As a parent, you desire for your children to grow up to be respectable people. All rounded and well- mannered. Well, no one is perfect but you know what I mean. However, your kids might serve you a much bigger share of hard- headedness than you expected. What do you do when your child turns out to be a delinquent?
All children get in trouble once in a while, but if your child is constantly committing serious crimes and causing a ruckus, this is classified as delinquent behaviour. Especially when the child has no empathy for those being harmed by his behaviour. Here are some telling signs:
- Threatening or intimidating others
- Destroying property or taking things that don’t belong to them with little regard for how this affects the owner
- Cruelty to others or to animals
- Physical aggression toward others
What causes this kind of behaviour? If the child has gone through severe loss or trauma, they may turn violent as a means of coping. Sometimes the influences of peer pressure, adolescent hormones and mood changes lead to delinquency. They may be feeling neglected or that no one is listening to them so they lash out to get your attention.
After finding out the reason for your child’s rebellion, address the issue with the help of a professional counsellor. However, your child still needs to be held accountable for their actions. This helps them understand that all choices have consequences.
You need to define important values as a family- and stay true to them. Children resent parents who say one thing but do the opposite. Surely you can’t expect your child to behave well when you violate values.
Dealing with a stubborn child can get overwhelming. Don’t handle the pressure alone- find a trusted friend you can vent to without being judged. Better still, a support group of parents with delinquent children can help you gain perspective when you share your experiences.
