Being responsible for a troubled youth is not easy. Likewise, it's not easy to be a troubled youth. While they may act out, or speak out, or even lash out, there is always at least some degree of frustration behind that behavior, and that frustration can easily (and quickly) snowball out of control. After all, every time they misbehave, it can seem less likely that they will ever get their lives back on track. Steps forward (such as seeing a therapist, or even residential placement) can feel like enormous steps back. The path to freedom, basically, may require a lengthy detour through uncomfortable restriction. Basically, it can often feel as though all is lost.

It's important to remember that all is not lost, and all can never be lost unless and until we choose to give up hope.

A large problem for troubled youths is that their instances of destructive behavior can perpetuate themselves. They become more comfortable with that behavior, and, depending upon their environment, they may even see that that behavior is being tolerated. This leads to further instances of misbehavior, and, often, larger ones. Do you see where the "snowball" metaphor fits in? Each time the behavior goes unchecked, the likelihood of its continuation grows larger. And even if the behavior is dealt with, that can result in the young man or woman feeling as though they have "ruined" something, as though their misbehavior has isolated them from having a productive future, and that can cause them to lose hope.

However, a productive future does not have to be out of reach. Many troubled, frustrated youths go on to lead extremely productive (and rewarding) professional lives. How does that happen? With a lot of guidance, a lot of patience, and a great deal of self-motivation.

One such career path that may turn out to be extremely helpful to your struggling teen is law enforcement.

Law enforcement (or, more generally, criminal justice) in itself can be a fantastic career opportunity for many people, provided they have the drive and passion for it. The pay is often very good, there is excellent medical and dental coverage for yourself and for your family, and generous pension is well known. But for your struggling teen, there may be even greater benefits to this career path.

For starters, there are few careers as regimented as law enforcement. While the day to day particulars of the job may be largely unpredictable, there is a strong expectation of behavior and decorum for police officers, even when they are off duty. These expectations may turn out to be exactly what a formerly troubled youth needs in a career: clear expectations, a distinct direction, and strong and inflexible consequences for misbehavior.

This rigidity (or "structure") can serve them well, and it may also give them something to strive for daily. The expectations of a police officer do not change from day to day; the only things that change are the circumstances through which they are expected to demonstrate them.

But structure for the sake of structure is meaningless, and, on its own, there is not much that structure itself can offer to troubled youths in terms of appeal. What may be of more interest to them is the reason for that structure: the responsibility for the safety of others, and for the world around them.

Troubled youths can often act in selfish ways, but many times that kind of behavior seems to come from feelings of helplessness, or of not having control over themselves or their lives. While coping with (and correctly processing) those feelings is a whole other discussion in itself, a career in law enforcement can provide a productive outlet for that impulse. It is a police officer's duty to maintain or restore peace, and that requires a great deal of control: control over one's self, control over one's environment, and control over one's circumstances.

The desire for control is not at all limited to struggling teens. Control is something each of us, in our lives, strives for. We look for control over our finances, over our family's well-being, and over our futures. But for those who do not have an appropriate outlet for those feelings, a career in law enforcement can provide that in spades.

Another helpful aspect of a career in law enforcement is the feeling of achievement that comes along with it. Completing the training at the police academy is an extremely rewarding achievement, and one very much worth being proud of. It's a physical, mental and emotional challenge, and completing that training successfully can help prepare young men and women to be far more in control of (and aware of) themselves and their actions.

The feeling of achievement that comes with protecting an innocent person who was nearly a victim of a crime, or of apprehending a criminal, or of restoring a sense of justice to another human being who has been victimized in some way is an achievement that can help a formerly troubled youth to understand that he or she can have an important part to play in the world around us. That reaffirmation of value to society can be a feeling that they might have previously through they'd never get to experience.

Police officers, like members of any profession, have their share of rotten apples. But it's a noble ambition that requires a great deal of focus, respect and determination to succeed at. It's also a very good, very secure and very productive job that can provide for a formerly troubled youth many of the things that they may have been lacking in life: structure, direction, satisfaction, confidence, and control. It's a way to give back to the world around them, and it also provides them with a secure job that can provide for themselves and their families for the length of their career.

It's not a career that is right for everybody, and it's by no means the only career path for struggling teens. But it can provide some very helpful professional growth for those that need it most, and the odds are good that it's at least worth considering.

We at Westwood College offer guidance on how to become a police officer, and that may be a great start. But think about it yourself, get feedback from your family and friends, and perhaps even speak to some police officers yourself. It's up to you to determine whether or not this is the career path for you.