What Really Happens When You Call the Police on an Unruly Teenager?

There may come a time when you have come to the end of your rope with your teen and you just do not know what to do. Your first inkling may be to put your head in the sand and not deal with it or you may realize in a moment of pandemonium that you need more help than you can give which prompts you to call the police. As you call the police, you could feel a sense of peace being backed by authorities although what happens next will be different for everyone. Depending on the circumstances there is a good chance that you could be helping them to help themselves. If your teenager is endangering your family including younger siblings, having police officers come over and talk to your teen while trying to give them the realities of where their behaviors are leading could be a good option to deter their reckless behavior. Eliciting the help of the officers will be instrumental in sending a strong message to your teen. You will be letting them know that you are not going to tolerate their behavior any longer and that you are not as helpless as they may have once thought. Pressing charges will be a choice you will have to make, though you may not want to with the first police encounter. Your teen needs to know that you will take that option in the future if they do not stop with the behaviors that are wreaking havoc in your home. You may be afraid you are causing your teen to be taken away in handcuffs or with CPS, but typically there will have to be more than one visit for this to happen if there is not a crime being committed. Your other concern may be starting a rap sheet for your teen that could affect their future. If you were to think about this logically you may come to the conclusion that a teen who learns to control themselves with a juvenile record is better than an uncontrollable teen who has no foreseeable course. If this is the case, you may have an unruly teen who is not afraid of the police and will continue to make bad decisions in your presence. If they are exhibiting criminal behaviors including drugs, vandalism, violence, theft, or anything else which they can be arrested for, scare tactics will not typically make a lasting impression. You may then need to consider residential treatment or an intensive outpatient program to get your adolescent help that will make a lasting change.

Stonewater leads the way with progressive, evidence-based programming to most effectively treat each individual adolescent while focusing on the uniqueness of each client. Healing the mind, the body, and the spirit as one in the same can make the biggest difference in staying sober.

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The Stonewater Adolescent Treatment Process

What to Expect When Your Child Goes to Treatment

More than half a million families put a child into residential treatment for adolescents each year. If your family is taking this step, you are not alone - even if it may feel that way. With a clear understanding of what to expect, and trusted guides walking alongside you, this moment can be transformed from a time of fear and uncertainty to the beginning of a new and positive journey. Let's begin.

What Really Happens When You Call the Police on an Unruly Teenager?

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What to Expect When Your Child Goes to Treatment