Adam's Story

Adam was not always angry and aggressive, but at 16 he was becoming a bully. His aggression began to intensify and things at home got so bad that Adam’s mother was forced to call the police. The court gave Adam the choice of charges on his record or going through a program called Breaking the Cycle of Family Violence.

Lena Pope Home, with Tarrant Juvenile Justice, has created Breaking the Cycle of Family Violence for youth like Adam with no prior offenses. Lena Pope Home therapists work with both the youth and the family in their home and are able to identify negative patterns of interaction and work to re-establish relationships with new positive communication and anger management strategies. For the intervention to be successful, it is very important for both the youth and the parent to be on board. In most cases, after four to six months of this individual attention, the family is able to adjust their behavior and make the necessary changes needed to strengthen their relationship. The hope is that after the program is completed, the youth will not return to Juvenile Services.

Although Adam’s attitude was not always receptive during the early sessions, he was able to make the changes in his behavior. As his attitude changed, his grades began to improve, which he soon learned helped him get along with his mother. As with most teenagers, he was able to hear what his therapist said about his actions, when he could never stand to hear his mother say the same things. He has even found that with his new found attitude and improved grades he receives privileges he has always yearned for. Overall, the mother admits, “our family life is so much better.”