Alternative boarding school offering troubled teens programs and boot camps providing teenage help and parenting advice and tips.

Teens are notoriously difficult to deal with. It's not uncommon for parents to complain that their teens walk around as if they were angry with the world. When their parents try to interact with them, they interpret is as they're being provoked to a fight when their parents are really just trying to reach out and talk. Most teens can be quite difficult to handle because they're volatile and sensitive. It's not unlike walking through a field filled with landmines.

Teen violence is a growing concern among parents and school authorities. The thing is that teenage violence in schools seem to affect teens from different socioeconomic backgrounds. These days, it's not unusual for teens who come from a seemingly normal family background to suddenly lash out violently at other teens. What makes kids these days violent? What should you do if you find out that your teen has violent tendencies? What should you do if you find out that your teen has become a victim of bullying and violence in school?

Bullying dates back to caveman times, but the tragic occurrences at Columbine and other schools has given it new significance. As a parent you can take steps to prevent your teen from becoming either a bully, or a victim of one.

Bullies crave power. They use aggression to fulfill their desires. Bullies do not necessarily suffer low self-esteem. They use physical violence or the threat of it (boys), or emotional attacks such as spreading rumors or scheming behavior (girls). Bullies seek out easy marks to lord over.

During adolescent period, teens are typically oppositional of their parents. Their need for independence is often at odds with their interaction with their parents. It's also the time in their life when the influence of their peers seem to be more important to them. They're a lot more concerned about their thoughts and appear more self-absorbed. At times, parents need to take a step back and give their teens room to grow. However, intervention and punishments for defiant teens should be considered when their defiant and hostile behavior begins to adversely affect their social, academic, and family life.