Troubled Teens Resources

One of the most valuable gifts that schools for troubled teens can provide their willing students is the gift of themselves. Away from the battlefields of drugs and family hardships, in the growing strength of being drug free, a teen has time and peace enough to explore their skills, talents and abilities. Often they are amazed to discover that they are writers, or artists, or sculptors, or engineers.

When it isn’t possible for juveniles to enter troubled teen boarding schools, you hope to be able to find local teen programs that can teach the same lesson. One such program that brings art to troubled teenagers was started by a woman who made the same long journey as the troubled teens that she helps.

“Price Davis’ affinity for troubled teens stems from her own difficult childhood, she said. Alcoholism, abuse and poverty all played a role. She married two days after her graduation…

It wasn’t until eight years later, divorced and with two children to raise, that she entered college. This time she paid her own way through, working four or five part-time jobs to make ends meet.

“My ticket out (of poverty) was my brains,” she said. Her mission is to help young people find their own particular strengths.”

Her brains are responsible for the successful Arts Prevention Program for troubled youth, a program that can give a teen the gift of themselves.

“I know because of my psychology background that making art reduces resistance and changes behavior. It bypasses that counter-argument mechanism. When they’re in that zone or flow of the moment, they’re much more able to hear.”

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Troubled teen boarding schools can play a very vital role in society. The juvenile justice system currently struggles with teens whose crimes are so severe that juvenile justice can not adequately address them. How many priors does a violent teen rack up before he finally takes his place amongst adult murderers and rapists? If boot camps or schools for troubled teens are an option, can the burgeoning teen criminal be diverted from more serious offenses?

“By the time they were facing serious time, many juvenile criminals had racked up records that included a string of dismissed charges, cases that were diverted to other programs, and convictions that drew no substantial prison time.

A few were juveniles such as Charles Rodriguez. His rap sheet began by age 11. A week after he turned 17, he fired a gun into a crowd and wounded four people. This year, at 21, he shot and killed a man in a jealous rage.

And then there was Antonio Rogers. Seventeen when he was put on probation for breaking his girlfriend’s jaw in 2004, in 2005, he shot and killed her. Afterward, he took his own life.”

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When the justice system is so overwhelmed that they simply can not lock up or rehabilitate delinquents early in the game, those delinquents will keep re-offending until they finally commit the crime that will qualify them for life in an adult prison. Or kill them.

On way that teens can be sure to end up being sent to troubled teen boarding schools or some kind of boot camp is to post videos of themselves getting high on YouTube. We posted a drug alert earlier advising parents to be aware of the hallucinagenic drug Salvia Divorium , warning that in many states it still has not been outlawed.

Well, troubled teens are privy to the same information and instead of reading about the severe effects of this drug and taking heed, they are instead ingesting it and then videotaping themselves as they stumble about like demented banshees. Yup, that will really get you far in life.

“Even scarier than the websites just talking about Salvia, now teens are video taping and posting their experiences on websites like youtube. [Senator] Bulloch says, “I went to YouTube and saw all these different postings. And I looked at a lot of them. And its just, its scary, the high that it creates. The hallucination effect that it puts on the body and the dangers of young people, if they have other medical problems maybe their not aware of. This high could really create problems for them.”

Bulloch proposed a bill that would make selling or having it in your possession a misdemeanor in Georgia…Bulloch adds, “There are roughly 15 states now that have passed laws or have study committee looking at the law.”

Bulloch hopes eventually the United States will ban Salvia on a federal level…This strain, Salvia Divorium is native to Mexico, not the U.S., and would be the only form banned.”

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Parents these days are running out of options when it comes to dealing with a “problem teen”. Parents are unable to use physical punishment at the risk of being charged with child abuse, and trying to enforce “grounding” can be a challenge unless you have the time and money to build a place to put your teen under lock and key, which can also be seen as child abuse. What is a parent to do?

There are new options for parents to choose from when dealing with a troubled teen that are safe and effective. Schools for troubled teens are starting to become an option a large number of parents are using, not only do teens at risk get a great education but they learn respect and other very important skills that will help them become mature honest adults.

“My Troubled Teen is a directory of teen boarding schools, private schools, boot camps, military schools, residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, or Christian programs. Each of these programs vary in the level of therapy and services that they provide to teens.”

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Instead of the usual tales of teen age drug abuse, it’s nice to divert attention to some positive teen items for a change. Not every teen is a candidate for troubled teen boarding schools. A survey conducted by The Associated Press and MTV on what makes teens happy produced some interesting and reassuring results.

It seems that family and parents are the primary contributors to a teen’s sense of well being and happiness.

“They’re my foundation,” says Kristiana St. John, 17, a high-school student from Queens in New York. “My mom tells me that even if I do something stupid, she’s still going to love me no matter what. Just knowing that makes me feel very happy and blessed.”

Another result that seems to contradict prevailing wisdom about teens is that money isn’t a big factor in their sense of contentment.

“Money may make the world go around, but when asked what one thing makes them happiest, almost nobody in the poll mentioned money or anything material. Still, money does play a role in happiness.

Those who can’t afford to buy many of the things they want are less happy with life in general. Just under half of young people think they’d be happier if they had more money, while the same percentage (49 percent) say they’d be just as happy.”

And oddly enough, 92% of the 1,280 teens surveyed definitely intend to be married and have a family. I imagine this remark would put some feminists in a tither.

“I don’t want to be one of those career businesswomen who just doesn’t ever settle down,” says St. John, the New York high-school student.”

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Private boarding schools tend to produce different students than the public school system produces. Of course, much depends on the curriculum and the governing philosophy of the schools. Some progressive schools churn out many youths totally unequipped to deal with the realities of adult life, but quite suited for a career in Hollywood

On the other hand, those private and specialty schools that have a more traditional approach to education and youth turn out teenagers who are ready to take the next steps into responsible adulthood. Established and reputable troubled teen boarding schools are very intentional about turning out mature, self-directing teens.

Unfortunately,studies indicate that millions of teens entering their twenties are mentally still in high school.

“I think the early 20s are the new teenage years,” says Rea, 26, a college student studying to be a history teacher. “There are no parents telling them, ‘You can’t do this.’ It’s pretty much a free-for-all.”

That statement points to the gist of the problem. A twenty year old shouldn’t need a parent telling them that something is dangerous. The educational system is supposed to be training kids to a level of maturity that would make destructive drinking and drugging in college unacceptable.

In fact, there was a time when a teen would never take so lightly what a college education represents. Now it has largely become an excuse to extend the high school prom.

American society has taken great pains to prevent adolescents from the perils of foolhardy behavior, from zero-tolerance alcohol and drug programs to graduated drivers’ licenses to city curfews for youths, Mintz says.

If teens make mistakes, they often get a second chance. But in their 20s, society is less forgiving.

“It’s the 20s that are risky,” he says.”

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Defying authority was the rallying cry of the much lamented hippie movement and if only troubled teenagers today understood how little that will get them. If they ever saw any of the aging and ridiculous “flower children” at recent war protests, they might want to consider that their future portrait if they think there is anything to be gained by personal anarchy. Maybe there would be fewer left over hippies if there had been more troubled teen boarding schools back then, but troubled teens were not yet in the vocabulary, even if they were in the streets.

However, parents in recent years have looked at their defiant child or teenager and wondered if they were observing what has come to be labeled as Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

The following are some symptoms to look for if that is the behavioral problem that you are currently trying to examine.The link below will take you to more info.

Symptoms of ODD may include:

• Throwing repeated temper tantrums
• Excessively arguing with adults
• Actively refusing to comply with requests and rules
• Deliberately trying to annoy or upset others, or being easily annoyed by others
• Blaming others for your mistakes
• Having frequent outbursts of anger and resentment
• Being spiteful and seeking revenge
• Swearing or using obscene language
• Saying mean and hateful things when upset

In addition, many children with ODD are moody, easily frustrated and have a low self-esteem. They also may abuse drugs and alcohol.
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Teens at risk typically do not wake up one morning and rob their neighbor. There is a long road a troubled teen must travel before their life degenerates into that of a thief, or worse, a murderer. But it is a road usually fueled by addiction and addiction usually starts innocently enough. A joint here, a small dime bag there, troubles at home, troubles at school - for emotionally immature teens, all of these factors can rapidly snowball to stimulate more drug use, robberies to support the drug abuse, and the beat goes on, we all know this too common tale.

“Cory Miller is a 17-year old inmate. Last year, he was charged as an adult for two armed robberies and sentenced to six years. Today instead of just serving time, he’s taking the time to tell teens how to stay out of trouble. Miller says, “Trying to meet them and help them see that the streets and all the crime ain’t worth it. It’s going to amount to being here.”

Ironically, Miller was in this same classroom four years ago, listening to an inmate tell him how to stay out of jail. He didn’t listen. Plotkin says, “Unfortunately he made some wrong choices and ended up exactly where that inmate was, he saw, as a youngster.”

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Though parents often cringe at the idea of schools for troubled teens, a jail sentence is far more severe. If you suspect that your teenager is going rapidly down that road to crime and addiction, start doing your research into troubled teen boarding schools that will offer your teen the detour he needs to take before he takes that road directly to jail.

A recent study reveals data about teen age girls that professionals at girls boarding schools or troubled teen boarding schools would most likely agree with. What may surprise some parents of troubled teenagers is that girls appear to be twice as aggressive and combative as teen boys and equal with boys in their drug and alcohol consumption.

“Girls in U.S. juvenile detention centers face different psychological issues than average teen girls and perhaps more severe issues than incarcerated boys.

In a four-state survey, girls were found to be twice as likely as boys to be aggressive, and just as likely as boys to have problems with alcohol or drug use, findings that surprised psychologist Elizabeth Cauffman, who has worked for years with troubled teens in California and Pennsylvania.”

Though in general girls tend to internalize their problems, incarcerated teen girls were more likely to erupt in fights. In addition to marked hostility and aggression, female prisoners experience higher degrees of anxiety, sleeping problems and depression than do boys.

“One helpful change, Cauffman said, would be to evaluate the mental health issues of teens – both male and female – when they enter the correctional system. The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Version 2, which Cauffman used as the evaluation tool for her study, was designed specifically for juvenile offenders and can be administered by staff at juvenile detention centers. The screening flags areas for concern – such as depression, drug use, or aggression – that may require further evaluation by a mental health professional.”

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Joey lived in a very narrow world. His mother worked three jobs, his brother was in jail on drug charges and his father long gone. Drab was the main color, anger the incessant rhythm, and hopelessness the only expectation. Maybe that is why, when he heard the strains of Mozart from a small music store, it felt to him like his world, in one mere second, had been transformed.

You could say Mozart changed his life because the hunger it stirred in Joey compelled him to awkwardly push open the door of the shop to hear more and there he met the mentor who would guide this fledgling musician to a music scholarship years later.

Most troubled teenagers are not so fortunate. Teenagers are often chided for making poor choices. What also must be kept in mind is,for some teens at risk, their range of choices are limited. Joey chanced upon classical music by mere happenstance. That choice was not available in his home or school. Sometimes the most powerful experience for a teen are those that expose them to new and unique possibilities.

“Through the Youth Challenge program, these boys are learning how to say no to drugs and yes to art.

Fourteen-year-old Ian showcased his colorful painting of a lighthouse with a bright yellow sun in the backdrop Monday during a program and reception…

It was a celebration of what Ian and other boys in Youth Challenge have accomplished through art and community service since they began attending the program at Youth Town in Pinson. The students in Youth Challenge dress in camouflage fatigues and adhere to a military routine.”

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Image Credit:Jacksonsun.com

That is what boot camps and troubled teen boarding schools can provide. The opportunity for a teen to discover the gifts and talents that they had no opportunity to exercise before. Through such programs teens discover their flair with words or their skills with cameras, but more importantly, they learn that if they stay in the game, the choices are rich and varied and the future is theirs for the taking.