Parenting Newsletter Aspen Education Group

In this issue:
Nurturing Self-Confidence in Teens

Teens Using Drugs and Alcohol to Cope with the Stress of an Ailing Economy

The Drawbacks of Juvenile Boot Camps' Confrontational Approach

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Nurturing Self-Confidence in Teens

An Interview with Jordana Metz, LCSW, M.Ed

How an adolescent acts is directly related to the way he feels about himself. Studies show that teens who feel worthy, valuable, and accepted are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, engage in risky behaviors, and act out at home or in school.

Instilling Self Confidence in Teenagers

In a book titled Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future, authors Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern explore the importance of self-esteem in reaching at-risk youth. According to the authors, adolescents are vulnerable to learning, social, and emotional problems if they do not develop a strong sense of self-worth.

But where does self-esteem come from? Stanley Coopersmith, renowned psychologist and author who was among the first to study the sources of self-esteem, examined 1,748 middle-class children and their families and found that three important characteristics distinguish children with the highest self-esteem: (1) The children were more loved and appreciated at home; (2) They had parents who set firm guidelines; and (3) Their homes were characterized by democracy and openness. Coopersmith also identified four basic components of high self-esteem in children: significance, competence, power, and virtue.

The staff at the Academy at Swift River, a therapeutic boarding school for adolescents ages 14-17.5 in Massachusetts, works to nurture self-esteem in struggling teens by integrating each of these components in its clinical, academic, and residential programs.

Learn how to instill confidence in your teenager >>

Teens Using Drugs and Alcohol to Cope with the Stress of an Ailing Economy

In the midst of a financial crisis, parents often feel, “I’m the one who has to pay the bills, what does my teen have to worry about?”

A whole lot, according to the addiction experts at Phoenix Outdoor, a therapeutic wilderness program for teens struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.

“Teens are already balancing school and relationship stress, media influences, and pressures to fit in and succeed,” says Eric Belsterling, an adolescent therapist at Phoenix Outdoor. “When you add worries about getting jobs and affording college in a difficult economy, a number of teens begin self-medicating their stresses with drugs and alcohol.”

Why Are Teens So Stressed?

Teens are stressed by the economic crisis for many of the same reasons as their parents. After all, adolescents are only a few short years away from going away to college, entering the workforce, and taking on more adult responsibilities.

Learn why stress can lead to teen drug use >>

The Drawbacks of Juvenile Boot Camps' Confrontational Approach

Decades ago in the United States, some young men who had committed certain crimes were given the choice of enlisting in the Army or going to jail. This informal diversion program was based in part on the belief that wayward young men might be set straight by the strict discipline and intense regimentation of military life.

The military is no longer offered as an alternative to imprisonment, but a belief in the rehabilitative powers of discipline, physical labor, and strict living conditions still exists. In fact, this philosophy is a central tenet of many boot camps for juvenile offenders and other troubled teens.

Though these boot camps for adolescents are not affiliated with the U.S. military, many attempt to simulate the military experience by featuring components such as an intense indoctrination period, mandatory physical fitness, strict rules and harsh punishments, and a tightly controlled living environment.

But many questions remain. Can a system that was inspired by an effort to mold civilian adults into battle-ready soldiers help troubled teens transform into responsible members of society? And is a confrontational approach an appropriate (and safe) way to rehabilitate teenage boys and girls? In other words, are juvenile boot camps worth the risk?

Continue reading about the disadvantages of most boot camps >>

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