Help with challenges

Drugs, alcohol and smoking are a part of today's youth culture and all can put your teenager at risk. It is important for your teenager to understand the risks involved in these activities and how they might affect their life - physically, mentally, socially and legally. Knowing what actions they can take to reduce these risks will help them to stay safe.

Bullying causes a great deal of emotional distress. If your teenager is being bullied, it can have a negative effect on their school performance and can lead to lateness and truancy. Try discussing the problem with the school, and ask for details of their anti-bullying policy.

Sex becomes legal in England, Scotland and Wales at 16 and in Northern Ireland at 17. Your teenager may start to form close relationships before this. If you are able to discuss relationships with your teenager in an open and supportive way, it is more likely that they will delay sexual activity and use contraception when they decide to go ahead.

Should your teenager discover she is pregnant, her Connexions personal adviser can help her to find services and sources of support. They can put your teenager in touch with GPs, family planning clinics, Brook and other youth clinics, school nurses, health visitors, teachers, social workers and youth workers.

During puberty your teenager is going through both physical and emotional changes triggered by adjustments in their hormone levels. Relationships with friends and family members change, sleep patterns alter and body image often becomes an important issue. Recognising that this is a response to chemical changes within the body and a normal part of growing up will help both of you to understand and deal with it.

Getting plenty of exercise and eating well is important for your teenager's overall well-being. Being overweight increases the risk of getting diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. To avoid this, encourage your teenager to eat a balanced diet that includes breakfast every day, and to cut down on junk food. If you are concerned about your teenager's weight or eating habits, you can get advice from your doctor.

Opening a current account can encourage your teenager to save and manage their money more responsibly. They can put their pocket money, cash gifts or earnings from part-time jobs into it.

Mobile phone bills can become costly, so choose a tariff carefully and shop around for call packages. Make sure your teenager is aware that when downloading things such as wallpaper or ring tones, they often have to join a club, which will continue to send them texts charged at a premium rate. Accessing the web on a mobile also incurs a charge.

Although the internet has many positive benefits, make sure that your teenager is aware of the potential dangers involved with using it. Encourage your teenager to act responsibly and safely when communicating and accessing information through the internet.

Although most teenagers do not break the law, for those that do it could be a sign that there are problems elsewhere in their lives. Connexions personal advisers can help you and your teenager to deal with the consequences of offending, as well as any underlying causes in other areas of their life.

Your teenager's Connexions personal adviser is someone who will listen and share your concerns. Connexions can put your teenager in touch with expert advice and help in any area of their life where they need support.