There is nothing like the panic-filled rush of adrenaline when a parent goes to check on their teenager during the night, only to find that their teen is missing. Or the parent who waits for their teen to return home from school, only to see the hours tick by until it is clear—their teen isn’t coming home.
For parents who have been struggling with runaway teens, a boarding school for troubled teens may be the answer they have been looking for all this time.
Troubled Teens Run As A Coping Mechanism
Running away from home is used by teens in two basic ways—as a way to deal with a problem or as a way to gain power. Those troubled teens who use running away as a way to solve a problem can be facing a variety of issues both at home and at school, such as:
Emotional, physical, or mental abuse
Anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues
Poor grades
Conflict with fellow students or teachers
Bullying
For teens who use the threat—and occasional action—of running away to gain power over caregivers, it is still a form of coping. These teens feel powerless otherwise. However, that doesn’t mean you have to be trapped by your teen’s lack of appropriate coping mechanisms. That’s why therapeutic boarding schools are a good solution.
Be Comforted By Knowing Your Teen’s Location
When your teen is attending a boarding school for troubled teens, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief because you will know where your teen location. Many boarding schools have a high staff to student ratio to ensure students have the appropriate amount of supervision.
In fact, in Utah boarding schools for troubled teens, it is state law to have at least 1 direct care staff member for every 5 residents, which doesn’t include the professional staff. With this kind of guidance and supervision, your teen can be taken care of to an extent that isn’t possible at home.
Do keep in mind that boarding schools for troubled teens aren’t locked facilities. That means teens aren’t locked in at the school. However, by opting for an out-of-state boarding school that is located in a small town is a good way to ensure that your teen doesn’t get wandering feet.
Ensures That Your Teen Attends Therapy
Parents often express frustration that they can’t get their chronic runaway teen to consistently go to therapy, and attending therapy is a critical part of a troubled teen’s recovery.
While attending a boarding school for troubled teens, all the attending teens have individual therapy at least once a week. Along with one-on-one therapy, teens in therapeutic boarding schools are immersed in therapeutic practices throughout the day to help them center themselves and reign in negative behaviors.
Allows Teen To Improve Grades In Boarding School
Therapeutic boarding schools have educational programs. The best schools have fully accredited academics, licensed teachers, and tutors to help students catch up on their schooling.
As many troubled teens who are prone to running away have had their behavior impact their academics, helping these teens improve their grades is an integral part of stabilizing their behavior. As teens gain a taste for success when it comes to their education, these teens can build up their confidence.
Helps Your Teen Develop Better Coping Skills
Above, we mentioned that running away is a form of coping for troubled teens. Well, a large emphasis that therapeutic boarding schools have is helping teens learn appropriate coping mechanisms. That way, teens don’t feel like running away is the only way to deal with their issues.
Depending on what led your teen to choose to run away, therapeutic boarding schools help them see that they have other options.
For instance, say your teen has been running away due to social anxiety and conflict in their friend group that they don’t know how to handle. A therapist at a therapeutic boarding school can help your teen develop the needed personal confidence and communication skills to help them more appropriately cope.
Find The Right Boarding School For Your Chronic Runaway Teen
To help your runaway teen overcome their habit of running from their problems, the right therapeutic boarding school can make all the difference. However, there are countless schools out there, and it can be tough to find the one that has what your teen needs.
If you need help finding the right boarding school for your teen, you can always contact us here at Help Your Teen Now.
As parent advocates, we can help you sort through your options and assist you in determining the best troubled teen program for your teen. We provide our help for free and only hope that we are able to assist in bringing your family together again.