Few people will argue that being a teen boy in today’s world is challenging. After all, they are experiencing strong emotions and mood swings, experiencing a lot of social and academic pressure and start to become more independent, with all the anxiety and excitement that brings to both teens and parents.
Of course, emotional and social changes are all part of growing up, but there are certain teenage boys that struggle with mental health issues. When teen boys have difficulty balancing their emotions with appropriate reactions and they can be especially aggressive to parents and teachers. When teenage boys behave aggressively and are resistant to getting help and making changes, it may be time to consider a therapeutic boarding school. Especially when there are uncommon situations of teen aggression, parents should strongly consider a therapeutic boarding school for boys.
Why Some Teens Become Aggressive
Many teenagers that struggle with emotional development and mental health issues have problems with aggression. This can manifest in a number of ways, from harming others physically or mentally to self-harm. However, many teachers and parents don’t realize that there is more to teen aggression than just being a bully. Becoming more familiar with the different manifestations of teenage aggression can trigger the process of finding help sooner.
Tendencies toward aggression are typical in teens that struggle with different kinds of mental illness, emotional trauma and behavioral issues. Abuse trauma, neglect, fetal alcohol syndrome, exposure to violence, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and more can all trigger aggressive behavior. In extreme cases, teens may struggle with mental illnesses like borderline personality disorders, antisocial behavior and narcissism. Sometimes, teens that were bullied as children turn around and become aggressive to others as a reaction to how they were treated.
Teen aggression is not something that they will grow out of, either. In fact, aggression can be the gateway to a number of other problems that can hinder a teenager’s promising future. Aggressive teens are more likely to rely on alcohol and drugs and develop addictions. Teens with aggression issues are also at greater risk to use violence on others, on animals or on themselves. Parents of troubled teen boys that have aggression and anger issues should definitely seek out a therapeutic boarding school that specializes in this kind of treatment.
Profiles of Aggression in Teen Boys
Parents and teachers need to remember that aggression and violence are not necessarily the same thing. When most people think of aggressive teen boys, they usually picture a large teen that beats up on smaller kids around him. However, this stereotype is so dominant that it is often hard for parents and teachers to recognize other, more unusual forms of aggression. Missing the warning signs of other types of teen aggression could mean that the boys are not getting the right kind of help to break the cycle.
Aggression can be demonstrated in several different ways, as listed here, with some of them more unusual than others:
- Hostile aggression takes place when the teen wants to hurt others physically or mentally. Examples of this are acts like bullying and violent encounters.
- Relational aggression is not physical, but mental. Examples include cyber bullying, verbal abuse, intimidation, gossiping and social exclusion.
- Expressive aggression happens when the teen engages in actions intentionally but does not mean to cause harm. Examples of this might be throwing a book at the wall when angry or kicking up dirt or sand due to frustration.
- Instrumental aggression is physical domination over objects such as toys, electronics, money or food. It is often part of controlling behavior in teens.
- Accidental aggression happens when the teenager doesn’t realize it and doesn’t really intend to harm someone. Examples of this might be pushing past another person or grabbing something and harming someone in the process.
Professional therapy is the best way for teenagers to figure out what is triggering their aggression and then to come up with a plan to manage it. However, when things are serious and teens are not finding much success in weekly therapy or in traditional schools with a counselor, it may be time to consider the healing benefits, safety and structure of a therapeutic boarding school.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools Can Help Aggressive Teen Boys
Parents of teenage boys that are demonstrating growing aggression may not know the best way to handle them. In fact, it’s far too common for parents to ignore the mental health issues and trauma that might be causing the aggression and just look at the problem itself. Grounding and punishments won’t do much to heal a struggling teen boy, but spending time at a therapeutic boarding school certainly can.
Therapeutic boarding schools are an ideal place for aggressive ten boys to learn new ways of handling challenges and overcoming their mental health issues that trigger the anger. Trained therapists with experience in dealing with adolescents work with troubled teens in individual and group sessions that address aggressive and violent behavior. Spending time at a resident boarding school gives teen boys a chance to figure out why they turn to aggression, learn coping techniques to handle their anger and control themselves better. Therapists help the teen boys manage their anger and frustrations and figure out ways to cope that don’t rely on aggression.
Therapeutic boarding schools also help teens in a number of other areas of their lives that are linked to finding success and healing. For example, when teens lack social skills they need to succeed in school, resolve social problems and build trusting relationships, they get frustrated and therefore angry. The anger can trigger aggression and lead the teen in a downward spiral of acting out over and over again.
At a therapeutic boarding school, teens get all the help they can to learn ways to express themselves, figure out ways to adjust to new situations and avoid disruptive behavior. Over time, teens in therapeutic boarding schools are successful at their anger management and gain skills to handle real-world situations.
Choosing the Best Therapeutic Boarding School for Aggressive Teen Boys
Not all therapeutic boarding schools are alike, so parents that have made the decision to look at residential care for their teen boy really do need to do their research. The best therapeutic boarding schools will have experience in dealing with teens and aggression, and they should be able to point parents toward testimonials and references of students and families that have gone through the program.
Parents should also check to make sure that all staff members are properly licensed and accredited. That means therapists, teachers, administration, mentors and more all have their credentials available and easy to review. The academic part of the program should be accredited with a legitimate education branch as well. Of course, the best therapeutic boarding schools have outstanding recreation therapy such as sports, drama, art, equine therapy, outdoor recreation and more.
Parents that do their research will soon find the best therapeutic boarding schools for aggressive teen boys. It’s only with regular therapy and a unique academic program will troubled teen boys find health and happiness as they move toward adulthood.
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