Venture Academy - Help for Troubled Teens

Family meals provide calm during stormy teen years

2010-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Parents who think they can pinpoint when their teen’s life went off the rails are often surprised to learn how wrong they are.

Venture Academy therapist and clinical director Connie Buckle says parents will often point to a teen’s drug use or criminal behaviour as the problem when in fact it is merely a symptom of a much deeper problem.

“We ask parents when the difficulty first started and in almost every case it wasn’t something that started last weekend or last month,” Buckle said.

It’s much like a pot of boiling water; something that progresses slowly over time.

Buckle says it’s essential that families reattach with one another.

“The secret is very simple: families spending quality time and being mindful while they're doing it,” she says. “This means when families are having dinner, for example, they are connecting and engaging through conversation as opposed to watching television."

"Parents need to plan regular time as a family unit, focusing on relationship building. This cannot be done at the same time as checking email, using the blackberry or catching up on work. Similarly, it does not take place while a child is engrossed in video games or on the computer."

Buckle says families without rituals like family dinners have no opportunity to come together in one central place for any reason other than one involving conflict.

Human Development Professor Reed Larson agrees consistency and predictability is key during the often-tumultuous teen years.

Lawson says when possible it’s best parents postpone major life changes until after the teen years. His study shows teens inundated with transitions and stressful life events – like moving to a new home or city – were the most moody.

“If a move to a new home or city or change in the household, like an aging grandparent moving into the home can wait, things will probably be easier,” he said in an article posted on 24/7. “If the home is a place that’s filled with hassles, it will only make living in the same house more stressful for everyone.”

Host Families Key to Venture Academy’s Success

2010-09-09T12:15:00.001-07:00

Candi Rowney has yet to meet a troubled teen she couldn’t help and if she ever does then her days as a host parent for Venture Academy will be numbered.

“I look at every teen who comes into my home as in need of, and deserving of, help. If I didn’t then I wouldn’t be doing my job,” Rowney says. “They need assistance to learn new and better ways to face their challenges and manage their difficulties.”

Rowney is a veteran host parent who provides troubled teens with a safe, controlled home environment where they can learn to live with rules and boundaries designed to help them recover from problems that may include drug and alcohol addiction. Her role, as a member of the Venture Academy team, is to provide a stable environment where youth can establish healthy behaviours and routines.

“My job is to help them make better choices and improve their behaviour and to do that by communicating with them at a person-to-person level,” she says. “I don’t take things personally and I don’t get offended when they get mad at me because they came here for those reasons and it is my job to help them deal with issues in a new, more constructive way.”

Rowney provides youth with a loving but structured environment where they can reestablish a healthy routine that includes eating well, doing chores, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.

A key component of each teen’s treatment is the development of an attachment plan focused on developing bonds with Venture Academy staff that will eventually be transferred back to the parents.

Clinical Director Connie Buckle says having teens stay in private homes with trained host parents is key to rebuilding attachment and working towards sustainable change.

“When we look at kids who’ve come from homes where they’ve experienced a lot of conflict we find they are often more peer oriented and disconnected from family,” Buckle said. “What we do in our host family homes is focus on building relationships and attachments and then lending that attachment back to the child’s family when they return home so they can have a better relationship and thereby less conflict.”

Rowney says most teens come to realize their parent’s rules and expectations were actually reasonable. Once that happens, Rowney works on building adult-teen bonds that will eventually be transferred to the parents.

“These kids have disconnected from the positive adults in their lives and what we do is build a bond that they can then transfer to their parents as they work on rebuilding a new more healthy relationship,” she said. “The key is not my developing a bond with a teen. It’s transferring that bond back to the family.”

Saying goodbye to the youth she cares for is both the best and the worst part of the job, Rowney says.

“When you have youth coming into your home who are in trouble or having issues and they come in with their head down and they walk out with their head up, that says it all,” Rowney says. “There is nothing more rewarding than watching them go home, take accountability and take charge of their own life.”

Legal But Lethal – Cough Medicine Abuse in Teens

2010-08-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

An ingredient found in many cough and cold remedies is finding its way into the hands of teens intent on using it to get what is described as a cheap dissociative high.

Dextromethorphan (DXM) – a synthetic ingredient found in more than 125 products including Vicks Nyquil LiquiCaps and Dimetapp DM – is increasingly being misused by teens with ready access to what is a legal drug available without prescription.

“When abused, dextromethorphan takes on qualities of a dissociative drug,” the Canadian Council on Drug Abuse explains in literature to parents and others. “This means that it produces feelings of detachment in a person, as well as distorting a person’s perception of sight and sound.”

A 2008 study found that one in 10 American teenagers has used products with DXM to get high, making it more popular in that age group than cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and meth. And although DXM products are considered safe when taken as recommended, high doses can cause side effects that include blurred vision, numbness, heart attack, confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and poor coordination. Longer-term effects are not fully known but are believed to include depression, liver problems, psychosis, and learning and memory problems.

What Can Parents Do?

Start by talking to your teen about the dangers of abuse and the fact that over-the-counter medications are as dangerous as street drugs.

Experts like Celebrity Rehab’s Dr. Drew Pinsky say parents need to include cough medicine abuse in drug-abuse conversations with their kids.

“Make sure they understand you do not approve of any sort of substance abuse behavior and that they understand the risks of medicine abuse,” Pinsky is quoted as saying.

Keep DMX Products Under Lock and Key

Treat products with DMX like the potentially harmful substances they are. Clean out your cabinets and store all medicine in a safe, locked location where you can monitor how much is in each container.

Watch for Signs of Abuse

Pinsky says it’s important parents recognize that DMX abuse is a problem that affects teens of all kinds – not just troubled teens.

“Parents may think, `not my teen,’ but one in 10 teens report having abused cough medicines to get high and 28 percent know someone who has tried it,” he says.

Signs of Abuse to Watch for Include:

• Empty cough medicine boxes or bottles in the trash of your teen’s room or backpack
• Boxes or bottles of medication missing from the medicine cabinet
• Changes in friends, physical appearance, or sleeping or eating patterns
• Loss of interest in hobbies or favorite activities
• Hearing your teenager use slang terms associated with DXM abuse including Dex, Skittling, Tussing, Robo-Tripping, Triple Cs, Poor Man’s Ecstasy, Red Devils, Rome, and Sky, to name just a few.

Additional information on DMX abuse including tips on talking to your teen about its use and abuse, are available online at StopMedicineAbuse.org.

Help for Troubled Teens Just a Phone Call Away

2010-08-19T08:27:00.001-07:00

A frantic parent picks up the phone to call the toll free number she’s had written in her daybook for weeks. She dials, hangs up, and then takes a deep breath as she tentatively dials again.

“I’m at my wit’s end,” she tells the kindly voice at the other end of the phone. “My teen is out-of-control and just won’t listen to anyone. I don’t know what to do.”

Gradually the all-too-familiar story unfolds about a teen in trouble and a family in despair. “Please tell me more about your program,” the woman says. “Tell me it’s not too late. I’ve very worried about my daughter’s safety and about her future.”

Venture Academy’s Susan K is that reassuring presence at the end of what is often a lifeline for parents at the breaking point. She listens intently while asking questions intended to uncover the real issues and concerns.

“As the Director of Admissions I provide reassurance and offer an empathetic ear to parents at their ‘wit’s end’ – a phrase that many parents use to describe how they’re feeling,” she says.

“I lend perspective and help parents determine if the behaviour their teen is exhibiting is normal or problematic – which is what a lot of parents need help figuring out,” Susan says. “Parents phone saying ‘I just don’t know what to do anymore. Our teen’s behaviour is ruling our house and tearing our family apart.’”

Susan says teens who come to Venture Academy can be highly intelligent youth who have untapped potential. She says most have become peer entrenched or have adopted a lifestyle that is often times destructive.

“It’s normal for teens who have gotten into trouble to be remorseful. What’s troublesome is when a teen’s behaviour becomes destructive and they stop caring or wanting to change. When parents see destructive behaviour escalating or their child becoming out-of-control then it’s time to be proactive and seek professional help,” she says.

Susan’s experience with youth has been a life-long passion. She has a wealth of professional and personal experience dealing with troubled teens including years spent working with youth in the classroom setting, as a mentor and coach, and in a private school setting. She is a certified body mind nutritionist, a master graduate with Rapport Leadership International, and is completing her International Coaching Federation certification.

Susan is passionate about positively impacting youth and has dedicated her professional development to helping youth realize their greatness. "I absolutely love what I do and what I love most is the positive energy generated when the entire team is working together to help families reconnect."

Education Key to Preventing Teen Inhalant Abuse

2010-08-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Parents vigilant about educating their child about drugs and alcohol could inadvertently be supplying “drugs” powerful enough to kill the first time they are used.

Surveys conducted in the US and Canada reveal that huffing (or inhalant use) is becoming one of the most widespread problems in North America and may be as popular as marijuana.

The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition says youth are quickly discovering that common household products are inexpensive to obtain, easy to hide, and the easiest way to get high. More than one million people used inhalants to get high last year and it is believed that one in
five students have experimented with inhalants by the time they reach grade eight.

In Canada, the Canadian Pediatric Society has stated publicly that it is “extremely concerned with the practice of inhalant abuse among children and adolescents,” and has recommended the dangers associated with it’s use be better publicized and included in substance abuse prevention programs.

Interestingly, it is not just troubled teens that become users. A study of teens aged 12 and 13-year-olds conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration found inhalants to be the most reported class of illicit drugs used in the past year.

Inhalant Abuse Defined

Also known as huffing, solvent abuse, sniffing, bagging, and glue sniffing, inhalant abuse is the intentional inhalation of gas or vapours for the purpose of achieving a brief period of euphoria.

Inhalants are common products that can be deadly when misused. They include more than 1,000 products including correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, hairspray, pressurized air, air freshener, butane, glue, shoe polish, gasoline, contact cement, and cooking spray.

Effects on the Body

Inhalants are depressants that slow down the body’s functions and produce an effect similar to that felt while under anesthesia. Users may experience slight stimulation, feelings of lessened inhibition, distorted perceptions, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and a loss of consciousness.

Users can also suffer from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome – which means a user can die the first or 100th time they use an inhalant. Other effects include damage to the brain, kidneys, heart, liver, bone marrow, and other organs.

Inhalants are physically and psychologically addicting substances with withdrawal symptoms that may include hallucinations, nausea, excessive sweating, hand tremors, muscle cramps, headaches, chills and delirium tremors.

Advice to Parents

•Read labels and ensure all poisonous, flammable, or volatile substances are clearly marked with a cautionary message. Store potentially poisonous or intoxicating products in a locked cabinet if necessary.

•Talk to your child about inhalants before they become a problem. Explain that inhalants are not a drug, but are a dangerous poison that could cause sudden death.

•Never put a volatile substance in an unlabeled container, even temporarily.

•Explain the dangers associated with inhalants and supervise their legitimate use, such as the application of nail polish. Explain that the fumes from nail polish shouldn’t be inhaled and that polish should be applied in a well-ventilated room away from flames.

Challenging the Challenged – ADHD in Teens

2010-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those teens bursting with ideas but challenged when it comes to sitting still or waiting your turn?

If the answer is yes, then you could be are one of thousands of teenagers struggling with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder); a neurobehavioral disorder than affects teens and adults alike.

The good news is you’re probably smart, creative and enthusiastic. Most people with ADHD are. The not so good news is you’re probably a bit impulsive, impatient and inattentive. All traits you can manage. Here’s some ways to cope with ADHD and use it to your advantage.

Take those lips and zip `em
Do you ever find yourself so engrossed in a topic that you forget to consider whether anyone else is interested? Watch for signs that your friends are no longer listening. You may want to ask a good friend to let you know when enough is enough.

A good idea will keep
Interrupting others to share a “brilliant” idea is something many people with ADHD struggle with. You know it’s rude, but you just can’t seem to stop. Try using a notepad – or an electronic device – to jot down ideas that pop into your head while others are talking. Monitor yourself and apologize if you slip up.

Turn a con into a pro
Do you hyper focus on tasks or projects you find particularly interesting? Take advantage of this trait and funnel your energy into projects – and subjects – that pique your interest.

Did I really say that?
You may see yourself as refreshingly honest, but others may see you as simply rude. Avoid hurt feelings by taking the time to consider your comments and how they might be taken. Try a self-imposed five-second delay. Count to five (in your head) before saying something you may regret later. The same goes for harsh emails, texts, or decisions you may be tempted to make while angry. If it has to be said (or sent), it can be done later.

Look over there!
Consider ways to cut down on distractions that pull your focus away from the task at hand. Sit near the front of the class and/or ask to take tests in a private room.

Daytimers … when memory fails
Do it now or write it down. Better yet, program your phone or other electronic device to track your to do list and provide you with reminders about important deadlines and events.

Do I have to?
No one likes to be bored, but for teens with ADHD, boredom can make the situation (and them) intolerable. Try delegating “less interesting” tasks to a lab partner or do them when you have the most energy.

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date
Tardiness is rude and gives the impression that you are unorganized. If being late is an issue try setting an alarm on your watch, computer, or phone.

Be a ‘NO’ person
You want to say yes but the truth is you’ve already crammed too many things into a jam-packed day. Resist the urge to over commit to school or afterschool activities that can only cause stress. Remember, a job done well is better than several done poorly.

How Troubled is Your Troubled Teen? Take the Test and Find Out

2010-06-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

At what point do parents throw up their hands in frustration and say “Enough!” We need help local resources just don’t seem able to provide.

That question is one parents living with a troubled teen invariably find themselves asking. For some, the answer comes while completing an online survey created by the Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, Canada’s leading residential treatment program for troubled teens.

The survey, posted online recently, provides parents with an anonymous way to determine if their teen is exhibiting “normal teenager behaviour” or something worse.

“Parents want what’s best for their kids but don’t always know what that is or how to get it,” says Susan Kenney, Director of Admissions. “Many parents have received conflicting advice about the seriousness of their teen’s behaviour or where to go for help and are almost paralyzed with fear, worried that whatever step they take will be the wrong one.”

Kenney says the results of the test often validate their concerns and confirm that it may be time to seek help.

“It’s hard for families to look outside themselves for help, but these are loving families watching their child spiral out of control.”

The survey asks parents to consider how much time their teen spends with friends and if they are more attached to those friends than family. Questions about drug and alcohol use, school truancy, Internet use, aggression, anger, and self-harm are also included.

The survey’s last question may be the most telling of all: “Do you think your child needs help?”

“Parents know instinctively if their teen needs help but that doesn’t always mean they’ve admitted it out loud,” Kenney says. “It’s been my experience that no parent who calls is overreacting to so-called ‘normal teen behaviour.’ Most are dealing with very troubling circumstances and are looking for reassurance and help.”

Signs that may indicate a teen is troubled and needs help include:

An increased desire for privacy and secrecy

Sudden outbursts of anger that are out-of-proportion to what seems to have caused the outburst

Missing curfew, skipping family commitments, and lying about where he or she is

A change in peer group, especially if behaviour changes seem linked to the new friends

Extreme mood swings and/or sleeping more or less than usual

A sudden drop in grades and/or loss of interest in activities they once liked (sports for instance)

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is a residential treatment program with locations in British Columbia and Ontario. Visit their website at www.ventureacademy.ca and take the test.

Troubled Teen Director to Oversee Venture Academy’s Ontario Campus

2010-05-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens has announced the hiring of Sean Elliott as Agency Director responsible for the school’s Ontario Campus.

Elliott will lead staff at the Ontario campus, the second Venture Academy campus designed to provide parents of troubled teens with an alternative to boot camp.

“I will be working with our team to bring about positive change in our youth and to help their families in family reintegration,” Elliot said. “We are primarily helping families who are simply not getting answers to the questions they seek; parents who are saying enough! Things are falling off the rails and we need help.’”

Elliott is an experienced career development practitioner with a bachelor’s degree from Tyndale University College in Toronto and a graduate certificate from George Brown College.

He has extensive experience working with youth with behavioural, emotional and substance abuse issues including experience leading a team that provided counselling and employment programs for at-risk youth. He has worked with municipal, provincial and federal levels of government, with private and public school boards, and with employment, career and counselling centres.

Venture Academy Founder and Executive Director Gordon Hay is pleased to have Elliott on board.

“Sean is a dedicated professional, passionate about leading our qualified team of professionals committed to strengthening families and restoring hope and support to youth making positive changes in their life,” Hay said.

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is a residential treatment program with campuses in B.C. and Ontario. Both campuses serve families from throughout the US and Canada, including those in Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and BC. For more information visit www.ventureacademy.ca.

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Troubled Teens Need Help Parents Can’t Provide

2010-05-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

By Anne-Rachelle McHugh
Guest Blogger

In the late 90s, parents shocked by the Columbine High School shootings held their kids tight and asked themselves what they could do to protect their children from “monsters” with guns.

The question they should have been asking was “How do I keep my kid from becoming the troubled teen holding the gun?”

The sad reality is there have always been troubled teens that push their parents to the point where they are simply unable to cope with behaviour they can no longer tolerate.

So much so that in 2008, overwhelmed Nebraska parents took advantage of a vaguely written safe haven law that allowed them to abandon children as old as 19 without fear of prosecution.

In total, 36 children as old as 17 (most between the ages of 11 and 17) were abandoned before legislators plugged the legal loophole that allowed parents to give up on their struggling teens. The law was rewritten to reflect its original intent, which was to provide teen mothers with a safe place to leave newborns they couldn’t care for.

Children and Family Services Director Todd Landry said most parents who abandoned their teens were frustrated by their child's behaviour or inability to follow rules.

“I'm a parent of a teenager myself and so I can empathize with what many parents around our country go through with sometimes rebellious teenagers,” Landry told a local radio station.

The incident raised questions about the way social service agencies throughout North America deal with troubled teens, estimated at more than four million.

A report released in the wake of the Nebraska mix-up described mental healthcare services for adolescents as fragmented, inadequately coordinated, and insufficiently accessible.

The report, “Adolescent Services: Missing Opportunities,” said teens have unique problems that require care tailored services to their needs.

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is one of a growing number of facilities dedicated to helping struggling teens in Canada.

Founder Gordon Hay has spent 23 years working with troubled youth and says lasting change requires long-term help involving a team of professionals.

“It’s not simply that the young person won’t try. It’s often that they can’t,” he says. “They aren’t making a conscious effort to rebel, or to be disobedient, in fact they may not even understand what it is they are supposed to do and how to achieve those goals.”

Hay says many teens with serious behavioural issues struggle with learning disabilities that affect every aspect of their life, not just their grades.

“Adults have expectations as to what a teen should be able to do at a given age and in many instances that cognitive ability just isn’t there. Perhaps there’s too many steps in the reasoning process or maybe the words are simply too big.”

Hay says understanding a teen’s thought processes is the first step in determining how their brain works and if they need learning modifications that will help them survive — and even thrive — in the challenging world teens must maneuver as they transition from child to adult.

“It’s not easy being a teen nowadays, nor easy being a parent, but there is help out there for those willing to reach out and ask for it,” Hay says.

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is a residential treatment program that provides an alternative to boot camps for teens. Venture Academy has schools in Ontario and BC and serves families from through the US and Canada including those from Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For information, visit www.ventureacademy.ca.

Schools’ Overzealous In Use of Discipline to “Treat” Troubled Teens

2010-05-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Schools using discipline to deal with troubled teens are missing the opportunity to understand problem behaviour that must be identified before it can be fixed.

Psychologist Ross Greene says schools focus on disciplining teens when what they should do is identify lagging skills that keep troubled teens from behaving in the first place.

“We’re losing a lot of kids and a lot of teachers because we still view challenging kids the wrong way and handle them in ways that don’t address their true difficulties. It’s an exercise in frustration for everyone involved and it’s time to get off the treadmill.”

Green, author of `Lost at School: Why Our Kids With Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them,’ says school discipline isn’t working for the kids who are doing well and isn’t needed for the kids who are.

“The reality is that well-behaved students aren’t behaving themselves because of the school discipline program. They’ve behaving themselves because they have the skills to handle life’s challenges in an adaptive way.”

Greene believes kids do well if they can and says those that don’t do well lack important thinking skills that come naturally to other teens. He says challenging kids know how you want them to behave; they just don’t know how to.

“In other words, these kids have a development delay, a learning disability of sorts...in the same way that kids who are delayed in reading are having difficulty mastering the skills required for becoming proficient in reading, challenging kids are having difficulty mastering the skills required for becoming proficient in handling life’s social, emotional, and behavioural challenges.”

Greene recommends educators and parents use the Analysis of Lagging Skills and Unsolved problems (ALSUP) assessment, available online at www.lostatschool.org to identify what thinking skills a student lacks.

Skills often lagging – but ones that can be taught and practiced – include difficulty:

• Shifting from one task or mindset to another
• Persisting during challenging or tedious tasks
• Doing things in a logical order
• Maintaining focus
• Considering the likely outcome of an action
• Considering a range of solutions to a problem (rather than just one)
• Managing emotional responses to frustration
• Deviating from rules and routine
• Dealing with unpredictability or uncertainty
• Appreciating how he/she is being perceived by others
• Empathizing with others
• Seeking attention in appropriate ways

“Once you have a decent handle on a kid’s lagging skills and unsolved problems you’ve taken a major step in the right direction because the kid’s challenging episodes are now highly predictable, which is good news if you’re a teacher and have a class full of 25 other students,” Green says.”It’s also good news if you’re a parent who wants to play an active role in making sure things go better for your child at school.”

Additional information on Greene’s approach is available online at www.lostatschool.org and at www.livesinthebalance.org.

Venture Academy Hosts IECA Consultants

2010-04-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Venture Academy will host a May 15 tour for IECA Consultants attending the Independent Educational Consultants Association’s spring conference in Toronto May 12-15.

Venture Academy Founder and Executive Director Gordon Hay says he is looking forward to providing educational consultants with an opportunity to tour the new campus and to learn more about the academy’s programs and philosophies.

“This conference provides us with an ideal opportunity to showcase our program, introduce our staff, and answer any questions consultants may have,” Hay said. “Educational consultants are often the first people families turn to when searching for a program for their teen, so it is important they have a thorough appreciation of what we have to offer.”

Venture Academy for troubled teens is a community-based residential treatment program that provides intensive individualized care to teens struggling with problems ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and criminal behaviour.

Both the Ontario and B.C. campuses provide long-term treatment and crisis admission for teens whose safety or behaviour is out of control. Treatment includes a thorough psychological assessment to identify underlying issues as well as intensive care from a highly skilled team that includes psychologists, counsellors, behavioural specialists, educators, and health professionals.

IECA consultants interested in registering for the tour are asked to contact Zara Parker by May 4, 2010 at zparker@ventureacademy.ca. Visit www.ventureacademy.ca for more information on Venture Academy.

Family Service Specialist Joins Team at Venture Academy for Troubled Teens

2010-04-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is pleased to announce the hiring of Family Service Specialist Shelley Price Draper.

Draper will be responsible for working with troubled youth and the parent counsellor families they live with during treatment at Venture Academy, a residential treatment program for teens struggling with problems ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to behaviour issues.

“I have a strong belief that youth want to do well and am committed to helping them learn and apply the skills of successful living,” Draper said. “Being a Venture Academy team member is an honour and I am excited about working with the parent counsellor families who too are committed to reuniting youth with their families.”

Draper has worked extensively with troubled children, youth, and adults in the public school system, in psychiatric care, and in residential care. She has counselled youth and adults with mental health and addiction issues and has worked with youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder, brain injuries, learning disabilities, and behaviour challenges. Draper also spent 18 months working as a parent counsellor for Venture Academy.

“We feel privileged to have Shelley join our staff,” said Venture Academy Executive Director and Founder Gordon Hay. “Shelley is a true professional dedicated to creating a positive environment for youth, their families, and the parent counsellor families that are such an integral part of our success.”

Hay said Draper’s sincere desire to help is complemented by her experience and interest in learning more about the youth and the families she will be working with.

Draper has an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Victoria and a Master’s Degree is Clinical Social Work from the University of BC.

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Boot Camps for Teens – Are they right for your teen?

2010-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Considering boot camp for your out-of-control teen? Thousands of parents just like you are searching the Internet this very minute looking for answers to questions they never thought they’d have to ask.

Questions like: Where did I go wrong? Why is my teen acting out? Will a boot camp or residential treatment program for troubled teens help?

Residential Treatment Programs Get Results
A study conducted by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs provides reassurance to parents looking at options that may include a teen boot camp or residential treatment program.

The study of more than 1,000 teens ages 13 to 18 found teens with serious emotional and behavioural issues not only improved during treatment at a private residential treatment program, but maintained their healthier outlook and function long after leaving the program.

“In our initial findings announced last year, teens with clinically impaired emotional and behavioural functioning were rated as ‘normal’ after a period of treatment at a private residential facility,” lead researcher Dr. Ellen Behrens is quoted as saying.

“In this final phase of the study we found that those teens who showed ‘normal’ post-treatment results at the time of discharge continued to be ranked in the normal range a year later.”

Boot Camps Come Under Fire
Dr. Ed Latessa, a juvenile justice expert at the University of Cincinnati, says boot camps have failed to live up to the hype given them. Latessa says boot camps promise quick results to frustrated parents but may not deliver on all they promise.

“There’s a common misperception that what these kids need is structure, discipline, and order. But those aren’t big risk factors,” Latessa told Connect for Kids. “They don’t have much to do with criminal behavior.”

Latessa says putting kids who have gotten into trouble with the law together is a flawed idea.

“We don’t really want to bond delinquents together. We want to disrupt criminal networks,” he says.

Gordon Hay, executive director and founder of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, operates a residential treatment program that prides itself on providing parents with an alternative to boot camps for teens.

“Research demonstrates that clinically-driven, well-run, high-quality programs like Venture Academy’s provide troubled teens and their families with answers and hope,” Hay said.

At Venture Academy youth stay in private homes where they are supervised by parent counsellors who help them relearn skills and behaviour lost while locked in conflict with their parents.

Hay says parent counsellors provide a safe therapeutic environment where youth can learn to reattach to adults rather than to their peers. He says youth sever bonds with their unsavory friends and work towards sustainable change with the help of Venture Academy staff and counsellors.

Venture Academy provides help for troubled teens in Canada including help for troubled teens who are experiencing family conflict, criminal behaviour, negative peers, school suspensions, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, drug and alcohol abuse, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Conduct Disorder, anxiety, depression, or other clinically diagnosed disorders.

Sleep Takes Backseat to Teen Media Use, Study Finds

2010-04-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Tweens and teens may be spending more time interacting with entertainment media than they do sleeping, a new study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found.

The report, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18-year-olds, found youth 8 to 18-years-old spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day using entertainment media. Add in the hours spent media multitasking – using more than one medium at a time – and that number goes up to an astounding 10 hours and 45 minutes a day.

Among the study’s findings:

Electronic Device Ownership Among 8 to 18-Year-Olds Has Skyrocked
In the last five years, cell phone ownership among youth 8 to 18-year-olds has increased from 39% to 66%. Ownership of iPods and MP2 players has increased even more, from
18% to 76%.

Parental Limits Effective When Used
Only about 3 in 10 young people say they have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV (28%), playing video games (30%), and using the computer (36%). Those with limits on media use spent nearly 3 hours less per day engaging with it than those without limits.

The TV’s On But Nobody’s Home
About two-thirds (64%) of young people say the TV is usually on during meals, and just under half (45%) say the TV is on “most of the time” in their home, even when no one is watching. Seven in ten youth (71%) have a TV in their bedroom and half (50%) have a console video machine in their room. The study found children in TV-centric homes spend about 90 minutes more each day watching television.

Heavy Media Use Equals Lower Grades
About half (47%) of heavy media users say they usually get fair or poor grades (mostly Cs or lower), compared to about a quarter (23%) of light users. (Heavy users are the 21% of young people who consume more than 16 hours of media a day, while light users are the 17% of young people who consume less than 3 hours of media a day.)

TV Viewing Changing
Traditional TV consumption (actually sitting in front of a television) declined by 25 minutes a day between 2004 and 2009 but increased overall when alternative TV consumption like IPods and cell phones is considered.

Reading Levels Out
Kids continue to spend an average of 23 minutes a day ready books however time spent reading magazines and newspapers dropped from 14 minutes to 9 minutes for magazines, and from 6 minutes to 3 minutes for newspapers. Newspaper reading among youth has dropped from 42% in 1999 to 23% in 2009.

Multitasking Has Become Mainstream
Media multitasking is contributing to the significant amount of media young people consume each day. About 4 in 10 youth in grades 7 to 12 admit to media multitasking “most” of the time. About half of respondents say they use media either “most” (31%) or “some” (25%) of the time when doing their homework.

Gordon Hay is executive director and founder of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, a residential treatment program that provides an alternative to boot camps for teens. Venture Academy has schools in Ontario and BC and serves families from through the US and Canada including those from Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For information, visit www.ventureacademy.ca.

Teen relationships affected by screen time

2010-04-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

A teen’s ability to attach to their parents and friends may be affected by the amount of time they spend in front of a screen.

A new study examining the relationship between screen time (television, video, DVDs, gaming or computer use) and parental attachment found the risk of having low attachment to parents increased by 4 per cent for every hour spent watching television and 5 per cent for every hour spent at a computer. Predictably, teens who spent more time doing homework or reading were more attached to their parents.

The study of teens aged 14 and 15, conducted by researchers at the University of Otego in Dunedin New Zealand, asked teenagers to comment on how they spent their free time and what their relationships were like. Researchers found that for every additional hour of TV they watched, teens had a 13% increased risk of low attachment to their parents.

“Given the importance of attachment to parents and peers in adolescent health and development, concern about high levels of screen time among adolescents is warranted,” the researchers concluded.

“With the rapid advance of screen-based options for entertainment, communication and education, ongoing research is needed to monitor the effect that these technologies have on social development and psychological and physical well-being among adolescents.”

The study’s authors said there are a number of possible reasons why too much screen time may affect teens' relationships with family. For example, teens that have TVs in their bedroom may share fewer meals with their family.

“It is also possible that adolescents with poor attachment relationships with immediate friends and family use screen-based activities to facilitate new attachment figures such as online friendships or parasocial relationships with television characters or personalities," study author Rosalina Richards wrote..

Not surprising, teens that spent more time reading and doing homework reported a higher level of attachment to their parents.

Teen Drinking Never Safe

2010-04-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

By Anne-Rachelle McHugh
Guest Blogger

Thinking about hosting a “safe” teen party where booze will be served? Think again.

Adults who condone teen drinking or turn a blind eye to it risk being judged by society and by a legal system that comes down hard on adults who facilitate underage drinking.

In Vancouver, a woman was recently charged with failing to provide the necessities of life after a 16-year-year girl was found dead at an underage drinking party the woman was “chaperoning.” In Manitoba, a couple faces similar charges after a 15-year-old girl drinking at their home wandered outside and froze to death.

These incidents highlight concerns many parents have about teen drinking and their role in educating kids about its responsible use.

Proponents of supervised drinking say it teaches teens how to drink responsibly in a safe environment. Critics say it provides parents with a false sense of security and does nothing to protect teens from the hazards associated with underage drinking including alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, sexual assaults, and unplanned pregnancies.

Psychologist Michael J. Bradley says adults who don’t repeatedly tell kids that drinking is dangerous are adults who silently tell them that drinking is okay.

“Contradictory to the myth, kids do listen when adults speak with respect,” Bradley writes in his blog.

Bradley, author of “Yes Your Teen is Crazy,” says the teen brain is prone to the addictive effects of substances like alcohol. He says alcohol is associated with everything bad that happens to teens including car crashes, failing grades, sexual assaults, arrest, unintended pregnancy, STDs and suicide.

“Do not provide booze to teens on prom night or any other time,” he writes. ”If I insult you with that suggestion; congratulations. You are not among the 33 per cent of parents who voluntarily provide alcohol to adolescents, nor among the 24 per cent who drink with their teens.”

Venture Academy for troubled teens' Gordon Hay understands Bradley’s stance on teen drinking.

Hay says it’s important parents remember that teenagers “are children in adult bodies” and that alcohol is a powerful, mood-altering drug that affects their mind and body in unpredictable ways.

“Your son or daughter may look grown up but the reality is their brain is not fully developed and they are incapable of making critical decisions that you as the parent must. What that means in a nutshell is it’s your job as a parent to reign in your child, set limits, and be their parent, not their friend.”

Hay is founder of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, a residential assessment and treatment program for teens dealing with problems that may include alcohol and drug abuse. Venture Academy is a boot camp alternative with programs in BC and Ontario.

Statistics Box

• People who start drinking at a young age are more likely to develop alcoholism within 10 years of when they first started to drink. A study conducted by the National Health Institute found 47% of people who began drinking before the age of 14 developed a dependence on alcohol compared to the 9% of people who began drinking at age 21 or older.

• A national survey of students in grades 7–9 found that about two-thirds had already consumed alcohol. Another survey of Canadian youth aged 15–24 showed that 83% were current or past-year drinkers.

• Nationally, more than one third of students in grade 7-9 have binged on alcohol. That number increases to 40% for 15-19 year-olds. (Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus report)

• Alcohol-related trauma is the number one preventable cause of death among young Canadians. A survey conducted by Smartrisk found almost 45% of all youth deaths involved motor vehicle crashes and of those nearly 40 % were alcohol related. (2005 Smartrisk Survey)

• An Ontario study found about one in seven licensed students drink and drive. Almost 30% of those surveyed reported having driven with a drinking driver. (2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey)

Sexting Teens Put Their Futures At Risk

2010-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Love may not last forever, but dirty photos sent between cell phones do.

That message is one educators are trying to get across to teens naively texting one another revealing photos that could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Bill Alberts, from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies, says it’s important teens understand that online images can potentially be viewed by anyone from family and friends to college scouts and potential employers.

“You know, I'm not sure many young people understand that this is sort of a cyber-tattoo," he told CBS News. "Once you press 'send’ it is out of your hands and it can be used in ways that are a complete surprise to you."

“Sex and Tech,” a survey conducted by Albert’s group, found one in five teens and one in three young adults has sexted nude or semi-nude images. Forty-four per cent said it’s common for sexually suggestive text messages and images to be shared with people the sender never intended.

Lifelong Consequences

An 18-year-old Ohio boy is all too familiar with the “surprising” consequences Alberts talks about. The teen was convicted of distributing child pornography after he forwarded nude photos of his ex-girlfriend to everyone in his address book. He was kicked out of college and is now a registered sex offender who can’t leave the country or live with his father, who lives near a school.

"Other kids need to know that this is not something that they should be doing,” he told Nancy Grace in a radio interview. “Their life could change and it will be ruined because of it."

Girls who send provocative photos may find themselves embarrassed, teased, or bullied like Cincinnati teen Jesse Logan, who committed suicide after a racy photo she sent to her then-boyfriend was sent from phone to phone.

And in Pennsylvania, a group of girls face pornography charges after posing for revealing photos.

Statistics Show Sexting Prevalent

Teens and young adults taking part in the “Sex and Tech” survey said sexting is “fun and flirtatious.” Many said technology makes them more forward and aggressive.

The survey found:

· 22% of teen girls and 18% of boys have sent or posted nude or semi nude images of themselves

· 39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages

· 48% of teens have received sexually suggestive messages

· 47% of teens say “pressure from guys” is the main reason girls and women send and post sexually suggestive messages and images

· 67% of teens said sending sexually suggestive content could have serious consequences, but nearly 25% said it was no big deal

· 39% of boys and 21% of girls said they’ve sent sexually suggestive messages and images to people they want to hook up with or date

· 15% of teens who sent sexually suggestive content sent it to people they only know online

· 11% of girls between the ages of 13 and 16 years have sexted

Gordon Hay is executive director and founder of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, a residential treatment program that provides an alternative to boot camps for teens. Venture Academy has schools in Ontario and BC and serves families from through the US and Canada including those from Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For information, visit www.ventureacademy.ca.

Teen Boot Camps Soon to be Extinct

2010-03-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Boot camps for teens are heading towards extinction after what has been described as a treatment experiment gone wrong.

Corrections expert Dr. Edward Latessa has studied the issue extensively and says most boot camp operators have either gone out of business or modified their programs to emphasize treatment and rehabilitation.

Latessa, a juvenile justice expert at the University of Cincinnati, says boot camps fail because they focus on things like discipline, physical conditioning, and bonding with other offenders rather than on problem behaviour and attitudes that got teens in trouble in the first place.

“What are they teaching you in boot camp? Drills, ceremony, discipline, how to say yes sir, no sir. Well the problem is that’s not related to delinquent behaviour. Getting you in good shape just means you’ll be able to kick someone’s ass quicker.”

Latessa says the problem with boot camps wasn’t that they were all poorly run – because some were run well – but that they were completely ineffective at helping youth develop coping skills they could use back in the real world.

Latessa says good residential treatment programs for troubled teens focus on the behaviours and attitudes related to delinquent or problem behaviour and help youth learn and practice skills they can use with their family and peers back home. Troubled teens learn applicable life skills like how to get out of risky situations, how to stay away from negative peers, and how to be assertive with friends who may lead them astray.

“If teens practice these skills then they have the ability to deal with situations when they get into them,“ he said. “Good programs teach those things and they do it in a way that it is modeled, practiced, and reinforced.”

Future looks bright for troubled teen

2010-03-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ashlan is leaving Venture Academy for troubled teens with a future that looks brighter than the bleak one she was heading towards.
Today, just a few months from graduating high school, she is a sober 17-year-old who is excited about reconnecting with her family, finishing high school, and studying nursing in Montreal.

“Before I came here I just hated myself. I was smoking pot every day, all day, fighting with my parents and doing stupid things like stealing,” Ashlan remembers. “I wanted to change but I couldn’t do it with the people I was hanging out with.”
Ashlan’s parents wanted her to change too. They sat her down, told her about Venture Academy for troubled teens, and asked if she’d like to go.

“We had our last fight and my mom gave me this opportunity to go to Venture. She gave me the choice so I said sure I’ll go.”

At first Ashlan hated her parents for suggesting she go, but as the drugs cleared her system she realized how lucky she was to have parents who cared enough to reach out for the help she so desperately needed.

“After the first month you just crazy miss them (your parents). You miss everything about them and you don’t even care about all the fights you’ve had,” she says. “Venture Academy takes you out of your environment and shows you that the ones who really care are your parents.”

Ashlan has accomplished many firsts while at Venture Academy – from zip lining for the first time to swimming in an Olympic-sized pool – however the most important first was passing math after many failed attempts.

“I took math10 three times and failed three times back home but when I took it here I got a lot of help and now I’ve finished the course and just have to take an exam,” she said. “I think Venture Academy is a really good thing.”

Cyberbullying Teens Harass the Helpless

2010-03-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

More and more kids are being bullied in their own homes under their parent’s very noses. It’s called cyberbullying and it’s a troublesome trend involving the use of cell phones, Facebook, and other social networking sites that allow teens to connect and bully others.

Behaviour specialist Patti Reiner says conflicts that may begin with a text or facebook post are spilling over into school hallways the next day. They occur when students send cruel, vicious and sometimes threatening messages to others, circulate unflattering photos taken with a cell phone, or post photos to be rated by others. In some cases, an entire website dedicated to outing a student as gay or promiscuous is created.

“Anyone can post anything and once it’s out there, it’s there,” Reiner said. “A student may be asked to take the website down but by the time that happens, the damage is done and the site has been downloaded who knows how many times?”

Reiner says student are using MSN, Facebook and other social networking sites to say things they would never feel comfortable saying in person. Sometimes what they write is petty gossip. Other times it is hateful, degrading or even criminal.

“They will say things they would never say face to face. Then the next day they’ll meet in the hallway and fight because of what was said on MSN the night before,” Reiner said.

A poll released by the Canadian Teachers Federation recently says more than one third of Canadians know of a child who has been bullied online in the last year and one in five Canadians were aware of a teacher who was cyberbullied.

James Pengilly is a middle school counsellor who deals frequently with cyberbulling.

“It is an emerging problem that we are just going to have to learn to manage,” he said. “It isn’t something the school is actively looking for, but we will certainly deal with it if it becomes apparent to us or if bullying transfers from being on the internet to being in the school environment.”

RCMP School Liaison Officer Cheryl McKinnon says the kids who bully others online tend to be the ones whose parents aren’t around and don’t know who their child’s friends are.

“My biggest fear is that children will be bullied, not articulate it to anyone and then no one will know about it until it is too late or the child’s self esteem is so low that it is manifesting itself in drug or alcohol use,” she said.

What Can Parents Do?

Internet educators agree the key to protecting children from internet dangers including cyberbullying begins with education and open communication. It means setting boundaries, establishing rules and monitoring a child’s internet use and internet friends the same way any responsible parent would monitor their child’s offline friends and activities.

“Talk to your kids about the fact that the dangers are real and tell them exactly what could happen to them if they post too much information about themselves,” Pengilly. “Be blunt. Tell them they could be abducted or sexually assaulted.”

Educators and law enforcement agencies recommend computers be located in a common location where the screen can be easily viewed by passing parents. They urge parents to check the computer’s history to see which sites have been visited and to set rules for its use, such as no instant messaging during homework or after a set time each night.

Parents and their children should discuss what is, and is not, appropriate such as using sexually explicit, foul or hateful language when online. Flames – strongly worded and sometimes obscene messages sent to public forums and chat rooms –should be discussed and discouraged.

Additional information on internet safety, including internet pledge forms, is available at www.bewebaware.ca and www.netsmartz.org.

What to do if you’re being bullied online

Don't reply to messages from cyberbullies. Bullies feed off the misery of others and enjoy hearing they’ve gotten someone upset or worried. Resist the temptation to respond and you will deny them that pleasure.

Tell someone
Tell an adult you know and trust that you are being bullied and remember you did nothing to deserve this treatment.

Cut them off
Inform your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or cell phone/pager service provider. A list of Canadian service providers and their contact information is located in the "Related Resources" page on www.cyberbullying.ca.

Keep the evidence
Keep all posts and messages involving bullying as evidence you can present to the police, your ISP provider, and your phone company.

And finally, if you safety is in question inform your local police.

* Article provide courtesy of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens

Treating Troubled Teens: When holding back means sending your teen to residential treatment

2010-03-12T08:57:00.001-08:00

Troubled teens unsuccessful in traditional counseling environments are finding success in long-term treatment programs that provide parents with powerful alternative to boot camps for girls and boot camps for boys.

A study conducted by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs found teens with serious emotional and behavioural issues including ADHD, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder, improved during treatment at a residential program and maintained their healthier outlook and functioning long after leaving the program.

“In our initial findings announced last year, teens with clinically impaired emotional and behavioural functioning were rated as ‘normal’ after a period of treatment at a private residential facility,” said Dr. Ellen Behrens, lead researcher at Canyon Research and Consulting.

“The analyses suggested that adolescent problems improve significantly during private residential treatment and that, with only a few exceptions, discharge functioning and in-treatment change are relatively similar, regardless of adolescent background, history, problems, and treatment factors.”

The results come as no surprise to Gordon Hay, Executive Director of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, a residential treatment program that prides itself on offering parents an alternative to boot camps.

“This study confirms what families bringing their teens to Venture Academy know, which is that it takes a team of professionals working with youth over an extended period of time to create lasting change,” Hay says.

“Our program works because teens are provided with individualized help in professionally staffed home environments and on campus where they learn coping skills they can use in the real world.”

Venture Academy for troubled teens has schools in Ontario and BC and serves families from throughout the US and Canada including those from Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Both of the schools for troubled teens provide a tightly supervised setting where struggling teens and their families receive support from a team that includes counsellors, family therapists, psychologists, and physicians.

Defiant teen get life back on track with help from Venture Academy

2010-03-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Nick was a troubled teen who could justify just about anything from staying out all night to talking back to his mom. That was before a stay at Venture Academy for troubled teens, where he realized he and his mom deserved better.

“I was sneaking out and stuff and my mom would call me and tell me to come home because it’s curfew and I wouldn’t come home for a few days. I’d just text her and say I’m not coming home.”

Nick, 15, admits he spent a lot of time and energy resisting rules and boundaries he can now see were there to protect him.

“My mom’s rules are reasonable. I think I was just being unreasonable,” he said during one of his final days at the treatment program. “At the time I just wanted to hang out with my friends and wanted nothing to do with my family.”

Venture Academy helped Nick put his life back on track emotionally, physically, and academically. Highlights of his stay including cave spelunking, jamming with new friends at a local rock school, and discovering that he learns best in a one-to-one environment rather than in a large classroom setting.

“While here I found out I like learning through correspondence better than in the classroom and I think it works because I pay attention more when I’m just reading it for myself.”

Nick is no longer expected to drop out or fail high school. Instead, he plans to finish grade 12, graduate, and go on to college where he hopes to study writing.

“I’ve got my priorities straightened out and my goals. I didn’t really care too much about school before I came, but I want to finish school now and I know what I want to do when I get out of school,” he said. (Venture Academy) helped me figure that out.”
His advice to parents worried their child may resent them for sending them to Venture Academy is to do it anyway.

“That won’t happen,” he said. “I think they’ll have a stronger relationship actually. They (the teen) may be a bit angry about being sent away but you forget about that in the first week. Today I can actually have a normal conversation with my mom and we get along. That would never have happened before.”

About Venture Academy
Venture Academy for troubled teens is a residential treatment program for teens that provides an alternative to boot camp for teens. Venture Academy specializes in helping teens struggling with problems that may include drug or alcohol abuse, low self esteem, depression, ADHD, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and/or have school issues including past suspensions, truancy, and underachieving.

Top 5 Reasons to Say "Yes" to Venture Academy For Troubled Teens and "No" to Boot Camp

2010-02-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

1. Venture Academy for troubled teens provides intensive, ongoing clinical therapy focused on providing long lasting results and permanent behavioural changes. We are not a boot camp offering parents a quick – but temporary – fix.

2. Each Venture Academy teen lives in a private home where they receive ongoing support from trained parent counsellors. At boot camp, troubled teens live in a group-style living environment surrounding by teens with problems as bad, or worse, than the ones they’re dealing with.

3. Boot camps force teens to make the right decisions. At Venture Academy, teens learn and practice the art of good decision making.

4. Venture Academy provides therapeutic wilderness excursions that are fun rather than punitive.

5. Boot camps can be a catalyst for change that is often short lived. At Venture Academy, we strive for nothing less than permanent long-lasting change.

Visit www.ventureacademy.ca for more information on our 30-day assessment program, longer-term treatment, and our summer semester.

Spying on Your Teen in the Text Generation

2010-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

Technology that has driven a wedge between parent and teen has at the same time provided parents with tools they can use to keep tabs on their troubled teens.

Today’s parent, whether worried about their teen’s well being or just plain nosy, can use software to track their child’s every move, keystroke, and Facebook post. It’s a controversial parenting tactic that could sabotage a parent-child relationship or save a teen from making a life-changing mistake.

Teen Tracking: Is it Spying on Your Kids or Simply Good Parenting?

Danine Manette is a criminal investigator and mother of two who comes out clearly on the side of what she calls “monitoring” teens.

Manette says parents are obligated to look out for the welfare of teens whose brains are not fully developed.

“It’s not about trust, it’s about the fact that we’re in a new world and every time you turn on the computer you’re opening up your home to millions of strangers,” she told ABC’s The View recently. “This is a new voyeuristic era where it’s not important to do unless you’re being watched doing it.”

Manette monitors her own two teens but is open about the fact that she will be “checking up on them.” She advocates tracking to investigate unusual behaviour – from failing grades, to extended absences, excessive moodiness, or a change in appetite or friends.

Parent and digital media and marketing executive David Churbuck says there’s a fine line between monitoring a teen’s Internet use and spying. He believes parents should limit “snooping” to making themselves administrator of their teen’s computer, knowing their passwords, and checking the browser history to see which sites they’ve been on.

“Use it (the browser history) to back track into the closed sites,” he writes in his blog at www.churbuck.com. “Look around. Use your judgment. A photo of junior with a crack pipe or posting a recipe for how to cook crystal meth from Sudafed is worth talking about.”

Churbuck says open communication between parent and teen is the best way to keep kids out of harm’s way.

“The best thing you can do for your kid is tear out clips of recent articles exploring the phenomenon of employers and schools looking at what candidates and applicants say online before making hiring or admission decisions,” he says. “Letting a kid know that their Internet presence can follow them forever is the best favour you can do for them.”

So what are these so called “tracking” technologies and how do they work? Here’s an overview of just a few on the market today.

Cell Phone Tracking With Mobile Spy
Installed on a cell phone, mobile spy records all phone activity including incoming and outgoing text messages, photos, and sounds. Teens can delete their call and message logs but they will still appear when parents log on to the Moblile Spy website to review their teen’s cell phone activity.

Reading Teen's Messages with Computer-Monitoring Software
Programs like eBlaster and PC Tattletale provide parents with a glimpse into their teen’s secret life on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Keystroke recording technology allows parents to see what their child’s password is and to read all messages posted, received, or sent through instant messaging.

Tracking Your Teen With Family Locator Plans
Many service providers sell cell phones with Global Positioning System receivers that track a user's location. Companies like Teen Alert Alive offer plans that track a teen’s location as well as the direction they are traveling and how fast. Another program, the Sprint Family Locator, sends a text message to parents whenever their child leaves a designated area.

Car Tracking Devices
Vehicle tracking devices come in two varieties including permanent GPS installed under the dashboard to record not just speed, but distance, and hard braking. GPS technology installed in a cell phone can also be used to track where a teen is, how fast they’re traveling, and in what direction.

*Article provided courtesy of Venture Academy for troubled teens.

Rebellious teen and her mom reconnect with help from Venture Academy

2010-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Four weeks at Venture Academy taught Rachel something she may never have learned otherwise: that her mother really did love her.

“I’d been here about a month when I realized she does love me and that she wouldn’t send me to this program to get help for both of us if she didn’t care,” said 14-year-old Rachel during her exit interview. “She showed me she cares enough to send me here.”

That revelation, coupled with new coping skills, will serve Rachel well in the weeks, months and years after she leaves Venture Academy; a place that helped give her back her life and her relationship with her mom.

“We’re learning to communicate in a good way rather than battling it out and I’m going to listen to her more and be more open to some of the things she has to say,” she said. “I’ve realized how stupid it was to try to escape into drinking and drugs. It only made everything worse.”

Rachel’s problems began the day she found out her father was dying of cancer. Within months, he died and she moved in with a mother she hadn’t lived with since her parent’s divorce many years before.

“My mom had her own life and I had mine with my dad but when he passed away I had to move in with her and it was really hard because she had different rules and different boundaries,” she remembers. “We were arguing a lot, just not agreeing on anything.”

Rachel abandoned her friends and hung out with kids who supported her decision to drink and do drugs. Thoughts of returning to sports – on hold since here dad became ill – quickly evaporated.

“There’s no way I could figure skate or play volleyball when I doing drugs and drinking,” she says.

Eventually Rachel’s mom called Venture Academy and got the help their family so desperately needed.

“I realize it’s not always going to be a perfect road and that there may be times when I don’t get along with my mom or when I can’t cope, but I’m going to work at it and I won’t turn back to drugs and alcohol.”

About Venture Academy: Venture Academy for Troubled Teens is a residential treatment program that serves as an alternative to boot camps for teens.

Residential Treatment Program for Troubled Teens Expands Into Ontario

2010-01-07T19:44:00.001-08:00

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens has expanded into Ontario where it has opened a second residential treatment program for teens struggling with problems ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and criminal behaviour.

The new academy, which provides an alternative to boot camp for troubled teens in Canada, is located one hour north of Toronto on a beautiful seven-acre site surrounded by more than 1,000 acres of forest. Like the Kelowna academy, opened in 2001, it provides teens with intensive individualized care from a highly skilled team that includes psychologists, counsellors, behavioural specialists, educators, and health professionals.

Executive Director Gordon Hay says the demand for residential treatment in Ontario like the kind Venture Academy provides was something he could no longer ignore.

“Our Kelowna location was convenient for the families of troubled teens from Western Canada but we kept getting calls from parents in Ontario who couldn’t get the help they needed but were reluctant to send their child so far away,” Hay said.

“We had some days when every inquiry we’d get would be from Ontario so it is exciting to finally be able to provide a treatment program for troubled teens in Ontario.”

Venture Academy for Troubled Teens provides a 30-day assessment program, a longer-term treatment program, as well as a summer semester. It is not a boot camp for struggling teens or a wilderness adventure program.

Each teen receives a thorough psychological assessment to identify underlying issues that may be contributing to the teen’s destructive behaviour and is provided with an individualized treatment plan.

“We’ve had parents say finally someone “gets” my kid and is doing something to help,” Hay says. “Parents want their teen's destructive behaviour to stop but they also want to know why their child is acting the way they are. Psychological testing is just one of the tools we use to provide parents with those answers.”

Hay has more than 23 years experience working with high-risk teens and their families including nine years he spent opening his own home to troubled teens. Details on both academies are available online at www.ventureacademy.ca.