Parents today contend not only with yesterday’s worries — drug abuse, bullying, teenage sex and delinquency – but new challenges. The digital age has introduced adult predators and other online hazards, and body-altering decorating such as tattoos and piercings are popular temptations, said James G. Wellborn, a clinical psychologist with 18 years of experience working with parents and teens.

“The teenage years are unlike any other in a person’s life – it’s a unique in-between period from childhood to adulthood, and it’s helpful to remember that problems during this time are actually normal, But teens still require guidance, encouragement and good ideas to see them through to adulthood.” said Wellborn, author of the new book “Raising Teens in the 21st Century: A Practical Guide to Effective Parenting.”

A universally admired trait, spanning all cultures, religion and philosophy, is compassion. A truly compassionate teen will inevitably have a host of other positive qualities, Wellborn said, including patience, understanding, sensitivity, tolerance, intuition and more. He said parents can encourage compassion in the following ways: