ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a time of transition when young people are seeking to establish their own identities. This is partly achieved by experimentation and by challenging adult concepts and expectations. There are, of course, many ways to do this, two of which are under-age drinking and experimenting with drugs. No matter how adolescents try to establish a sense of separate identity, they are very adept at justifying their behaviour, and this can be extremely exasperating for the adults around them. They tend to win in any debate, in part because with adolescence comes the ability to think hypothetically,
which is in contrast to the very concrete pattern of thinking which is typical of childhood (Piaget 1952). Because of this, it is important to avoid trying to offer discipline only through debate – such an approach is liable to see the adult losing.
