Troubled Teens Resources

One very effective means of teen crisis intervention is peer pressure. Yes, the same peer pressure that may convince a teenager to try drugs can also convince them not to. Teens have an opportunity to apply some of that type of pressure by presiding over the sentencing of their fellow teens in teen court.

Teen courts exist all over the nation. in one variation or another. and are surprisingly effective in dealing out justice that seems to leave a lasting impression. Teen help in the form of positive peer culture is employed on a far more comprehensive level in behavioral programs in many teen boarding schools.

“The court sees between 25 and 35 defendants each year, Rutten said.

The program has shown it works, Rutten said.

Only about 3 percent of the teens who have completed the court program end up back in the Clallam County juvenile justice system…”

What the teens say, goes. Thus one teen was told to go fishing and catch “dinner” for a week for a disabled person unable to do so. One of the objectives of the program is to help an offender to develop a connection with the community, theory being that teens do not cause harm to a neighborhood that they feel a part of.

“While Rutten and DuBeau observe the court, they do not intervene as the teens hear arguments and pass sentences.

“Kids are doing sentencing; they understand the motivation of why kids did something. They understand kids’ thoughts and action.”
[…]
Teenagers volunteering for the court said they like being in charge, and they take it seriously.”
(source)

Schools for troubled teens do not represent a last option or a desperate choice. Quite the opposite, given prescription drug abuse, meth labs, binge drinking, internet addiction and a whole host of other obstacles a teen must run, if that teen demonstrates behavior that indicates he is likely to stumble, a military boarding school or specialty school can assure that the teen at risk will finish the race.

“Youth need programs designed not to punish, but to heal and equip them to be valued by, and to value, themselves, their families, and others. The Helping Disciplines incorporated in the Tipton Academy include but are not limited to “Animal Assistance”, “Structure”, “Positive Peer Culture”, “Cognitive Self Change”, and an “Individualized Educational Program”. These disciplines are widely recognized as some of the most successful difference makers for troubled teens and adults.”

Each program listed above equips the teens with the tools that he will need to thwart peer pressure, succeed academically, manage emotions and chart a course for the future.

Cognitive Self Change is a prime example.

“This discipline is remarkably distinct in that it teaches how to dramatically alter one’s belief that he is the victim of his own feelings and circumstances. In this discipline, excuses are not accepted. Change takes place when a person makes a conscious decision to think differently about himself and the world in which he exists. The program is an integrated, cognitive behavior change program for youth which includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem-solving skills. It is presented in the format of a small group setting (PPC groups).”

Tipton Academy for Boys

“Rather than demand obedience, Positive Peer Culture demands that young people become the mature and productive human beings they can be. Unfortunately, many adults do not really believe that young people possess the quality of “greatness,” which is perhaps not surprising since youth seldom are provided with opportunities to display their true human potentials. Positive Peer Culture is concerned with setting expectations high enough to challenge the young person to do all he is capable of doing. To expect less is to deprive him of the opportunity of feeling as positively about himself as possible.”
(Source)

“Unfortunately, many adults do not really believe that young people possess the quality of “greatness,” which is perhaps not surprising since youth seldom are provided with opportunities to display their true human potentials.”

Nothing is present day culture calls greatness from our youth. A teenager is instead summoned to greed, base sexuality, self-indulgence, anger and self-loathing.

What if someone, someway, could summon what was great in your teen, instead of what is callow and mean. A teenager will not put a needle in their arm or a pill in their mouth if they are made aware of and believe in their worth.

Positive Peer Culture is a program employed by Tipton Academy for Boys, a troubled teen boarding school that wants at-risk teens to come face to face with their greatness.

Tear down. Build up. Wax on. Wax off. Process. Because healing is a process it can’t be rushed. There are no effective ‘quick fix’ teenage treatment programs. Your drug abusing teen is broken inside. Re-building them inside, empowering your teenager with the use of their own skills and talents, teaching them the value of their life and the values of the lives of those around them takes time.

Choosing a boarding school that fails to offer programs designed to walk your teenager through all the necessary stages of recovery is the same as building on a faulty foundation. Not only do you want to create a stable foundation but the teenager needs also to be equipped with tools to maintain his new purchase on life. That is the why selecting a boarding school that implements a comprehensive treatment program is critical for your teenagers recovery.

Programs of that caliber can be found at Tipton’s Academy for Boys. One component of Tipton’s multi-pronged approach is the use of Positive Peer Culture

“The Positive Peer Culture discipline has a long and successful history. The Tipton Academy incorporates some of the basic components from this discipline. PPC is neither a loosely organized program nor one that is totally run by the adolescents. There is a keen understanding of the need to have adults oversee the process without derailing it by taking over. When a youth arrives at the Tipton Academy, he will be assigned to a group and its staff mentor. He will remain in this group throughout his stay. Each group will have responsibilities associated with it. Groups will be assigned varying details, community service projects, group aspects of the animal assistance program, sports/academic etc. teams, and group PPC sessions. In the group he will learn teamwork, sound decision making in the absence of specific guidelines, and how, through cooperation, significant accomplishments can be made. Staff are taught to understand the need for youth to learn how to work through their issues to help them prepare for similar situations they will have when returning to their families.”