Rebellious Teenagers Case Study

Introduction

One of the most challenging development stages of growth is the adolescent stage. During this stage, children move through many tumultuous transitions phases that make it hard for the adolescent to cope physically and emotionally. These changes make it very hard for an individual to cope as the life pressures they face can be very overwhelming to them because their brains are not fully developed to handle pressures (Santos, 2015). This is why many adolescents today face many psychological problems, and it is essential for these disorders to be dealt with as early as possible before they can manifest and become life-threatening. 

The case study

This case involves a mixed-race family, an African and an Irish American marry and have three children. The first two children, a son, and a daughter are doing well in their studies, and their lives are good and without any significant problems. The main problem this family is facing is that their last-born 14-year-old daughter is having significant issues with adhering to rules. She is deviant and has problems both at home and at school. This case study is aimed at coming up with an excellent psychological plan for this family to help in resolving the issues they are facing at home and the measures that can be used to help Dalia the 14-year-old girl get her life back on track. There are many dysfunctional issues in the way this family is set up, and it is up to these sessions to help all the parties and more so Dalia and her mother to understand what they need to do if they are to help in solving the psychological problems affecting Dalia.

The problem in the case 

This case scenario has several key indicators that show that Delia is suffering from severe psychological issues that need serious attention. The first indication is that she has isolated herself from regular friends as well as her family. She does not want to engage in family activities because as thinks these activities are not ‘cool’ and they are annoying (Francis, 2011). Another significant indicator that Dalia is undergoing some mental issues is that she is just 14 years old but engaging in sex and taking alcohol. She went ahead and got a tattoo well aware that her mother would not be pleased with her. She used a fake ID to get the ID, and she probably uses a fake ID to buy alcohol for alcohol stores and bars. These are dangerous activities, some of them are even illegal, and they could land her in jail if she is reported to the police. Her teachers have tried to talk to her to change her ways to no avail. They have gone ahead and recommended to her parents to try to get some counseling sessions to see if she can change her life and start concentrating on more important things such as her studies. 

 Even though this is excellent advice, both Dalia and her mother should ensure they are fully committed to the program. However, the first few sessions show that they are not fully committed to the counseling program. Dalia’s mother strongly believes Dalia is the one who has a problem, and she should change her attitude about life and her family and start changing her life. However, a person keen on the situation in that family would see that her parents, as well as her two older siblings, have neglected Dalia and that she only deviant because she is crying for attention. Her mother is always at work, her father sleeps late into the morning, and this makes it hard for the parents to give their last-born daughter any attention. For this reason, both parties should be able to listen and correct the mistakes they have been making. 

Describe two goals for the client based on their presenting problem

One of the purposes of this presentation is to show the issues faced by missed families. In this case, for example, one parent is African while the other is Irish American. These families have two different cultures that define who they are as people. For this reason, it is vital for such families to come up with rules or ways that should determine how they do things and how best they should resolve their conflicts. 

Another goal for this presentation is to show the challenges faced by modern families in relating to one another (Trigs, 2015). Today, parents spend a lot of time at their workplaces, and this makes it hard for them to spend time with their children.   

Identify a specific peer-reviewed article and explain how it could inform understanding of the problem/population, development of goals, or intervention and treatment plan

A peer-reviewed journal article that tackles this issue well is the article titled, The Dynamics of Family Trouble: Middle-Class Parents Whose Children Have Problems by Ara A. Francis this article talks about the modern family dynamics that make it hard for parents to nurture their children. Parents today are working so hard to the extent that they end up neglecting their children when they need them the most (Fingerman, 2017). Teenagers require close guidance from their parents, and it is up to the parents to ensure they create time from their busy schedules. 

Explain how ethnocentrism and racism may influence the case 

Ethnocentrism may be changing this case because Dalia is considered black. Due to racism in the American society, blacks and more so teenagers that lack love at home may find it hard to cope with societal pressures. 

References

Fingerman, K. (2017). Millennials and Their Parents: Implications of the New Young Adulthood

for Midlife Adults. 2017 Nov; 1(3): Published online 2017 Nov 20. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igx026

Francis, A. (2011). The Dynamics of Family Trouble: Middle-Class Parents Whose Children

Have Problems. Sage Journals, 2011 Nov; 2(4).

Santos, S. (2015). Advanced Parenting Techniques Of Rebellious Teens : The Ultimate Guide

To Parenting Difficult Teens From Hell! .New York, NY: Page Publishing Inc.Trigs, D. (2015). Dealing With Rebellious Teens. New York, NY: Page Publishing Inc.