Looks can be deceiving. And you can’t judge a teen by his behavior any more than you can judge a book by its cover.

Hi, I’m Mark Gregston … with Parenting Today’s Teens.

Moms and dads have a habit of labeling disobedient kids as rebels. But nine times out of ten, their so- called rebellion is just a natural response to a past or present issue in their life. Unless parents understand the root cause, they won’t be able to stop the behavior and encourage healing within the family.

If you’re the parent of a so-called “rebellious” teen, here’s my question for you: Is your teen’s inappropriate behavior actually rebellion … or the symptom of a deeper issue?

So go beyond what you see and look into the heart of your teen. What looks like rebellion to you … could really be a cry for help.