The range of dilemmas a teen seems to encounter daily is infinite, including the ethical dilemmas in teenagers. A few examples of it include whether or not to cheat in exams to take drugs and alcohol. In the case of a judgment or decision, an ethical dilemma occurs when one of the alternatives requires the individual to break or compromise on their ethical norms. Helping your teen handle their dilemmas might be a difficult scenario for you. This post discusses some of the most typical ethical and moral challenges that teenagers confront and some simple solutions to help them overcome them.
Common Ethical Dilemmas For Teenagers
Here are some common ethical dilemmas that can make your teen’s life miserable:
1. Academics:
Your teen may face a moral dilemma when she has to perform well in academics.
Your teen may succumb to peer pressure, or be starstruck by the college’s name. And, they may try to cheat in their examinations or peek at other student’s answer sheet to get desirable grades.
2. Drugs And Alcohol:
Teenagers have an inclination towards trying drugs and alcohol.
Your teen may be tempted to try drinking or smoking after observing the close friends.
They feel that the consumption of alcohol and drugs makes them cool, and remain popular among friends.
Parents and teachers always discourage teens from drug addiction, as an overdose can lead to nasty complications.
3. Lying:
Your teen may lie because she never wants to disappoint or hurt you or any of her closest friends.
Teens often lie to cover their faults like not attending school, addiction to drugs or to hide pornographic material.
Your teen lies to you; whenever she fears that you may overreact or scold her because of her academics.
4. Snitching:
Your teen often tends to snitch and practice tattle-tailing, as she may not want to betray or upset her parents or dear ones.
Sometimes your teen may follow this ethical dilemma to stay loyal to her loved ones and ensure her personal safety.
5. Risk-Taking Behavior:
During teenage, the social environment is quite unstable, and your teen is under immense peer pressure.
It can lead to irresponsible and inappropriate behavior.
You may think that your teen may follow the social ethics before getting involved in any risky decision. But you should know that the teenage brain has less self-control and possesses poor decision-making ability.
As a responsible parent, you need to teach your teen social ethics to make her understand the value of life.
You can encourage your teen to go through question-and-answer sessions, to check her decision-making ability. (1)
Tips To Handle Ethical & Moral Dilemmas For Teenagers
You can use the following tips to handle your teen’s dilemma:
Before handling any teenage dilemmas, you need to analyze the entire situation in a holistic manner and decide what should be done to control the action morally.
Parents and teachers play a pivotal role in solving dilemmas for teen, and they should prepare them to handle the scenario in a positive manner.
Try to guide your teen subtly and teach her should she can do, and what she should avoid. Make your teen understands the conceptual differences between ethics and morals in life.
It is important for your teen to make an accurate moral judgment and have a clear idea of the consequences.
Help your teen analyze the situations aptly and solve the dilemma ethically.
Always appreciate your teen’s hard work and don’t be judgmental. For instance, if your teen studies hard for exams try to appreciate her, but never tempt her with rewards.
Proper parental guidance can prepare your teen to face several moral dilemmas, cope with stress easily, and not lose her mental peace. For instance, you may share cases and examples from your life that the child can find relatable. It can inspire your child to make the right decisions.
