Teens At Risk I

When dealing with teenagers ,  the following approach  may be helpful:

• Fact finding:  Listen to the teen. Try to get him to talk about what is bothering him. Identify the problem. Try to listen only and not give advice.
• Identify who is the problem. Who is on his case giving him a hard time? Who is causing him verbal, emotional or physical abuse?
• What does he like to do (activities and learning)? What is he good at? Every one like something. Try to talk about these activities. This will help build a relationship with the teen.
• Ask him what he wants to be when he grows up. Let him give you a vision of himself today and also in a few years from now.
• Try to find out if he is always compared to someone else and asked why he is not like him. This could be a sibling, friend or relative. Explain to him that this type of outlook does not work. You have to be yourself. You can try to copy good examples of others but not trying to be that person. Ha’ already has one person doing that task. If he will try to do the other persons task, who will do his assignment. To succeed you have to be yourself and try to accomplish what you can. Everyone has his own assets and faults.
• Try to build a program around his strengths and likes. Suggest to him one goal at a time. Let him tell you how he thinks he can accomplish it. He has to suggest the approach in order for this to work. He can not be told what to do; if you don’t want him to rebel. The approach must be his and he must feel in control.
• Provide a lot of care, encouragement, and support during his journey. Explain to him that falling down is part of the journey. It’s normal to fail some of the time. You can’t give up! He has to pick himself up and try again. This is the only way to succeed.
• This approach must be natural; not me reading from a list of things to do.