Why Are Teenagers So Angry? Exploring Teen Mental Health
Feelings of anger can have significant effects on adolescents, who are in the middle of an important transition in life. Teenage anger may be seen as a natural product of the varying challenges young people face while navigating the path to adult life. But why, exactly, are teens so angry? For parents and teens attempting to manage intense anger during adolescence, knowing the causes of these feelings can be the first step in learning to manage them effectively. Below, we’re outlining potential sources of angry feelings in teenagers, providing tips for teen anger management, and discussing how online therapy can help adolescents express their emotions in healthy ways.
Exploring teen anger
Adolescence is a time of transition during which young people learn about themselves, grow, and take important steps toward adulthood. While the teenage years can be fulfilling, they can also be challenging. Teens may begin questioning certain aspects of their lives, undergoing social stressors, experiencing pressure to succeed, and navigating difficult-to-process emotions.
Teen anger is a common byproduct of this often difficult period. As part of the complexities of being a teenager, young people experience changes in their bodies, family dynamics, and responsibilities—all of which can contribute to or exacerbate anger.
The benefits of teen anger
Anger is a normal and even beneficial emotion when it is processed in healthy ways. Anger may help teens protect themselves from harm, pursue their goals, and navigate obstacles. It can also be a significant motivator for young people. For example, a young person who has been prompted by social injustice to fight for people in marginalized communities may be labeled an “angry teenager,” but they can be said to have channeled their anger in productive and healthy ways. As we’ll discuss below, however, anger can also lead to serious challenges if an individual does not have healthy outlets through which to express it.
The challenges of teen anger issues
When feelings of frustration and aggression are not expressed in a constructive manner, they may develop into maladaptive anger (also called problematic anger). Anger can become maladaptive when it arises too frequently or manifests in extreme ways. Anger may also become problematic when it leads to unhealthy behaviors. For example, many people misuse substances when they want to manage or escape from their emotions. For teens—who are considered more prone to risk-taking behavior than other age groups—such a coping mechanism can have significant negative effects.
Problematic anger can impact varying facets of a teen’s life. It may strain their relationships, affect their academic performance, impact their mental and physical health, and even lead to legal trouble. In some cases, anger may signal the existence of a psychiatric disorder, conflict at home, or other serious challenges in a teen’s life.
Signs of maladaptive anger in teens
Prior to addressing a teen’s anger issues, it can help to know how to recognize the potential manifestations of their emotions. While certain signs of anger in teens may be easier to identify (e.g., aggression, excessive arguing), some indicators can be less subtle (e.g., passive-aggression, physical tension). The following are common signs of maladaptive anger in teenagers:
- Verbal outbursts
- Physical aggression
- Argumentative attitude
- Bullying or mistreating others
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty managing sadness, frustration, or other emotions
- Blaming others
- Passive-aggressive behavior
Why are teenagers so angry? Potential sources of anger
Acknowledging the causes of anger is often the first step toward managing it. Because of the significant changes teens experience, it can be difficult to identify the exact factors that are contributing to their feelings. The following are potential sources of anger in teens.
Life challenges
Teens today are subject to increasingly large amounts of pressure from a variety of sources. Teenagers can experience social pressures related to dating, social media, and substance use. In general, adolescents must also start focusing on next steps (college, internships, jobs, etc.), leading to increased responsibilities. For some, late adolescence may involve living alone for the first time.
These challenges can increase a teen’s stress levels significantly. Life stress and anger are thought to have a bidirectional relationship, meaning that stressful situations can cause or worsen angry feelings, and anger can activate or exacerbate the stress response. Because of this association, feelings of aggravation, frustration, and aggression may grow in teens who are unable to properly manage stress.
Mental health concerns
There are also several less common mental health conditions that are primarily characterized by maladaptive anger, including the following:
- Intermittent explosive disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bipolar disorder
If you believe your (or your teen’s) anger is related to an untreated mental disorder, consider consulting with a healthcare provider. A medical or mental health professional can provide screenings and determine whether further testing, diagnosis, and treatment are necessary.
Biological changes
During adolescence, teens typically experience an influx of hormones and varied physical changes, alongside the continuing formation of their brains. The effects of puberty can influence the way teens behave, feel, and think. These changes often alter their appearance, contribute to mood swings, and prompt teenagers to begin exploring romantic relationships. Difficulty navigating biological changes can lead many teens to feel uncomfortable in their bodies, and emotional dysregulation due to increases in hormones can contribute to feelings of anger.
Teen anger management tips
For teens living with problematic anger, knowing how to address difficult emotions, utilize coping strategies, and express their feelings in healthy ways can be vital to their overall well-being. Teen anger management strategies may involve everything from physical activity to journaling. If you’re an adolescent living with feelings of anger, or you care for a child struggling to control teenage anger, consider employing the following strategies.
Address the primary emotion
Anger is often (but not always) described as a secondary emotion, meaning it frequently arises in response to another emotion. Often, sadness, fear, or insecurity underlie anger. When they precede anger, these feelings are considered primary emotions. Identifying and processing primary emotions can help teens address the sources of their angry feelings, which can also alleviate the anger itself.
If you find that you’re mad about a certain situation, consider whether there was a feeling that came before the anger. Often, an individual who may be perceived as an “angry teen” is simply a young person struggling to manage other challenging emotions. For example, a teen might experience a fear of judgment from friends or schoolmates. This fear may manifest in expressions of anger, leading them to lash out. By alleviating their feelings of worry or nervousness surrounding social interactions, the problematic anger may also be reduced.
Identify triggers
Knowing the causes of a teenager’s anger can be key to alleviating it. As discussed above, there could be a range of potential contributors to these feelings. Journaling can be a helpful strategy for those seeking to recognize their triggers. Consider making a note each time anger arises. You can write down the emotions you experienced, the circumstances that led to the anger, and how you attempted to manage your feelings. This can not only provide you with an outlet for your emotions but also allow you to identify patterns, potentially pointing toward specific situations that cause or exacerbate anger.
For example, a teen might find that they frequently become angry at school due to difficulty with a specific subject. Understanding this trigger can help the teen and their caregivers take steps toward improving their performance in school. They may hire a tutor or find ways to help the teen experience less pressure.
Implement lifestyle changes for anger management
Exercising regularly, maintaining nutritious eating habits, getting quality sleep, and incorporating other activities into daily life can provide numerous benefits to teens living with maladaptive anger. For example, physical activity can improve mood, provide a distraction from difficult emotions, alleviate pain, and reduce symptoms of mental health challenges. By joining organized sports, starting an at-home workout routine, or going for regular walks, teens may address several potential sources of anger.
Mental health care for anger issues in teens
For teenagers who frequently feel angry and struggle to process their feelings, mental health treatment can be a crucial component of effective anger management. Therapy can provide teens with emotional support, help them identify the sources of anger issues, and give them an outlet through which they can express themselves. A mental health professional can also help teens develop healthy coping strategies for when they experience intense emotion (e.g., deep breathing exercises).
Expressing emotion in healthy ways with online therapy
If you’re seeking mental health care for feelings of anger or related challenges, consider getting matched with a qualified therapist online. Online therapy is a flexible and convenient way to develop anger management skills and take the next steps toward emotional wellness.
The benefits of asking a mental health professional, “Why are teenagers so angry?”
With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp (for adults) or TeenCounseling (for teens), you can connect with a therapist remotely—through video call, voice call, or online chat—circumventing the potential added frustrations of in-person counseling, like traffic. You can also message your therapist outside of sessions, allowing you to ask questions about anger management or clarify points made during therapy.
The efficacy of mental health care through online therapy
A growing body of evidence points to the efficacy of online therapy for emotional challenges like problematic anger. For example, in a study on the effects of an online intervention on maladaptive anger, participants experienced reductions in anger rumination, aggression, and expressions of anger. The study also highlighted the potential efficiency of online therapy, as the treatment program only lasted four weeks.
Takeaway
Why are the teenage years so difficult?
Adolescence is a stage of development typically associated with many physical and mental transitions. Puberty tends to start in early to mid-adolescence and can cause hormonal changes that don’t help a teen manage emotions or stay calm. Because they are children, they may still not be completely comfortable with self-care and coping skills and may struggle to know how to regulate their feelings when feeling anger. In addition, teen brain development is still occurring, and most adults' frontal lobe is not fully developed until age 25. For that reason, children and adolescents have poor impulse control and may struggle with healthy decision-making and productive ways to calm down when they feel frustrated. Having supportive family members and working with a clinical psychologist are a couple of ways to reduce these negative impacts.
At what age do teenage mood swings stop?
Mood swings in teens may occur at any time throughout adolescence and can sometimes be a warning sign of a mental health condition. Healthy anger and irritability can be expected as teens adapt to transitions and build their identities. However, if increased moodiness worsens as they get older or they’re partaking in violent behaviors like slamming doors, using threatening body language, or kicking walls, parents may consider seeking professional help to understand the underlying cause of why their teens react in these ways. Teens generally start to get better at emotional regulation around the end of high school, so increasingly worsening behavior can be a warning sign.
Why is my 16-year-old so aggressive?
If your 16-year-old child is aggressive, they might be experiencing mental health challenges. Occasional irritability and avoidance of authority can be a normal part of development in this age group, but extreme violence, yelling, or frequent anger are not. In some teens, anger can be a symptom of depression, especially in boys.
Because boys are often socially pressured to suppress their emotions, anger can be a more common response to mental health challenges in this group. In some cases, severe aggression and violence may require children to take part in partial hospitalization programs, residential treatment, or intensive outpatient programs to reduce behavioral challenges. An admissions team for one of these programs can tell you more about your options. However, addressing aggression early on before it becomes severe may be more effective in reducing this risk, helping children receive support when they first struggle with symptoms.
What is normal 17-year-old behavior?
All 17-year-olds are different. However, those around this age generally become more independent as they prepare to become adults. 17-year-olds often have more intense relationships with others, including friends and romantic partners. They might start applying to colleges or looking at what they’d like to do when they leave high school. Irritability and anger may begin to reduce at this age, and the teen may start to make more mature decisions independently. However, you can talk to a psychologist to learn whether your teen’s behavior is normal for their age group, as everyone is different. Mental health conditions, disabilities, bullying, trauma, grief, and other challenges can lead to children acting differently than they typically would.
How much freedom should a 14-year-old have?
How much freedom a 14-year-old is given depends on the family, the unique child, and the circumstances surrounding their lives. For example, a child who has a severe mental health condition may require more supervision than a child who is excelling in school and with peers and has not shown signs of depression. In general, teenagers may benefit from some freedom to spend time alone with their friends outside of school, though parents may still want to monitor how long this time lasts and the activities they partake in. 14-year-olds may also benefit from a curfew so they don’t stay out too late and are safe in the evenings.
How do you deal with a teenager who doesn't care?
If your child doesn’t care about household rules and frequently pushes back against authority, there may be an underlying dynamic at play that they don’t know how to communicate. Some adolescents start to harbor anger at their parents for ways they were parented in early childhood. Others may want more freedom or wish their parents spent more time with them. Instead of communicating these vulnerable feelings, teens may lash out at authority and act like they don’t care, especially if their home was not somewhere where talking about emotions was normal growing up. In these cases, family therapy may be a helpful treatment option.
How do you discipline a teenager who won't listen?
Aggressive or authoritative parenting has been proven by studies to make behavioral issues worse. Children often respond best to assertive but empathetic parenting that considers their autonomy and respects them as human beings. Parents can help teens who act out by looking at their own behaviors and parenting styles. Family therapy and individual therapy for both the parents and teen can help both sides learn more about the psychological aspects behind this behavior without disciplining or punishing the teen. Emotions often have a cause, and figuring out that cause as a team can improve communication in the household.
How do you deal with a teenager's bad attitude?
If a child has a bad attitude, you may first look at potential causes. In some cases, irritability can be caused by conditions like depression, especially in boys. In addition, it can be normal for teens to become slightly argumentative and push back against authority as they learn to balance independence with their parents’ wishes for them. They may still sometimes want to be close to their parents but also hope to grow closer to adulthood by being independent and making their own decisions. You may help your teen feel better with your requests by including them in discussions about family plans, transitions, and changes and by allowing them to help create their own chore schedule and have a say in the activities they do. By being fair and empathetic to their struggles, you may show them you care about what they’re going through and want to work with them instead of pressuring them.
Why are today's youth so disrespectful?
Some older generations may worry that younger generations are disrespectful. This messaging has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. As a new generation ages, the changes in society can be difficult for older generations to understand, as they may have reacted differently. Social norms within generations are often responsible for these shifts, as different social groups have different definitions of “socially acceptable” behavior. Becoming tolerant of new ideas of what “respect” means can mean examining your own pre-conceived notions of socialization.
Social norms are often developed to remain safe in a social group, so younger children act in ways that keep them safe by remaining part of the “in-crowd.” Acting in ways older generations want them to would label them as outsiders within their own generation, which could lead to social ostracization and bullying. “Respect” is not culturally or generationally universal, and many different countries, cultures, and groups have different definitions of this word. Therefore, tolerance and acceptance can be essential for understanding each other better.
How do you get your teenager to respect you?
You may get more respect from your teenagers by trying to meet them where they are instead of doing what you think would have helped you as a teenager or what you think is right. Teens live in their own world, which comprises their unique social circles and generational social norms. Work with your kid by being open to learning and empathetic to their unique struggles. Try not to assume you always know what’s right for them. Teens are smart and are learning to become adults. They often have intelligent ideas and creative solutions. Let them have some control over communication and problem-solving strategies.
- Previous Article
- Next Article