Please contact Youth Town if you have questions
about what the test results mean.
1.888.274.2036 - toll free
teenhelp@youthtown.net
BEFORE YOU START…
This packet contains four separate lists of behaviors that
you may have noticed in your teen. Many of the listed behaviors often seem
to be ‘normal’ teenage behaviors. That is why it can be extremely difficult
for parents to tell whether their child is just going through a ‘typical’ teenage
phase, may have a psychological problem, or may have become involved with
drugs and/or alcohol.
First go down each
of the four lists, checking the behaviors that apply. Then after you have
completed each list, refer to the List Interpretations and Recommended
Actions in the next section of this packet to find the most appropriate
action to take for your particular situation.
CHECK LIST ONE….
Has your child become
secretive?
Has your child changed
friends?
Has your child changed
in dress or appearance?
Has your child become
increasingly isolated, preferring to spend time alone?
Have your child’s
school grades declined?
Has your child dropped
out of sports or other school activities?
Has your child been fired
from work?
Does your child stay out
at night past your curfew?
Have you ever noticed
your child using excessive amounts of eye drops, gum, breath mints or perfume?
Have you ever been suspicious
of your child’s overall behavior, though you could find no evidence
that anything was wrong?
Has it become more difficult
to get your child to participate in family activities?
Has it become more difficult
to get your child to do household chores?
Has your child become
more argumentative and uncooperative?
______ TOTAL FROM
LIST ONE
CHECK LIST TWO….
Does your child seem depressed?
Does your child seem to
require extra sleep?
Has your child become
rebellious and defiant?
Is your child ‘skipping’ classes?
Has your child been suspended
from school or been ordered to in-school suspension?
Does your child seem withdrawn
from the family?
Has your child started
to smoke?
Does your child spend
long periods of time in the bathroom?
Has your child become
physically or verbally abusive to parents or other members of the family?
Do you (or your child)
receive ‘mysterious’ phone calls at all hours?
Has your child come home
drunk?
Has your child ever been
caught stealing from family, relatives, or friends?
Does your child avoid
parental contact upon arrival at home?
Does your child laugh
excessively for no apparent reason?
Does your child use pornography?
Has your child experienced
excessive weight loss?
Does your child binge
eat or purge his/her food?
_____TOTAL FROM LIST TWO
CHECK LIST THREE…
Have you ever found suspicious
items (drug paraphernalia) around your home, in your child’s room or
in your child’s car?
Have valuables been ‘disappearing’ from
your home?
Have prescriptions or
other medicines disappeared from your medicine cabinet?
If you drink alcohol,
have you noticed diluted contents or bottles disappearing from your liquor
cabinet?
Does your child ever seem
to be possessing large amounts of money?
Has your child ever been
arrested due to alcohol or drug-related events?
Have you ever noticed
that your child’s eyes were bloodshot or pupils dilated?
Has your child been arrested
for vandalism, shoplifting, breaking and entering, or burglary?
Does your child openly
admit to using alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs?
Does your child have persistent
and chronic colds or respiratory congestion?
Has your child ever threatened
or attempted suicide?
Has your child been expelled
from or quit school?
_____TOTAL FROM LIST THREE
CHECK LIST FOUR…
Do you and your spouse
frequently disagree or argue about your child’s behavior?
Do you often worry about
your child’s problems?
Have you ever tried to
cover up or make excuses for your child’s behavior instead of discussing
the situation with your friends, relatives or school personnel?
Do you feel frustrated
because no matter how hard you try, nothing seems to change your child’s
behavior?
Do you feel relieved when
your child leaves the house?
Do you feel anger or a
general dislike for your child?
Are you afraid that you
may have become a failure as a parent?
Have you tried to change
your behavior in the hopes that it would cause a change in your child’s
behavior?
Do you give money to your
child without your spouse’s knowledge?
Do you have a growing
fear that your child has become “out of control”?
Do you fear that your
child might injure him/herself or others?
Do you bargain with your
child in an attempt to change behavior?
Do you feel heart-sick
because you have had to compromise your own values or lower your expectations
concerning your child?
Do you find yourself desiring
to spend less time at home to avoid conflicts with your child?
_____TOTAL FROM LIST FOUR
LIST ONE…
List one represents the subtle symptoms that
may suggest a child is experiencing a psychological or drug/alcohol related
problem. If you checked all symptoms, or a combination of some of these
symptoms, plus some symptoms from Lists 2, 3, or 4, then you should seek
professional help without delay.
If only a few symptoms occur in this category
and none in Lists 2, 3, or 4, then simply discuss your concerns with your
child. However, you should carefully monitor your child’s activities and
behaviors. If symptoms persist, seek professional help.
LIST TWO…
List Two represents some of the more obvious
symptoms of a child abusing drugs or alcohol. It also represents many behaviors
of a child experiencing difficulty managing his or her environment and responsibilities.
If you have checked several of the indicators
from both Lists 1 and 2, you should schedule your child for a professional
evaluation for a possible psychological and/or drug/alcohol problem.
LIST THREE …
List Three represents definite symptoms of a
child who has been using drugs or alcohol for some time, or who is developing
severe psychological problems.
If you have checked a few of these symptoms
and several from Lists 1 and 2, you child is in urgent need of a professional
evaluation.
LIST FOUR…
List Four represents the symptoms of parents
who love their child and want to believe everything is okay. Yet, they may be
experiencing what is commonly referred to as “denial”. Parents caught in this
subtle trap are doing “all the wrong things for all the right reasons”,
including compromising their own values and lifestyles while directing all
their attention, thoughts and efforts towards their child.
If you have checked a number of these
symptoms, you may be caught in this trap, and could be creating an environment
that rewards/reinforces inappropriate teen behaviors, rather than stopping
them. A good first step towards intervention would be to seek professional help
concerning your own particular situation.
1.888.274.2036 - toll free
teenhelp@youthtown.net