Helping troubled teens is a complicated issue. There are many schools of thought, and no single concept is comprehensive enough to help for troubled teens.
Some teens respond the best to a boot camp assignment. They are kids who have had too much, too soon and have too many responsibilities, too little supervision, too little education, too many let-downs and too little love. They seem to almost welcome having someone to tell them what to do, as if it brings them back in time to when they were the children, not the adult figures in their homes. There is relief in following the rules and doing the work that is required of them.
Some teens profit by incarceration, though if there was a choice given to them, they would not choose this method. Kids who profit by this situation are the kind of kids who have never understood what the word consequences meant, the ones who always pushed the envelope because they thought themselves invincible. They can be rich or poor, black or white, but that is the one seemingly common denominator. Though there are always exceptions to every rule, once these teens feel the clang of the bars closing behind them, it makes them instantly aware of their surroundings and that they are not able to freely walk out.
Some teens do better in a hospital or rehabilitation setting. They are in desperate circumstances because of too many mind altering substances, these are the teens that have been exposed to the drug and alcohol culture and are unable to leave that world behind on their own. They started using substances as a way to fit in and found they couldn’t fit in anywhere but inside that culture. They have often been arrested and put on probation, only to fail at that, too. Unless they are removed from the situation, they are unable to get free of its influence. Most often, they are relieved to be free of the substances. Sometimes they must make repeat visits to treatment.
Help with troubled teens is no simple project, and one that needs more research. The biggest Christian help for troubled teens would be for them to have parents or other caregivers who love and support them in their education and social growth before they become troubled. There is also help for parents of troubled teens is the parents are looking for some guidance.
