Discussions of transformational change pervade the field of business but are rare in work with young people at risk--those most in need of deep change. Instead, the nation seems preoccupied with punishing or medicating problem behavior. Some propose the alternative of "rehabilitation," but that term means "to restore to former…

Many youth who have experienced pain and trauma have learned to survive. But surviving is not the same as thriving. Humans are able to flourish only as they find hope. How can adults help youth envision positive futures? One strategy is to help youth to have a concrete vision of a future worth having. One exercise asks young people to write their…

Throughout history, young people earned adult roles through observing, imitating, and interacting with adults around them. Rituals of initiation such as the Jewish bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are very important rite of passage ceremonies. Many churches confer baptism, confirmation, or catechism as rites of passage to adulthood. Without such…

Between 85 and 90 percent of 17-year-olds self-report committing an act for which they could be arrested (Moffitt, 1993). At the same time, attempts to regulate teens' behavior by either reward or punishment almost always backfire and produce even more aberrant behavior and rebellion. Several methods of engaging with young people and their…

When the Commission on Children At Risk--a group of 33 children's doctors, research scientists, mental health and youth service professionals--presented to the Nation its report on the crises of deteriorating mental and behavioral health of children in the US, the 83-page report was entitled "Hardwired to Connect: The New Scientific Case for…

On June 5, 2001, Brian Hancock graduated from law school. His story behind the story is significant to those concerned with reclaiming troubled teens. Ten years earlier at age fourteen, Brian was facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in adult prison. This is his story as told to Scott Larson. (Author)

Transformational change, versus incremental self-improvement, is what is needed for today's most at-risk teens. This article draws upon many of the principles in Scott Larson and Larry Brendtro's newest book "The Resilience Revolution." There has been much written on the process of transformational change in the business sector over the past…

The two most powerful forces for directing change in troubling young people are trust and relationship. The degree to which they are present between youth and adult is the degree to which positive change is possible. This article draws upon principles from the book, "The Resilience Revolution." Children are most primed to turn to trusted…

Troubled youth who are disconnected from the mainstream youth culture need relationships with caring adults and prosocial peers. Peers involved in church and school activities often ostracize troubled youth. Educators and youth workers need to encourage prosocial behaviors and encourage youth to reach out and befriend their troubled peers.…