Dr John Coleman

John Coleman is a psychologist with a long-standing interest in adolescence. He has had many different roles in his career, including running a therapeutic community for troubled teenagers, acting as Director of a research centre, advising Government as a civil servant, and taking various academic posts. Most recently he was a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Education, University of Oxford (2006-2015). He is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Bedfordshire. His interests include parenting, the digital world, the teenage brain and young people’s health. He has written a number of books on the teenage years, and has an international reputation for his work on adolescence. In 2001 he was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his work on youth.

Useful articles

Parents of teenagers in China

Parents of teenagers in China

In 2021 I was contacted by a parenting organization in Beijing to tell me that they had arranged for my book “Why won’t my teenager talk to me?” to be translated into Chinese.  I was delighted, and not a little surprised. They asked if I would like a copy, and before...

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The Teacher and The Teenage Brain

The Teacher and The Teenage Brain

Publisher: Routledge Publication Date: 27th May 2021 I wrote this book, “The teacher and the teenage brain”, for two reasons.  First, because I believe that knowledge about teenage brain development can make a profound difference to the way adults understand and...

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Parents and teenagers at a time of Coronavirus

Parents and teenagers at a time of Coronavirus

Contents A brief guide for parents Making sense of teenagers’ emotions Tips for parents Tips for teenagers A quiz for teenagers to complete   A brief guide for parents Being stuck at home for weeks on end will be a huge test for all families. Even if parents and young...

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Knife Crime

Knife Crime

The deaths and injuries to young people in our city centres as a result of knife crime are both a disgrace and a terrible tragedy. Yet the response of politicians and policy makers has been to lay the blame almost entirely on falling police numbers. As a result of...

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A workshop for Parents

A workshop for Parents

“The teen brain – a workshop for parents” A 40-slide powerpoint presentation: These slides are designed for a 2 hour session. The workshop is designed for parents or carers of teenagers.  It would be appropriate for parents or carers of any age teenager during the...

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Social media and teenagers, a practical approach

Social media and teenagers, a practical approach

Is social media damaging the mental health of young people? It’s important to look behind the headlines. There is no doubt that today social media is seen by adults as representing a major threat to young people. There is much debate in the press and in public about...

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From child to adult, the adolescent period represents one of the greats psychological transitions we experience. 

Dr John Coleman