Simply put, an informed parent is a prepared one. He or she is equipped with the knowledge to fight back against the negative images the media, advertising, and more lay out there for adolescents’ hungry minds. Face it, pressures of influence are all around your teen-- if not at school from his peers, then at home from simply turning on the television set. Refer to How you can prevent your teen from trying drugs for more information.

You may have experimented with all other forms/approaches in dealing with your troubled teen before even thinking of placing him/her in a program specializing in addressing defiant behavior.

Keep in mind that utilizing approaches at home are normally affective in cases wherein the adolescent dealt with has his own motivation and is provided with a foundation of support from the family. But this usually isn’t the case for troubled teenagers. In cases such as these, placing your child in a program may be just what he/she needs. Refer to Placing your defiant teen in a program for more information.

A parent should be wary of being overly-critical without showing encouragement. The power of parental encouragement is truly enriching. When you take time to appreciate the good your child is displaying, may it be in school or at home, you are encouraging even more good.

On the contrary, if you focus on the negative aspects of your child, you actually make it even harder for him to get out of a negative rut. It may be a natural instinct of most parents to criticize their child when exposed to their misbehaviors, but constant criticism may lead to a degrading self-concept. Refer to 10 things to steer clear of when dealing with an unruly teen for more information.

The following are examples of questions you can consider when trying to think ahead of your troubled teenager:

• If my teenager actually gets to a point where he uses physical abuse to express his anger, what then?
  
  
• If my teenager gets kicked out of school or suspended, what then?
  
  
• If my teenager does not want to return home, what then?
  
  
• If I know my teenager is engaging in unprotected sexual activities, what then?

Try and think like a teenager in order to predict his moves. After going through these questions, try and think up possible back-up plans for individual cases.