Facts About Insecurity in Teens

Linked to Pain

• A 2009 Canadian study of 382 teenagers conducted by the Université de Montréal, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and McGill University demonstrated a strong link between insecurity in teens and their self-reporting of intense pain in the form of headaches, abdominal pain and joint pain. The results, presented on the Pysch Central website, determined that teens having insecure relationships tend to be more alarmist in regards to symptoms of pain. The study also documented that insecure teens are more likely to be depressed compared with their peers that report a sense of security in their social surroundings

Body Image

• A December 2012 polling survey of high school students across the United States conducted by Stage of Life highlights some alarming facts about the way teenagers view themselves and how secure they feel about what they see in the mirror. Almost half of the teens polled -- 44 percent -- indicated they regularly skip meals as a tactic for controlling their weight. An even higher percentage -- 65 percent of those surveyed -- say they are afraid of gaining weight. Nearly one-third -- 31 percent -- admit they would like surgery to "fix" a body part that makes them feel insecure about their appearance. One-fifth -- 20 percent -- said they are either "rarely" or "never" happy with the way they look.

Forces Them to Fit In

• An insecure teen is more likely to participate in activities that might go against her morale code in an effort to fit in. Teen writers at Teen Ink label this misguided effort to be accepted as a "the biggest disease in the halls of high schools today." Calling it a silent killer, the teen writers target insecurity as the gateway to drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity long before they are emotionally ready. This sentiment is echoed by a 2008 study from the Dove Self-Esteem Fund titled "Real Girls, Real Pressure." The study surveyed nearly 5,000 teen girls who were asked a variety of questions aimed at determining their emotional security. Girls self-reporting self-esteem difficulties were three times more likely to say they were involved in having disordered eating habits, cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking and feeling bad about themselves in general. Insecure teen boys mask their feelings through disruptive classroom behavior, reckless driving and excessive boasting.

Mirrors of Parents

• According to the website Empowering Parents, much of a teen's insecurity actually stems from the insecurities that mom and dad display. Parents and other caregivers should monitor and control the expression of their own anxiety and insecurity when with teens. Don't let your kids feed off the issues you are dealing with as the basis for how they as teen should view themselves.