School Options for Troubled Teens
Troubled teens are involved in things that negatively impact their lives, such as drugs and alcohol, crime, gangs or abusive relationships. These situations are not always under the teenager's control. When it comes to schooling, troubled teens and the parents and guardians of troubled teens have several options specifically designed to assist them in getting an education. These options might provide additional care ,including counseling, tutoring, supervision, communication skills, survival techniques or medical and therapeutic assistance.
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Boarding School
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Boarding schools are for troubled teens who need 24-hour supervision. Runaway teens or those with drug abuse problems benefit from the constant supervision. Boarding schools provide a drastic change in atmosphere for the teen in an attempt to quickly end his destructive behavior, including removing the teen from negative influences. Smaller student-to-teacher ratios helps provide an individual focus on academic achievement. Different kinds of boarding schools include conservative, military, religious, therapeutic and specialty schools.
Boot Camp
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A state or a private group may run boot camps, which strives to force a troubled teen to take direction of her life through physical and mental trials. A teen spends about a month at camp and faces challenges that will help her overcome negative influences and behaviors, providing a reality check that was otherwise not present. As they are short-term options for teens, boot camp is not an ideal option for those looking for long-term schooling.
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Wilderness Camp
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Wilderness camps encourage a teen to correct his behavior by accepting responsibility for his actions. He uses exploration and knowledge of his environment to learn survival instincts, develop communication skills and build positive relationships. Conventional wilderness camps do not lend well to emotional healing of a troubled teen but help him overcome physical challenges and self-esteem issues. Therapeutic wilderness camps help to address a troubled teen with emotional issues as he develops close, personal relationships with counselors and other teens going through similar struggles.
Considerations
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Parents or guardians looking at school options for troubled teens should thoroughly research institutions before sending their troubled teen. Things to consider include if the school is public or private, who accredits the institution, the offered courses, if it is a boarding school or day school and how big the student population and faculties are. They should also inquire about what problems the school focuses on, safety measures, approach to discipline, therapy options and counseling.
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References
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