Self-confidence is important for teens – and everyone else – for many reasons.

When teens
understand that they are of value and have purpose, they are more likely to try something new
and set ambitious goals. Confident teens stand by their values and beliefs, and aren't easily
swayed by others. They are less likely to give into peer pressure and more likely to make well-
thought-out decisions. Teens with self-confidence are better equipped to handle the
disappointments and failures that are part of life.

Teenagers are confronted with a variety of tough issues, and learning how to deal with them
can test their confidence. Tough issues range from dealing with changes to their physical
appearance to being accepted in friendship groups. This is then reflected in how they behave in
public, how well they perform in school and other areas of their life, and family expectations.
By becoming more accepting of themselves, teenagers become better equipped to deal with
hurtful things that may damage their self-confidence. Self-confidence is the belief that you’ll be
successful in a particular situation or at a specific task. Your child’s self-confidence is related to
their self-esteem, which is feeling good about yourself and feeling that you’re a worthwhile
person. But, having high self-esteem doesn’t mean you always feel confident. Self-confidence
can vary throughout life, particularly during major life changes such as adolescence. It’s
estimated that up to half of adolescents will struggle with low confidence levels during the early
teenage years. Self-confidence helps teenagers make safe, informed decisions. Confident
teenagers can avoid people and situations that aren’t necessarily right for them, and to find
those that are.
Confidence helps teenagers feel they can make safe, informed decisions and avoid people and
situations that aren’t right for them. If your child is confident, they’re also more likely to be
assertive, positive, engaged, enthusiastic and persistent. Teenagers with low confidence are
less likely to join in activities, more likely to hold back in class, and might be more willing to give
in to peer influence. When a teenage child lacks confidence, they might expect to fail at things
they try, or they might not try as hard when things get tricky. For example, a confident teenage
child who has friendship problems might be upset for a little while. But then they might realise
that they can bounce back from the sadness they’re feeling and focus on the positive aspects of
their life, like other friends and family. A less confident child might be more upset or feel that
the problems are all their fault. This could affect their self-esteem and leave them feeling that
they aren’t worth being friends with.

Adolescence is a transitional period marked by substantial changes in physical maturation,

cognitive abilities, and social interactions. Physical maturation most clearly distinguishes
adolescence from childhood. Pubertal development is the hallmark of early adolescence and
combines rapid physical growth with the maturation of the reproductive system. Many of the
developmental challenges initiated during childhood, such as becoming autonomous,
establishing an identity, and forming and maintaining relationships with others continue into
adolescence but earlier progress on these challenges can be transformed by adolescents’ newly
obtained physical and cognitive abilities. Although the popular characterization of adolescence
as a troublesome time caused by raging hormones is not an accurate characterization of the
experience of most adolescents, rates of involvement in many antisocial and risk-taking
behaviors increase during adolescence and peak in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Factors that hamper teenagers from building self-confidence are trusting Other People's
Opinions of Us, Shifting the Blame to Others, Not Putting in the Effort, Negative Self-Suggestion,
and Unsupportive Environment.