What can be done legally when a 17 year old female is out of control and not abiding by parent's rules?

Question

She is adopted and certainly has issues being in bio family for the first 2 years of her life. We have given her much love and consider her our daughter. She is sexually active, doing drugs, and just about kicked out of school. All of our discipline stategies have failed. She is now walking out of our home. She is staying with an older daughter, but I need to know if there is anything family court is able to do so we can get her into some sort of facility to help her. thank you

Answer 1

In order to start getting her some assistance, you and your family need to start calling the POLICE and INSISTING that this 17 yr old be ARRESTED any time she comes into the home or around you with DRUGS, under the Influence, or just disappears.

Also -- have you checked your family health insurance policy to see if it includes diagnosis/treatment at a drug/alcohol abuse center ... residential programs, etc?

This is the way I would go with this situation. Family Court will do very little to help you -- you MUST (and should!) seek out the filing of Police Reports each and every time she is damaging your home (or other property), ABUSING you/your spouse/family, or doing other erratic/illegal behaviors. In a lot of states now, if the child is NOT Attending school -- you, the PARENT, can be hauled into court for NOT Taking your child to school -- and it does NOT matter whether she is biologically yours or adopted/foster child either!

So start with the Law Enforcement Route, and yes, INSIST to the POLICE that you WANT her charged with Assault on you, property damage/thefts, etc -- and DO talk to the District Attorney when you can as well. Sometimes the ONLY Way to get through to a teen how much you care is BY BEING The ONE to show the TOUGH LOVE and INSIST that they face consequences for their out-of-control or illegal conduct!


Scariest part of all this -- I HOPE she is taking Birth Control or is protecting herself (at least) -- one of the consequences of her behaviors is pregnancy, the OTHER consequences can include DEATH ... and that is what is truly worrisome (and not by disease either). SO YES, CALL The Police as you see her around town, anywhere, and REPORT her, INSIST on getting her CHARGED with the CRIMES, and that will get her into the Legal System for sure.

Answer 2

She is 17..... You should just let her go.
I left my family when I was 17 because my dad and I got into a fight and I thought I was old enough to take care of my self...My dad let me go and on the way out he said " you'll be back"
I shook my head NO. about 6 months later I was back because it was too hard on my own at that age.
They will always be back....trust me.

GOODLUCK

Answer 3

Did she pass state lines to come back to him or did they do it mutually? i think of in the event that they did it mutually, that is thinking kidnapping. reckoning on what your state regulations are, if she did enter right into a sexual realtionship with this minor, she may well be prosecuted for it. i understand in my state the age of consent is sixteen and that they are in a position to be no better than 2 years older than you.