Every generation was raised differently so when you exhibited disrespectful behavior toward your parents you may have gotten spanked. However, times have changed and there are more constructive and effective ways to deal with a disrespectful teenager. 

Bad behavior should be dealt with but reacting violently towards your teen can only make them rebel more. So how can you support your teen when they’re disrespecting you without compromising on your boundaries? 

In this post, we delve into some of the reasons why teenagers may become disrespectful and ways you can help them so they don’t develop mental health issues. 

Reasons Your Teenager Is Being Disrespectful Toward You

One of the reasons teenagers become disrespectful is because they are under extreme stress, anxiety, and pressure. Teenagers start to feel more deeply about things they care about and sometimes they’ll have a conflicting view of the world. 

On the other hand, some teenagers pick up bad behaviors from other rude teens and they start to act the same way as the people they hang out with. 

Another cause can be reactive detachment disorder where your teen is struggling to form a bond with you because of previous traumas and neglect. Children who can’t form an attachment to their parents tend to disrespect their authority. 

What You Can Do To Stop Your Teen From Disrespecting You 

Your first reaction when presented with disrespectful behavior might be to get angry and start raising your voice to establish dominance. But even if your tone of voice changes it may not mitigate your teen’s rude behavior. Try to follow these tips instead. 

Stay Calm and Have Patience 

The goal is to prevent the situation from escalating further. Yelling and arguing with your teen will only make it worse. You must remain calm because anger will only cloud your judgment.

Try de-escalation techniques like listening to your teen’s concerns and stating that you understand their frustrations before setting boundaries. Using this communication tactic can slow or reduce the risk of a violent outburst. 

Set Clear Boundaries 

When a teenager is in a bad mood or has feelings of anger they can forget their boundaries. During your confrontation remind your teen about what sort of behaviors are acceptable and which ones aren’t. 

Discuss what sort of consequences there may be if there’s a lack of mutual respect between the two of you. Give your teen time to express their emotions even if you disagree with most of them. Then explain why you’ve set these boundaries so there are no misunderstandings. 

If your child lacks boundaries and still disobeys your authority they can benefit from staying at a residential treatment center. 

Try to Understand from Their Point of View 

Teenagers get frustrated easily because of the changes they’re going through which makes them impulsive and experience extreme mood swings. When you begin to understand the biological reasons why your teen is acting out it starts to become easier to deal with their outbursts. 

You can then focus on the behavior of the teen and try to develop ways to help them with their mental health. 

Avoid Power Struggles 

Engaging in a power struggle with your teen can create a distance between you and develop hostile situations. It can lead to resentment and insecurity issues, and your teen will rebel. 

Choose your battles because not all arguments are worth having. You can let your child win the small battles to avoid bigger power struggles. But if you’re dealing with something that you can’t let slide you can ask a professional mental healthcare practitioner for advice and possible therapy. 

Consider Family Therapy 

Arguing with your teen can be exhausting especially when they’re deliberately disobeying you. Gaining the perspective from a third party like a qualified therapist may help you and your teen come to a conclusion and find common ground. 

Family therapy is one of the best tools to use when you want to improve your communication skills with your teen and prevent conflict. You can both express your frustrations and concerns in a safe environment and learn how to develop respectful behaviors toward one another. 

Suggest Healthy Outlets for Your Teen 

Sometimes teenagers feel frustrated because they’re bored and are craving excitement in their lives. Consider sending your teen to boot camp where they can learn self-discipline and important life skills like teamwork and communication. 

Certain Types of Punishment Can Help 

Certain types of punishment can mitigate disrespectful behavior. If your teen has behavioral problems you can confiscate their devices or ground them for a week or two. This lets them know that you won’t tolerate their wrongdoings and that there are consequences to their actions. 

Final Thoughts – Diciplining Disrespectful Teenagers the Right Way

Teenagers need a healthy and safe environment where they can be disciplined outside of the home. Here at HelpYourTeenNow, we offer a variety of programs that correct disrespectful behavior in teenagers. We offer boot camps and we have a live-in military school. We also have a therapeutic boarding school for boys and girls who have mental health concerns. 

Visit our website to find out more about our packages or give us a call so we can set up a consultation. Our goal is to rehabilitate your teenager with the best treatments and programs that provide the support your child needs for a brighter and happier future.