Puberty - the turbulent transition from childhood to adulthood, is triggered by a hormonal development surge. For the adolescent, it is an important developmental step towards independence, which presents parents with a difficult balancing act: they must let go without completely separating from their child. The book describes this "crisis-ridden normality" with its significant emotional fluctuations based on psychoanalytic developmental theories, supplemented by numerous illustrative case studies. It addresses the problems that arise when the line is crossed into antisocial and self-destructive behaviors. The issues of violence, promiscuity, early pregnancies, and suicidal tendencies are discussed, along with the causes and potential solutions presented through concrete examples.