It's useful to remember that your own behaviour can improve or worsen an aggressive situation, so it's important to be a good role model for your teen.

Linda Blair, clinical psychologist working with families, advises: "If you act aggressively but tell them not to, they won't listen. It's also helpful to remember that their anger is often based on fear - fear that they're losing control."

Linda recommends these tips:

try to maintain a calm and peaceful presence - you need to be strong without being threatening
make sure your body language reflects your willingness to listen
avoid staring them in the eye and give them personal space
if an argument feels out of control, explain to your teen that you are going to walk away and come back again in half an hour in order for things to calm down

Breathing exercises can help take the intensity out of an argument. Take a deep breath, hold for a few seconds and then exhale. Repeat five times.

When your teen is calm, suggest this technique to them so they, too, have a way of controlling their anger.

Remember that teens may not know how to handle their anger, and this can leave them frustrated and frightened.

However, as with toddlers, if you give in to teenagers because their shouting and screaming intimidates or baffles you, you are in effect encouraging them to repeat the unreasonable behaviour as a way of getting what they want.

Teen Aggression and Arguments