please help me help the teens

Steve, I wanted to add that if you run across someone in another country and need resources to refer to, let me know and I will do some research. FYI, Boys Town covers all 50 states, Guam, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. So we should be covered there. Obviously, the more geographical location info you can get the better. A few counties in the USA have just created what are called "Child Advocacy Centers." They are the wave of the future. So if you get county info, and if it would be situationally an appropriate referral, I can look that up.

Hi Steve,

For youth in the USA, you can refer to:

Boystown Natl Hotline (24/7; accepts calls from both males and females) 1-800-448-3000;

Covenant House (Youth and Parents): 1-800-999-9999

The Sidran Institute gives out referrals to trauma-informed therapists, fyi. This is for folks of any age. They can be contacted by email and response time is between 2-4 weeks.

I hope this helps. Please check out the linked websites to edify yourself on each organization's services. If you need more resources or if you hear any negative feedback, let me know and I will try to dig up more resources.

PS: I agree this is an international problem. It's horrible.

My heart goes out to this obviously sensitive young man.  If he has access to a mental health professional or trusted adult in the school (counselor or someone like that), that could be a HUGE benefit for him.  Also, finding an equally sensitive adult male role model (so he won't ever absorb the idea that being sensitive is "not masculine"!)

Let's call this cybergrounding. Parents are within their rights to do this, even if it may harm their children, especially if the parents are verbally abusive and don't recognize it. I'd suggest that he bargain specific times to spend with the family, even if it's an hour or so, in exchange for keeping access to the 'net. But I'd also suggest that he find friends or caring adults in person to sub for some of the time online. Right now, it doesn't sound as if he has any positive face time with anyone. That's not a good thing for his short- or long-term health.   

hi chris thanks for the reply

i am guessing david lives in the usa. most teens who write to me do. so let's go with that assumption. i will ask him but till them i can say that many other teens in the usa face the similar situation with their parents. i've run into this over and over. parents literally are cutting the lifeline for these teens. and it is legal as far as i can tell.

or did u mean which state?

in any case this is an international problem.

the need for emotional support is not a legal right any where in the world unfortunately as far as i can see. i dont think lawmakers know what emotional support is to be honest!

Where does David live?