Troubled Teen Help

As a concerned parent, family friend, teacher, or youth worker, you may be wondering the best way to help a troubled child or teenager in your life. Whether you're dealing with a teenager who has an eating disorder or is abusing herself or a child who is acting out constantly, there are some basic ideas that will equip you to help troubled youth. Here are just a few of those guidelines

You can tell a troubled youth that you care about her all day long, but she won't believe it until you show her. Figure out how the child or teenager likes to be loved - whether it's through a gentle hug, a word of encouragement, or a thoughtful gift - and use appropriate gestures to let him know you really want to build a good relationship with him.

One of the most important ways to help a troubled youth is to be there when he or she needs you. This doesn't mean that you must always drop everything whenever the youth calls, in fact, this can quickly create manipulation and over-dependence in a relationship. If you need to, set specific times the youth can call you, and make a list of possible emergency situations that justify a phone call at any time of the night or day. If you can leave your home open to a troubled youth, he'll appreciate the gesture, but, again, you need to set boundaries. For example, you could say that if the porch light is on, he can knock on your door, but if it's off, he should only knock in an emergency.

If a troubled youth begins talking to you about abuse or very deep emotional problems, your best bet is to help him or her find professional counseling. You may think you're helping, but unless you're trained to deal with these types of issues in a child's or teenager's life, you shouldn't try to pry information or offer advice. Children and teenagers who have come from abusive situations or who are dealing with issues like depression should really speak with a person who knows how to help them work through their emotional baggage in a healthy, constructive way. If a troubled youth comes to you with problems like these, consider helping her family find a good counselor or child psychologist; it's the best way to help in such a situation.