'It hurt me to see my son skip off with a stranger'
Adolescents need ‘one good adult’ to turn to – and that may not always be a parent
Emily Mulvihill with her son Eoin (15) and mentoring volunteer Brian Doherty in Galway. Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy
Peers may seem to be all that matters to teenagers, but they still need “one good adult” to turn to during the emotional turmoil that is adolescence. As parents we would like to think we are that “good adult”. But what if we’re not – at least for one or more of our own teenagers?