It is an ascertained fact that adolescence, that is typically associated with the teenage years, is a transitional state during which an individual is likely to experience numerous psychological and social issues which may lead to crisis situations. In actual fact, "adolescence can be a stormy period in which teenagers are struggling for independence, yet are still in need of guidance and emotional support" (Kanel, 2015, p. 119). According to Kanel (2015), during this transitional period, teenagers tend to "engage in self-destructing behaviors" in order to meet their special needs and requirement of society (p. 119). Crises related to this population group typically depend on gender, educational and social background and other factors. However, the most typical and wide-spread crises associated with this special population group include bullying and other crisis situations at school, unintended pregnancy, running away from home as well as eating disorders.
The primary factor that should be taken into account when working this particular population as a crisis worker is the considerable influence of peers and society on adolescents and their actions and decisions. Numerous studies and researches in the field of psychology prove that the majority of adolescents form their opinions and generally develop their behavior which corresponds to the environment they live in and matches with the position of their social network, including family and close friends.
Another crucial factor that should be taken regarded within this context is the effect of various traumatic events and crises on adolescents' behavior and psychological condition. In actual fact, for adolescents "experiencing traumatic events like natural disasters, accidents or violence may cause acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder" (Murtonen, Suomalainen, Haravuori, & Marttunen, 2011, p. 23).
The third factor of paramount importance to be taken into consideration when working with representatives of this special population as a crisis counselor is the need of adolescents for independence and, as a result, the tendency to turn down any type of assistance or necessary aid. In the meantime, according to Miller (2012), "in crisis counseling, no matter what the population context, counselors should attempt to provide clients with a sense of hope", which might be quite a complicated issue when working with teenagers.
What is more, different legal and ethical issues should also be taken into consideration while working with this population, as the majority of representatives of this group are of minor age, which means that the responsibility for particular decisions and actions is still lies on the shoulders of their parents or legal guardians.
The primary reason and motivation for wanting to explore this population in more detail is the diversity of crises associated with this population as well as numerous factors triggering such crisis situations. In other words, crises related to this special population are not limited to a specific category or range of crises and, therefore, provide for a broad field for further research.
Moreover, as compared with adults and elderly, adolescents tend to be more vulnerable to crises and their consequences. In other words, it is much difficult for them to get over crisis situations and associated psychological effects, deal with their feeling and emotions than it is for mature adults. That is another factor that makes crisis counseling within this special population quite problematic and, in the meantime, challenging and interesting for further exploring.
References
Kanel, K. (2015). A guide to crisis intervention (5th ed.). Fullerton, CA: Cengage Learning.
Miller, G. A. (2012). Special Populations and Legal/Ethical Issues. In Fundamentals of crisis counseling. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Murtonen, K., Suomalainen, L., Haravuori, H., & Marttunen, M. (2011). Adolescents' experiences of psychosocial support after traumatisation in a school shooting. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17(1), 23-30. doi:10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00612.x
