Teenagers are notorious for testing the waters of the legal system. This is especially true if they get into the wrong crowd, or worse, join a gang. According to The Center for Disease Control (CDC), juveniles are arrested for murder, rape, assault, and homicides. These crimes happen often, and many of them lead teens to incarceration or admission into a residential treatment center.
Jail time isn’t definite for troubled teens. As parents, we can stop them from travelling down that road.
We need support for ourselves first. Speaking to other parents, especially those who have adolescents involved in similar illegal activities can help ease our anxieties and learn about resources in the community.
Many communities offer programs for troubled teens. These programs include after-school activities and weekend retreats. This keeps teenagers busy, which can distract them from engaging in troublesome behaviors.
For teenagers with behavioral issues, therapy is always an option. Some therapists specialize in troubled teens, so they know how to handle teenagers who may be under the spell of their peers. Consistent therapy is important because it can take time to convince adolescents their previous decisions were not good for them, and then help them understand how to make good choices.
If you’re a parent that has already tried these options, but still continue to hear about or get your teen escorted home by police, it may be time to consider a therapeutic boarding school. Therapeutic boarding schools offer programs to support, guide, and comfort teens who are having a difficult time. Academics, therapy, and a structured daily routine teach teens how to behave outside of the facility. Without the pressures of peers and distractions of their community, they can focus on what really matters – themselves.
Experts believe the best treatment for teens with behavioral problems is family therapy. It’s essential to find a therapeutic boarding school that involves family in the programs. Identifying issues, learning new ways to approach problems, and improving communication skills can make homecoming a success.
Many teens are already dependent on drugs and/or alcohol. Therapeutic boarding schools can help them with their addiction. It’s much easier to tackle substance abuse in adolescent than in middle age, so getting the help your teen needs now may prevent a great deal of suffering in the future.
Teens with mental illness often engage in delinquent behavior. Therapeutic boarding schools have mental health professionals available for assessment and medication management. A teen can get the treatment needed to stabilize, so he can return home at baseline.
We do the best we can as parents. Sometimes, we need help from outside of our community. We need to reach out to the experts who can really help our teens. Treatment centers for troubled teens can do that, so consider them as you search for a way to keep your teen from serving jail time.
Liahona Academy offers effective, troubled youth programs. Contact us today for more information on how we can help your teen.
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