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Harnessing the Adolescent Desire for Status and Respect

Writer's picture: BeauBeau

Written by Beau, MSED, BCBA, TRLC, CCST-I, RYT 200


As a specialist in pediatric behavior, I’m here to share key insights that can help you and your young person empower, adapt, and thrive. Here’s what you need to know-


 



I’m often asked for advice on behavior change strategies for different age groups, especially middle adolescent period (roughly to the ages of 13 or 14 to 17, or grades 7 or 8 to 11), I recently read an interesting article discussing one possible reason why behavior interventions fall short...let’s take a peek





The Facts

The core principles of behavior don’t change with age. Whether 3 or 33, behavior operates under the same fundamental rules.


So What Is Different?

For this blog, we’ll highlight the difference in the amount of hormones (testosterone & cortisol) delivered to the young person and how that effects what becomes important and that effects behavior. 


In Real Life

Status and respect become increasingly important types of attention (one of the functions of behavior) under the influence of testosterone and cortisol. According to the article, adults can “capture adolescent attention and motivation to create behavior change by”:


  • directly harness the desire for status and respect

  • provide adolescents with more respectful treatment from adults

  • lessen the negative influence of threats to status and respect


🧪 4 Ways To Provide Status and Respect To Adolescence 🧪


Reduce: adult-delivered messages that come across as nagging (this affects relevant adolescent brain activity)


Reduce: “discipline,” increase restoration (think social worker & school counselor) during and after behavior issues ...


Reduce: do not “tell” adolescents what to do and not do ... invite adolescents to “discover”


Increase: teaching your young person nothing is fixed - they have the potential to change & we can help them help themselves!





 






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