The period of time through middle school and early high school is one of the most challenging, painful and risky times in a person’s life. An adolescent’s developmental task is to individuate from their parental figures, but where they turn can be frightening.
Children and teens today are very adept on computer’s and often have unsupervised access to the Internet. The easy availability of pornography is creating a dangerous situation where kids get caught up in sexually compulsive behavior at an early age. Mental health professionals are fearful of the impact on future generations, comparing Internet pornography to “crack cocaine” because of its highly addictive nature. Without specific safeguards and education, parents may be unaware that their children can become addicted in the confines of their own home.
CoHear/BCS’s providers are concerned for both the parent and the child whose hormones are driving their impulses, urges, and natural curiosity. How the parent approaches conversation, boundaries, or consequences with their adolescent child may be the catalyst for whether problematic sexual behavior is an issue for the child in their adult life. Most adult sex addicts report early struggles having begun in their adolescent years.
CoHear/BCS offers parent education and parent/child communication programs to facilitate the following:
- Information rather than hysteria
- Concern rather than control
- Data rather than drama
- Open communication about the risks
- Intervention strategies
- Trust building skill sets
These sessions will be geared toward addressing the individual needs of your family. Strategies are used to build empathy for the challenges of both parent and adolescent. Conflict resolution skills are used that reduce parental fear and increase adolescent accountability, yet don’t trap anyone in cycles of humiliation or control.
