How Long Do You Endure a Teen’s Behavior Before Seeking a Troubled Teen School for Help

Often it can be difficult for parents to deciding to send their troubled teens to a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center. Some parents will try to put it off for as long as possible. These parents will continue to—rightfully—seek other methods of treatment. But what do you do if the other methods of helping your troubled teen haven't been working? How long should you keep waiting and trying to endure your teen’s poor behaviors before enrolling them in a troubled teen school? Many troubled teens end up causing serious damage to themselves and their family before parents decide it is time to find a troubled teen school. Rather than reach that point with your teen and family members, we have some things for you to consider to help you determine if it is time to send your child to a school for troubled teens.

Consider Your Current Intervention Attempts

A major reason why parents delay sending their teenagers to troubled teen schools is because they feel like they haven’t done enough. While this feeling is common, it is often untrue. Most parents exhaust all their local resources—from different schools to having their teen start fresh while living with a relative. It can help if you create a visual list showing what types of intervention you have used to try and help your teen overcome their struggles, as well as making notes about how successful the intervention was overall. With the clear evidence of your efforts in front of your face, you may find there is another local resource you may want to use, or see that you have done all you truly can for your child.

Red Flags For Parents Of Troubled Teens

There are different breaking points for when parents send their kids to schools for troubled teens. However, there are some common at-risk behaviors that many troubled teens engage in that are significant red flags that indicate it is time for greater professional intervention.

Substance Abuse

It is not uncommon for troubled teens to become involved in substance abuse—from underage drinking to abuse harder drugs. Often, there are no rehabilitative resources for minors—aside from short stints in in-patient treatment. However, as any former substance abuser will say, the hard part wasn’t quitting, it was remaining clean. Teens who become involved in substance abuse are far less likely to thrive and may end up dropping out of high school altogether.

Unmanaged Mental Health

A red flag for many parents is when their teen has unmanaged mental health issues. For those who struggle with depression and anxiety, often working with a good therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy can help teens develop the right tools. But for struggling teens who lash out aggressively due to their mental health challenges, it can be harder to find them help. Many of these teens resist therapeutic and medical intervention, so they need a more immersive therapeutic environment to thrive.

Academic Failure

One of the earliest red flags for parents of troubled teens is academic failure. Unless that particular teacher is failing everyone, it is far more likely that your teen’s personal troubles have made their ability to thrive in an academic setting difficult.

Delinquent Behavior

Teens who engage in delinquent behavior—from shoplifting to skipping school—are setting up a pattern for future failure. This red flag should be immediately addressed so that your teen doesn’t develop a habit of engaging in delinquent behavior.

Explore The Benefits Of A School For Troubled Teens

To help your troubled teen resolve the issues that have been holding them back, going through a behavior modification program at a school for troubled teens can make a world of difference. At a school for troubled teens, your child won’t be left to struggle behind a classroom full of students and one overworked teacher. Instead, schools like the one at Liahona Treatment Center focus on small classrooms with tutors to help students succeed. Also, your teen will receive the therapeutic help they have needed but may have been rejecting before. When surrounded by peers who may be encouraging your teen to do the wrong thing, it can be hard for a teenager to make better choices. At Liahona, your teen will have various therapeutic outlets, and they will be supported and encouraged to make better choices. If you would like more information about Liahona, feel free to contact us. We are here to help and can walk you through what our program offers and if it is a good fit for your teenage son.