Resources for Defiant Teens

Defiant teens display an array of behaviors that can frustrate and frighten parents. You defiant teen might run away from home, drink alcohol, curse, skip school or refuse to comply with household rules. Depending on the severity of your teen̵7;s defiance, he might benefit from something as simple as a new mentoring relationship. If your teen regularly engages in dangerous behaviors, however, he might require intensive, out-of-home treatment.

  1. Mentoring

    • Researchers from Education Northwest found that mentoring relationships can help defiant teens improve their self-esteem and engage in fewer risk-taking behaviors. Furthermore, the organization's research indicates that teens with positive, adult mentors show better performance in school than troubled teens who do not have such mentoring relationships. You can find a mentor for your teen through formal organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, but informal mentors, such as trusted adults your teen knows through school, community or religious groups can also provide valuable guidance and support.

    Therapy Groups

    • Defiant teens can benefit from participating in group therapy with adolescents who display similar troubling behaviors, according to the National Institutes for Mental Health. Group therapy facilitated by a counselor or other trained behavioral health worker can teach defiant adolescents discipline, anger management skills and other tools to manage their impulses. Additionally, group therapy allows defiant teens to connect with other young people their own age and share their concerns in a safe setting. Finally, therapy groups can be beneficial for defiant teens because they give the adolescent the chance to try out new, positive social behaviors.

    Professional Counseling

    • Individual counseling can be a powerful resource for defiant teens, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. A therapist can give your teen a safe, confidential space to process his emotions and explore what factors are underlying his defiance. Likewise, in addition to individual counseling, family therapy can be a good way to open up lines of communication with your defiant teen and learn new strategies for maintaining harmony in the family.

    Intensive Services

    • For defiant teens who pose a danger to themselves or others by abusing drugs, assaulting others or running away from home frequently, intensive out-of-home services might be appropriate. Such options include military school or psychiatric residential treatment. The type of out-of home treatment that is appropriate for your teen will depend on several factors, including the type of behaviors he has displayed, whether he has a mental health diagnosis and the individual program̵7;s admission criteria.

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