Steps to de-escalating at home confrontations with your troubled teen

Steps to de-escalating at home confrontations with your troubled teen

April 18, 2024

Confrontation. When you hear the term, what are your first thoughts? Some people begin thinking about teenage anger, others are communicating, and a few even consider anxiety. Many people view confrontation differently, and if you’re one of those people who will shy away from it, the reality is, that you do not have to. Confrontation is a necessary part of keeping a healthy relationship, and without it, connections will either play out with bitterness or never attain their full potential.

Reasons for confrontation at home

There are many reasons why teens troubled in confrontation may be necessary for a connection, and this includes social, intimate, family, and business. Perhaps someone has been behaving rudely toward you recently, or maybe they’ve been behaving somewhat differently than they usually do, and you feel it’s negatively affecting them. Perhaps you need to speak about a minor problem that’s been bothering you. Whatever the matter is, the worst thing you can do is say nothing in any way.

Steps to de-escalating at home confrontations with your troubled teen
  • The behaviour of teenagers when normal teenage behaviour is problematic. As teens begin to establish their independence and find their own identity, many parents experience behavioural changes that seem strange and unpredictable. Your sweet and obedient child who was once inseparable from you will not appear within your 20 yards and everything you say is greeted with an eye roll or door slam. It’s hard for parents to tolerate, and they are normal teen activities.
  • Troubled teens exhibit behavioural, emotional, or learning problems that are beyond normal teenage problems. They can repeatedly practice dangerous behaviours, including alcohol, drug use, sex, violence, school evasion, self-harm, shoplifting, or other criminal activity or showing signs of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. While any negative behaviour may be a symptom of a recurring problem, parents need to understand what are the normal behaviours, which can lead to more serious problems.
  • Another important part is to pick a suitable time to face this person. If you try facing them when they’re occupied or in a hurry, as crucial as the matter may be to you, you will most likely not have their full attention. Try to confront them when you know they can speak, and when they say they’re occupied, calmly tell them you would like to talk to them, whatever the problem could be, and ask if a fantastic time to talk is.
  • Also, do not forget that body language and tone are crucial. If you approach them with your eyes to the ground along with a smothered voice, then they probably will not take you seriously. Approach confidently yet peacefully. Hold confident eye contact with your head up, and speak to fill the space.

If confrontation is new to you, it may feel uncomfortable at first and may even take some practice, but if you get in the habit today before you know it, you’ll feel confident in your ability to face someone no matter what the issue could be.

Steps to de-escalating at home confrontations with your troubled teen

Turn Down the Heat

Ordinarily, any time there’s a confrontation with two sides, things are heated. Emotions are upward, and reasoning is down. Regrettably, if appropriate steps are not accepted, conflicts have nowhere to go except up. After all, if everyone in a confrontation were reasonable and respectful with each other, it really wouldn’t be a confrontation, and then it could be a discussion.

The first step to lowering the heat in a confrontation is to reduce as numerous physical elements as possible. Decrease your voice, but not in a low, threatening way but a kind and understanding manner. If at all possible, try to get everyone to be seated if they are not already. Relax your physical body, lower shoulders, and mind, keep hands all to show no threatening non-verbal clues. Because you can begin lowering a confrontation is not just a figure of speech but contains practical applications. And arguments generally escape hand because the other home party considers they aren’t being listened to.

This is why voices grow; the logical answer is when a man is not being heard, they need to raise their voice. So, be silent and allow them to vent; let them wear them out. At precisely the same time, honestly listen and take mental notes because you will require that for your next step.

After being quiet and listening, peacefully and calmly ask if there’s anything else? When another person is done talking, do not immediately go into the defensive mode or even say anything about your perspective. What you do today is repeat back to this individual what you heard and how you know it. After each point, make sure and ask, “Is that right?”

Skip Defending Yourself

Notice up to the stage you haven’t even started your perspective and frankly, in a confrontation, it isn’t essential because what you want is resolution. What the other person needs, believing they are the confronter, is to be understood and heard.

The next step that turns the conflict is an apology, if applicable. As soon as you laid out exactly what the other person is saying and they’ve consented to and have amplified any points, apologise for whatever you feel you have done wrong, unintentionally or not. Do not apologise if you don’t mean it or did not do anything wrong. Maturity will say that you should take personal responsibility for any incorrect things you have done. But never equivocate and say the word should.

Never apologise, stating “if I’ve done you wrong” or “if I’ve done anything to make you angry” The truth is you did or didn’t do something wrong worthy of an apology, and you mean your apology or you don’t. Also, do not include a “but” or try to slip into your side, apologise and stop. Qualifying your apology diminishes it.

Steps to de-escalating at home confrontations with your troubled teen

Resolve the Conflict as an Implied Partnership

The final step after an apology is supplying suggestions for resolutions. But always offer a settlement as a question; queries suppose choice and provide engagement. Such as the apology, offer suggestions for payment to the conflict you believe and are eager to act upon. Don’t attempt to guilt or manipulate another person, do not play the martyr, don’t insinuate, only try to be as reasonable and disimpassioned as possible.

Additionally, only offer one suggestion at a time. Preferably, provide the least objectionable (for you) yet sensible first. Once the both of you have agreed upon a course of activity, restate it and then shake hands. This should finish the confrontation, and it will be best if the two of you took time if possible.

Image Credit: depositphotos.com

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