CRISIS INTERVENTION
(part 1)
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9 (NASB)

I am convinced the correct answer to Cane’s question is a resounding “YES!” If we take time to reason out the complete meaning of “Loving God and Loving People” then we conclude that loving God means caring for (Gen. 2:15) God’s creation and loving the things HE loves. Loving people, means we take an active role in helping and protecting each other. This brings us to Cane’s question and my response to that question. When people are in crisis, either physical, spiritual, or emotional, the loving response is to intervene.
The age group at greatest risk today is that group between the ages of 11 to 25. The key ingredient in crisis intervention for this age group is loving parents and step parents. Intervention (or in Cane’s words, “becoming my brother’s keeper”) cannot be left up to parents alone. There are too many angles of attack for parents to handle the battle alone. Other adults must work, in cooperation with parents (key point), to keep students from falling victim to the messages of self destruction bombarding them daily. Crisis intervention can simply mean that Christian adults take back control of students’ lives by battling the cultural forces that make destructive solutions seem attractive to the troubled teen. Teen crisis interventions can only occur when Christian adults quit denying a crisis exists. According to Dr. Michael Conner, a licensed psychologist and an expert in crisis intervention:
The formula for health care and education today generally does not address the unique or individual needs of teenagers in crisis....The underlying cause is not understood or addressed because the real issue requires more effort than simply providing "symptom" relief. A failure to gain a clear understanding of a teenager with problems and failure to provide an appropriate response can perpetuate problems and escalate to the point of more serious problems. (Source:http://www.crisiscounseling.com/Crisis/CrisisInterventionTeens.htm)

CRISIS INTERVENTION
(Part 2)
(Note: for the purposes of this series of articles ONLY, the terms
parent and stepparent are interchangeable)
How does a teenager ever become a troubled teen? Parents are often
bewildered to find that providing clothes, music, 100-dollar gym shoes,
and expensive computers are somehow not sufficient to prevent their
adolescent from falling into the troubled teen category.
Perhaps as a parent you just want to be done with it. You have had
enough and you just don't want to hear anymore about troubled teenagers.
You make excuses for your troubled teen, shrug off his late nights or
surly attitude as adolescent pranks and normal teen angst. Understand,
this method is equal to pouring gasoline on a house fire. The most
common reason teens become troubled, is a lack of parental involvement
in their lives.
When parents place other things and activities ahead of their children
(obviously we have to support our family, but be cautious about becoming
a work-a-holic). Not paying attention to your troubled youth is a silent
killer. You might think that it is a better idea to leave your child
alone, but that is just wrong. You need to take as much action as you
can to help your child out of the dark world in which he or she lives.
A troubled teenager shouldn't be left alone. If you don't try to help
your troubled teen, you will end up hurting him or her instead. Granted,
no parent would ever willingly hurt his or her child. The dangerous
thing about troubled teens is that you don't know that you are hurting
them when you ignore their problems.
Don’t be surprised if your teenager acts like he or she doesn't care
about you and your opinions. That is not the truth! Teenage children are
especially proud and have a hard time asking for help (just like most
adults, hmm, I wonder where they get that from). Instead, they ask for
it indirectly by misbehaving, acting out, or abusing himself or herself in
different ways (risky behavior, addictive substances, etc).
Don't take such behavior as an insult. Take it as a cry for help and
then help your child. You might consider therapy or counseling for your
troubled teenager. You might even consider a little more love and
affection. Don't be surprised when you start to see positive results. In
most cases, a little help goes a long way.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with
goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with
brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these
qualities are yours and are increasing; they will keep you from being
useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter
1:5-8 (HCSB)
As Peter states in the verse above, “make every effort...” The key to
prevention is to be proactive and involved in your teen’s life. The key
to successful intervention is to follow Peter’s advice written above.
Most importantly, spend time with your children BEFORE they become
teens. Get involved WITH THEM in what they are doing. For those who have
small children, be a volunteer in the nursery, as they become older,
move up with them. For those who have older children and pre-teens, get
involved in those areas of ministry now. Remember, you are laying a
foundation for spending time with your children after they become teens.
It’s never too late to start, remember the longer you wait, the harder
it will be.