What are some of the behavior problems that a teenager could be struggling with?

According to related studies, the following are the problems that teenagers can have:

–  Disregarding rules blatantly
–  Abrupt personality changes
–   Abuse of drugs and other substances
–  Skipping classes and unnecessary school absenteeism
–  Problems with authorities- suspension from school and
–  Not accepting a NO as any answer
–  Stealing and/ or lying and other sneaky deeds
–  Failure to accept  feedback- ‘above law’ attitude
–  Legal issues
–   Falling academic grades
–   Inability to maintain relationships
–   Lack or little attention
–   Violence and fighting- complete aggression

While depression of a teenager can be associated with poor academic performance, teens with behavior problems like substance usage, lack of attention and delinquency depicted very low levels of GPA compared to those with upright and proper behavior. Where the study compared the effect of depression, substance abuse and delinquency on academics, it was found that the latter was associated with poor education grades. Depression had no effect.

More behavior problems, more challenges with students

According to the research conducted in a teens in their middle or high school life, students with more than one of the problems got less levels of GPAs and even lesser educational degrees as compared to students with a single problem. A certain combination of more of these problems resulted to more adverse effects than other combinations according to the December behavioral study.

For example, substance usage causes advancement and worsening of academic risks that can be associated with depression in teenage students. It also heightened the harmful effect where it was combined with delinquency and lack of attention. On the other hand, presence of depression in learners caused no increase in academic risks linked to loss of attention, substance usage and delinquency.

Can Depression cause lowering of academic grades?

Diminishing educational achievements can be associated with among other behavior problems, use of substances and drugs, issues with attention and teenage delinquency but certainly not depression, as indicated by the research findings. The study further indicates that depressed students in institutions of learning, who use substances and drugs, have attention issues or engage in activities of delinquency or not any of the behavior problems mentioned above.

According to a researcher involved in the study, yes, depression can be linked to diminishing educational achievements in middle school and/ or high school, but the research argues that depressed teenage students also experienced other behavior problems that were leading to the deterioration of their academic achievements.

Dealing with behavioral problems

Behavioral researchers suggest that high schools and institutions of higher learning deal with teenagers should reconsider and adopt new approaches of dealing with students with issues. Integrative approaches are recommended rather than punitive approaches.