Types of troubled girls
There are certain types of teen girls that are especially at risk of developing harmful behaviours:
Perfectionists:
Teen girls sometimes troubled by pressured from parents, peers, teachers, or society to reach impossible standards. In striving for unattainable goals in academics, in their looks, in their social life, and also in their early careers, it is easy for teen girls to find trouble as they lose sight of their own interests, in the pursuit of meeting those of others. Stress has been identified as a leading reason for drinking, smoking and using drugs among troubled teen girls. Research has found that teen girls who are vulnerable to low self-worth may have more trouble coping with the stressors of adolescence. Diet pill use among girls has tended to run from two-and-a-half times to four times as high as among boys.
Family Problems and Troubled Girls:
The home should be a place of comfort and guidance, where a troubled teen can find solace away from the pressures of school and the media. If there is no support system in the home environment, teen girls are at a larger risk of frequent experiences of unpleasant emotions like anger, depression, anxiety, and despair. This saps a teen girl's energy completely, leaving little time or effort to spend reflecting on their own feelings, or developing their passions. These emotions are also common traits that put teen girls at risk of developing substance abuse habits, causing them to turn to drugs and alcohol to better their moods, solve their problems, and ease any tensions in their home life. Going through this difficult transitional period without a solid role model that is most often found within the family can also expose a teen girl to an elevated risk of exposure to harmful figures, such as the wrong crowd at school or unrealistic female images in the media.
Teens in Transition:
In today's multicultural society, teens from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities come together and interact in many areas within society, most importantly, at school. In addition to the common frustrations and troubles every teen girl face—changing bodies and sexuality, increased pressures at home and in academics, developing personal goals and interests amid the influences of peer pressure—but many teen girls also have to deal with conflicts between their native culture and that of their new country. Finding a balance between the different ideals, values, and customs of their family and their peers can lead to extra stress than can lead to the risky emotions of anger, anxiety, and problems in the family environment.
Insecure Teens:
The majority of troubled girls have simply succumbed to overpowering insecurities. Everyone remembers the "popular group" in high school—especially if you weren't part of it. In what seems to be it's own segregated world, the "cool" kids and their thoughts and opinions reign supreme, and everyone else feels compelled to repeat them in order to fit in. If a teen girl has differing interests than the norm, it can lead to destructive emotions, putting them at great risk of falling into common teen girl troubles like smoking, drinking, doing drugs, failing in school, and engaging in sexual activity too early. It also limits their ability to discover their own interests and passions, which should be a vital result of the adolescence period. Fitting in with peers is a huge importance for all teens, but teen girls are especially at risk. Studies have found that adolescent girls are more likely than boys to drink to fit in with their friends, while boys drink largely for other reasons and then join a group that also drinks.
Some sources other than Our Kids Go to School:
https://www.theantidrug.com/advice/teens-today/girls-drugs/default.aspx
https://life.familyeducation.com/teen/stress/39304.html
