Many folks, especially girls, find the period between childhood and adulthood to be challenging. According to data, females’ confidence levels between the ages of 8 and 16 see a 30% decline. Puberty affects girls more severely than boys because girls undergo more drastic changes and may experience significant lows in self-esteem.
Teenagers entering high school, starting work early in their age while also frequently making new friends and relationships have low self-esteem. Additionally, teenage females’ bodies undergo significant changes. But the good news is that confidence may be increased by nourishing and encouraging them. Without taking any more time, let’s get right to your adolescent daughter’s self-esteem issues, which can be manifested in several ways. Some of them are discussed below.
1. Persistent Negativity
It may be usual for your teenage daughter to feel negative about herself and the world around her. It is even possible that this will last for a more extended period. As a result of the enormous changes in their brain and body caused by the hormones spiking during puberty, they may develop a pessimistic attitude towards life. Girls mature emotionally far more quickly than their male counterparts, which makes them more sensitive and prone to withdrawing from things they once found enjoyable and relaxing. According to science, this ongoing negative attitude can be a result of the prefrontal cortex’s delayed growth relative to other brain regions, which may cause emotional sensitivity and a negative outlook towards life.
You can do some things to stop this pervasive negativity, like flipping the thought process. For instance, if your daughter says, “I hate my body,” you can flip it by reminding her that this is just a phase that will pass or how beautiful she is. By reinforcing positive thoughts, you can alter your daughter’s entire perspective. You can also talk about your puberty phase, which will give your daughter the impression that she is being heard and will make your conversation more reliable. She may then trust you about her concerns, and you can work with her to remove any negative attitude in an appropriate way.
2. Antisocial Behavior
Girls’ antisocial behavior tends to be more relational, indirect, and harmful in the social manipulation of others. Numerous studies have found that girls often begin engaging in antisocial conduct in the middle or late stages of adolescence, which is later than boys. Coercive interactions with family, friends, and relatives can result from antisocial behavior. Girls’ antisocial conduct can be accompanied by various additional problems, including impulsivity, depression, and learning disabilities. Your daughter’s antisocial behavior may result from various factors, including parental conflict brought on by a divorce or separation, parental alcoholism, the influence of violent peers, or any other family conflict.
Communicating is the best way to curb your teen daughter’s antisocial behavior. You can speak to her openly about the issues that annoy her. You can also sign your daughter up for teen-focused community programs, which could offer the child at risk more support. Don’t engage in any behaviors that would push your daughter to indulge in antisocial conduct, and make an effort to maintain a peaceful environment at home.
3. Self-Destructive Behavior
It can be challenging to adjust to the fundamental changes that come with puberty, whether they are physical or emotional. Teen girls are far more likely to engage in self-destructive conduct due to their higher emotional sensitivity. Girls may experience this when they get self-absorbed in relationships and become resistant to sincere advice from their parents and friends. Using drinks and drugs to dull the pain caused by any event in their life is another factor that leads to this type of conduct. Teenage girls may engage in dangerous behaviors like eating disorders, cutting, or burning. They attempt to substitute emotional pain with physical pain, which leads to self-destructive behavior.
It would help if you first comforted your adolescent daughter to deal with this behavior. You can also seek expert assistance. Take some time from your busy schedule every week to go on a trip. Additionally, you can assist her by engaging in relaxation exercises like yoga and meditation. Encourage her to pray or read a religious text because it could help her think positively. You can finally urge your daughter to keep a journal, which will enable her to express her negative emotions without resorting to destructive behavior.
4. Early Sexual Activities
In today’s world, early sexual activity is becoming a bigger problem for teens. Surprisingly, research shows that adolescents experience a significant drive to engage in sexual activity as early as 12–13 years old. Furthermore, girls who engage in sexual activity before age 16 have a 6.3-fold increased risk of reporting a suicide attempt. Due to their high emotional sensitivity, girls are more likely to experience loneliness, sadness, and sleep issues. Teenage pregnancies, HIV, and other sexually transmitted illnesses are typically exposed to teenagers who participate in early sexual experimentation. Also, teenage females who experienced sexual trauma as children attempt to deal with it by acting in a sexually playful manner during their teens.
By having successful parent-child communication with your daughter, you as parents can support your teen daughter. Although it might be challenging for parents to discuss sex, it is essential, to be honest, so your child won’t look elsewhere for the answers to their questions which can be really harmful. Additionally, parents should observe their daughter’s social environment without interfering. She will learn more from the friends she goes out with and has more chances for positive personal development. The significance of safe sex, which can reduce the chance of various diseases and preterm pregnancies, is another critical topic you could bring up.
Conclusion:
You can do many things as parents to help your daughter with her self-esteem concerns, but you must remember that teenage self-esteem develops and shifts regularly. Even if your child doesn’t show signs of growth immediately, persisting will benefit them in the long run. To be on the safer side, you can keep an eye on these major self-esteem problems listed above. If you notice even a slight difference in your daughter’s behavior, you could talk with her and use our advice to help her deal with those problems.
