While I often take issue with psychology articles in The Times due to lack of any evidence to back up the author’s claims, this article is really great (although I don’t love the title). Not only do we learn that certain conflict styles can indicate depression or other psychological problems, we also get some ideas about how to more effectively interact with adolescents when there is conflict. The key here is validation – a skill that many young people lack because they are not yet able to take the perspective of another person (in this case, a parent’s). Parents can model this behavior, though, by validating their son’s or daughter’s experience and also sharing their own experience. This is one of the fundamental skills that I work with young people to develop, and very often with parents and other adults as well.

The Best Way to Fight With a Teenager