Thesis and Other Stuff..: 3

Rebellion is part of the development process in healthy children and teens. You might see this in a child as young as 2 years old when he throws a fit, according to the KidsHealth.org article “Taming Tempers.” As a child grows and matures, his desire for control of his environment and autonomy increases, which can brew together the perfect conditions for a power struggle. As part of their development into young adults, humans must develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviours, and ideologies as part of their process of developing an identity. Teenage rebellion has been recognized within psychology as a set of behavioural traits that supersede class, culture, or race.

•Denying the Existence of Authority

A child might act rebellious as a way to exercise independence. For example, a younger child might constantly ask, “Why?” An older child might contradict everything a parent says, while a teen won’t follow instructions or will do the opposite of what her parent requests. In the Psychology Today online article “Surviving (Your Child’s) Adolescence,” psychologist Carl Pickhardt says that a child or teen’s act of independence is actually an act of dependence because the young person’s actions depend on doing the opposite of what authority figures want.

•Testing Boundaries

As a child grows, she’ll test the established boundaries to see what she can get away with and learn the true limits. For example, a child might refuse to go to bed at the normal bedtime to see how late his parents will let him stay up if he presses them. In addition to exerting independence, a child or teen can test boundaries because he doesn’t understand them or because he’s developing his own identity.

•A Form of Self-punishment

If a child has a bad thought or believes that she secretly misbehaved, she might use rebellion as a form of self-punishment, according to J.P....