I. Decide To Be Right and Hope You Can Also Be Effective
This mother has already thrown in the towel and in effect asked you for help.("suggested we talk to her daughter ourselves".) So by all means seek to approach the teen. Attempt to practice and use the skills we discuss in Dissection of the Dialogue. And good luck!
Gather other equally concerned (hopefully) neighbors together and go as a group to the mother and discuss how to proceed (offer assistance).
Next (if no resolution). List all the safety and law enforcement issues: underage drinking (perhaps illegal substance abuse),driving while impaired, cars parked illegally. Go with the list and the neighborhood group directly to the police-or the city (township, precinct, council) at their next meeting and demand action. Enlist the local media. Hope that you can keep the pressure going until the teen gets her act together/runs away/finally grows into adulthood(we all do sooner or later).
Have the mother arrange for the neighborhood group to meet directly with the teen herself. Sometimes intimidation still works, even in today's world. Or maybe the gang will decide to move to a new, less threatening location.
Research other areas to apply intimidation (we adults have been known to do this too). Canvass the neighbors. Anybody have a friend/relative on the police force? Or kin to a ranking elected official? A school district administrator? School Board member? It takes a Village after all and the squeaky wheel always gets the grease first...
OR.....
A Program To Help You Deal Effectively with Teen Problems
Drug and Alcohol Use
Sexuality Issues
Parental Disrespect
Adult Disrespect
School Pressures
Teenage Crime
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