<p>What a great website this is that you have! Ok. So my niece is currently a Junior in High School but because of her bad behavior, she and her mother are having her do independent studies. Her HS stated to her and her mother that if she gets into trouble one more time, she will have to go to a continuation school, where my niece fears to go because of her safety. She wants a new start herself that is why she does not want to go to her HS. Her grades are descent, except for Math - she is terrible in this subject. I know this is getting long, so I apologize but thanks for sticking this out! I think independent studies are such a bad idea because I feel it will put her farther back and I feel her and her mother do not have the discipline for it. I want to pitch the idea to my cousin of sending her to a Community College. She gets a new start, new friends, and a new chapter. To me, one of the only cons (there are probably more) are that she most likely will have 18+ friends and a bit more expensive. Can anyone share any problems they foresee or if this could be a great new beginning for her? Also, I am going to talk a counselor at a CC but getting peer feedback would be great. So again, Independent Studies vs. Community College (in this circumstance).</p>
<p>I am wondering why you think a teen with bad behavior at a high school will suddenly have better behavior at a community college, where there is not nearly the hand-holding of a high school?</p>
<p>Better to school at home and use some outside internet courses or other means to keep accountable. Have a fresh start without undue negative peer influences (mother can help monitor friends and limit continual access to negative influences). If you live near enough, you could volunteer to tutor her in one subject or take her for a hamburger each week to build a relationship with her.</p>
<p>I agree that SmileAMile has good points. But I want to offer another point of view as well. If her problem is behavioral, not academic, maybe the greater challenge at CC would serve her well, and maybe being surrounded by adults would raise her own standards.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you’ve considered both these issues. 
Another con is that it’s possible she won’t make any friends of any age, because at a CC it can be much more business-like. People will show up for their class and leave afterwards, with no shared lunch period or shared locker area, and won’t even be in more than one class together.</p>
<p>But there’s no reason it has to be one or the other. She can take a class or two at CC, those of her strength, and the rest at home with independent studies. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you both for your feedback! SmileAMile, under certain circumstances, I would totally agree; however, a lot of her (I will call her Sophia) bad behavior stems from ‘survival’. Her father, an active gang member and active drug user of Marijuana and recently Crystal Meth, is not at all a stable man - sidenote: her mother is re-married and no longer with her birth father. Because of his behavior, his enemies became Sophia’s enemies. She has been walking down the street and older girls have driven by, recognized her as her father’s daughter, and ‘jumped’ her. Everyone is accountable for their own actions, however at the age of 12, she had to learn how to defend herself physically, mentally, and emotionally. In turn, because of the violence, she adapted to her environment and acts out in bad behavior. I understand being strict and giving consequences to bad behavior, however there is only so much a parent can do to control. Most of her early teenage years up until current status, she is grounded. Her Facebook, cell phone etc have been take away in attempts to monitor her friends. Sophia has run away from home and snuck friends in the house when her mother is at work. Her mother even had a security system, including cameras at all entry points, wired in the house. Sophia has definitely given her mother a run or her money. There is so much more detailed information that I could take 10 pages explaining and then some.</p>
<p>Recently, Sophia has realized the consequences of her bad behavior and she is terrified. She knows that she has influences in her life that are negative and is trying hard to not partake in those activities with certain people. The reason I/we think it would be good to take her out of school into a new city is because she will be out of the area where she, and her father, is known. Granted, bad behavior will follow the person, however if she is a product of her environment, we want to change that environment with a new start and begin behavior modification in a fresh start.</p>
<p>If we do independent studies, the issue of lack of friends is there, so why not it be bettering yoruself at a cc… speaking of the situation, I LITERALLY just got a text from her mother:</p>
<p>“Sophia” got into a fight at school today!! She ditched school but went at lunch to be her up for talking crap about her. Now the school is looking for her and hte parents of the girl want to press charges. And Sophia is with her dad and said she’ll be home later".</p>
<p>This is why we want to pick her up and get her out of her environment. The single biggest contributing factor to drug abuse risk is having friends who engage in the problem behavior. If an individual’s friends have favorable attitudes towards drug use, this can also increase risk. </p>
<p>I think this is more of a venting session, so I appreciate your responses earlier!</p>