Colman Noctor: What seems like rejection to some teens may not be rejection at all 

We need to help young people realise the important difference between someone disliking them and someone simply not knowing them

Adolescents can be hypervigilant about how others perceive them. A glance across a classroom, a conversation that stops as they approach, or an unanswered message can take on enormous significance.

One of the more painful things a parent can hear their child say is: “They don’t like me.” Sometimes, this is because someone has said something cruel, or deliberately excluded them. These experiences can be deeply hurtful, particularly during adolescence, when friendships and belonging occupy such an important place in a young person’s life.

But sometimes when we explore the statement a little further, a different picture emerges.