Just like children, teenagers have motivations.  Research indicates that there are essentially 11 goals that teenagers have.  To understand these goals makes you a proactive parent.  If you figure out a teen's goal you will know how to handle it:

1.  Superiority - these teens must be the best at everything
2.  Conformity - Living up completely to the standards of established society
3.  Popularity - these teens accumulate as many friends and social contacts as possible.
4.  Defiance - these teens want to be in control or at least not controlled by adults
5.  Sexual promiscuity - these teens are highly active and defiant about their sexual behavior
6.  Inadequacy - these teens enjoy the victim role and seek consolation for their shortcomings
7.  Charm - these teens use smooth talk and pleasing manners
8.  Physical beauty or strength - these teenagers rely completely on their good looks, physical strength or abilities
9.  Sexism - these teens become overly stereotypical masculine or feminine
10.  Intellectuality - these teens value intelligence and study, read or discuss ideas most of the time
11.  Hyperreligiosity - these teens immerse themselves in religious ideas and activities.  All they talk about are religious ideas.

Tomorrow's post will discuss how to proactively parent teenagers.