tantrums
* excessive arguing with adults
* active defiance and refusal to comply with adult requests and rules
* deliberate attempts to annoy or upset people
* blaming others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
* often being touchy or easily annoyed by others
* frequent anger and resentment
* mean and hateful talking when upset
* seeking revenge
(Source)

Parents understandably are becoming a bit gun shy about all of the labels attached to their kids. What parents have to realize is that the schools work with these same definitions. So even if your child has no “disorder” at all, if they exhibit any of the “symptoms” that are used to describe ODD, that is the level that they will be dealt with in school.

Though uncontrolled defiance and rebellion are serious, they have been dealt with successfully for decades with the injection of structure and discipline. Troubled teen boarding schools, boot camps and military schools have a long record of success in disciplining, but not breaking, the independent spirit.

A bit of defiance in adolescence can be a good thing, a sign of spunk or spirit, but left to itself, such behavior does have negative ramifications. But if such defiance is harnessed by habits of introspection, restraint and self-control, the skepticism and independent thought that originally triggered rebellion can now be employed as a safe guard against peer pressure and media influences.

Parents forget that resisting authority is sometimes a good thing. As we all know, not all authority is benign. There is always a thin line to be walked when dealing with a troubled teen. Parents should always seek more than one opinion when their child is labeled with a disorder.