10:06 am today

Lucy Foulkes: Why teens behave the way they do

From Nine To Noon, 10:06 am today
Dr Lucy Foulkes, author of Coming of Age

Photo: supplied/ Oxford University

Adolescence is a time many of us might want to forget: full of self doubt, peer pressure, bullying, and self consciousness.

It's also a time of intense friendships, first love, risk taking and self discovery.

Dr Lucy Foulkes is an academic psychologist at the University of Oxford, where she leads research into adolescent mental health and social development.

In her new book, Coming of Age, she draws on decades of research to reveal why teens behave the way they do.

Dr Foulkes says even though it's terrifying for parents, we need to let our teens take some risks - and recognise that much of what happens in adolescence is normal and healthy