Rebellion is synonymous with teenage adolescence.

Acts of resistance against authority or ideals is an ability that scores of teenagers choose to exercise every day.

Megan Anne Halligan, a junior at Atlantic Tech High, thinks degrees of rebellion increase over time. Fifty years ago, it was short skirts and gyrations a la Elvis Presley. Today, it's piercings, partying, drugs and alcohol.

"If you go back rebelling wasn't really bad. It was really innocent. Now, kids have become more uncontrollable," she said.

Popular culture can sometimes prompt teens to rebel. With society's acceptance of scantily clad heiresses, party-hopping playboys, and adult-themed reality shows, teens are influenced by what they see as everyday occurrences. Then, such behavior becomes a simple matter of "why can't I?"

Many people say the seeds of rebellion grow in the home. Halligan said teens living in stricter homes tend to rebel more because "it's more fun to do something you're not supposed" to do.

Others argue that those living under looser parental controls are the greatest offenders. These types of teens "try all sorts of things because their parents didn't teach them better," said Darlene Kamperveen, a senior at Northeast High.

To prevent acts of rebellion, adults often establish strict policies. Parents install tracking devices in teens' cars, school boards initiate codes of conduct, and the battle between teens and authority continues.

Feeling restricted by the surplus of rules, many teens say the pressure to act appropriately can become overbearing.

"Expectations [are] a major issue for rebellion," Kamperveen said.

Surprisingly, rebellion can be good. "Most people tend to think that to rebel is to commit crimes, do drugs, and things of the like. They're wrong," Kamperveen said.

Whether it's acting against the grain to discredit stereotypes, taking part in political protests, or being different to make a fashion statement, good rebellion does exist.

But the root of adolescent rebellion, South Plantation High senior Shayla Washburn said, is the allure of independence and self-expression.

Teens "don't know any other way to express that individuality than to go against what they are told to do," she said.

Copyright © 2020, Sun Sentinel