Oxytocin Imbalance in Adolescent Girls May Lead to Aggression: Managing Teen Health

Adolescence is a challenging time for many teenagers and their parents, especially during high school years. With fluctuating hormones and peer pressure challenges, many teens find they are in a never-ending state of turmoil, often feeling frustrated and anxious. If you are the parent of a teenager who is experiencing complications with anxiety and aggression, it may be related to a very specific hormonal implication.

In female teenagers, the hormone oxytocin may be implicated in the development of an overly aggressive nature. When in combination with vasopressin, another hormone, the result often leads to quite angry expressions of frustration and emotional outbursts in young girls. It is important, therefore, that you ask your child's pediatrician to assess these biochemical implications, especially when they are interfering with your daughter's ability to function and interact on a personal level.

When not managed effectively, your daughter's imbalance of oxytocin can lead to lifelong issues with aggression and anxiety. While oxytocin is an essential part of a woman's biochemical make-up, it can lead to complications involving aggression as your daughter ages and develops her own relationships into adulthood. Because women do not possess large amounts of androgen hormones, the aggression normally affiliated with testosterone and men is highly unexpected in women. However, oxytocin, when not in proper balance, and in abnormally low levels, can serve the same promote the same response with regard to aggression that we see in men.

Oxytocin is believed to reduce the perception of threats that women often experience. In other words, when the oxytocin levels are normal or extremely high, a woman may experience a greater sense of bonding and connection, while becoming more trusting and nurturing of others. When oxytocin levels are abnormally low, and out of balance, the perception of threat is often heightened, leading to greater distrust. Unfortunately, without proper management, young girls who grow into women with low oxytocin levels find they are more belligerent towards their partners. The good news, if any, is that these same women do not often show aggression toward children or pets.

If your daughter is overly aggressive and highly aroused by the simplest of life experiences, this is certainly and indication of a hormonal complication. To ensure your daughter has the best possible outcome, as she transitions into adulthood, ask your pediatrician about the management of oxytocin levels and find ways in which to promote a more balanced level. In doing so, you can work to ensure your daughter's expressions of aggression during adolescence can be more effectively managed while promoting an easier transition into adulthood.