I have argued that the DSM is only one framework to understanding opposition and defiance in adolescents. I see oppositionality in adolescence as a social and relational construct. We need alternative frameworks to help us see, understand and treat oppositionality within a relational context, not solely located in a person but between people. Harry Stack…
Please meet Jason*. He loves sports. As I write, I can picture him telling me blow-by-blow how he made the winning shot in his last basketball game. This was an experience I had with Jason many times. Jason is a talented skateboarder and basketball player, and he enjoys football and soccer, too. His favorite video…
A few years ago, I worked with a young, Black, female adolescent, named Candice*, and her mother. Candice and her family had moved from an urban city in North Jersey to a suburban community in Central Jersey. Candice’s mother was recently divorced with three children: Candice, who was 13 years old; her eight-year-old sister; and her three-year-old brother. Candice was…
Welcome back! We are going to continue our discussion on the value of opposition in adolescence by turning to power development, assertion, and expression. I propose that, due to our current political environment, there is a need to have all hands on deck when it comes to the good fight, which includes adolescents. The good fight…
Podcasting, or Portable on Demand Broadcasting, is a great way for information to be disseminated. It is accessible through multiple media devices, portable, and convenient to utilize for the podcaster and listener. The podcaster can share his or her experiences, ideas, and tell stories in a variety of ways (audio or visual). It also opens up…
Advocacy and opposition in adolescence can be as beautiful as the branches of this bonsai tree. Like the bonsai tree, an adolescent develops and goes through changes within the context of family and community. Just as each leaf and branch is carefully attended to and shaped, so are the abilities and talents of the adolescent attended to and…
Take a moment and really look at the above image. Study it. Study the color and shapes. Imagine its texture. What comes to mind when you look at the image? What emotions arise as you view this image? Do you feel empowered, disempowered, or indifferent? Do you know its name? Do you know what this image represents? What are its…
In my last post, “Opposition as Advocacy,” I raised the question, “if opposition in itself is not a problem, could it be a means to a desired outcome?” I say, yes! I made the claim, “To make a difference, bring about a change, or move forward sometimes requires opposition or a fight.” I support my claim of opposition as advocacy, especially…
In my last post—“Why not opposition in adolescence—who really has a problem with it?”—I discussed the definition of opposition and its synonyms, related words, and near antonyms, all of which brought to my mind words like struggle, conflict, liberation, and power. These words came to mind because I imagined the act of opposing something or someone, how…
In my welcome post, I painted a picture of the need to see oppositionality in adolescence as a normal part of development. Oppositionality is one of the ways in which adolescents come into their own. It aids them in developing a separate sense of self, purpose, and identity, as well as valuing connections and interdependence, and it…
A New Take on Adolescent Opposition 