Parents looking for effective therapy methods to help a young boy who struggles with defiance issues can learn about how we can help him at our therapeutic ranch and boarding school in rustic Wyoming. 

Rocky Mountain Frontier’s experienced counselors and staff understands that parents want to send a young boy to a safe, monitored environment where he receives personal care, and individual therapies that help heal emotional and mental disorders–whether brought on by trauma, foster care, adoption or family genetics. 

And while the young boy or teen enrolls our ranch and boarding school for counseling, treatment, and improving academic/life skills, Rocky Mountain Frontier also helps boys struggling with defiance issues improve their mental and physical health. 

Dealing with Defiance in Young Boys

The question of how to handle defiant children is something most parents have struggled with at one point or another. Defiance in children is a common problem, especially in adolescents. It’s a normal part of a child’s development and can be expressed in behaviors such as talking back to or disobeying parents, teachers, and other adults.

Among school-age children, defiance will more likely take the form of arguing or not doing something you asked—or doing it very, very slowly—rather than a full-out tantrum (which is more likely to occur in younger children). Your child may be trying to exert control over a situation or declare their independence. They may be testing limits. Or they may be expressing dislike for a task like doing their chores.

When Defiance Isn’t What It Seems

In some cases, what appears to be defiance may simply be a child who’s dawdling because they are so focused on an activity. Understanding what’s behind your child’s behavior is an important part of addressing the problem.

Defiant behavior that persists for a prolonged period of time and interferes with a child’s performance at school and their relationships with family and friends can be a sign of something called oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD.

In children who have ODD, defiance is characterized by behaviors, such as temper tantrums or aggression, that often seem inappropriate for a child’s age. Children who have ODD may also exhibit other problems such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD.

 If you suspect that your child may have ODD, consult your child’s doctor or school counselor to get help and information.

Causes of Oppositional Defiant Disorder 

ODD is a behavioral disorder that results in defiance and anger against authority. It can affect a person’s work, school, and social life.

ODD affects between 1 and 16 percent of school age children. It’s more common in boys than girls. Many children start to show symptoms of ODD between the ages of 6 and 8 years.

There is no proven cause of ODD, but there are theories that can help identify potential causes. It’s thought a combination of environmental, biological, and psychological factors cause ODD. For example, it’s more common in families with a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

One theory suggests ODD can begin to develop when children are toddlers, because children and adolescents with ODD show behaviors fairly typical of toddlers. This theory also suggests that the child or adolescent is struggling to become independent from parental or authority figures they were emotionally attached to.

It’s also possible that ODD develops as a result of learned behaviors, reflecting negative reinforcement methods some authority figures and parents use. This is especially true if the child uses bad behavior to get attention. In other cases, the child could adopt negative behaviors from a parent.

Other possible causes include:

certain personality traits, like being strong-willed

lack of positive attachment to a parent

significant stress or unpredictability in the home or daily life

Rocky Mountain Frontier Helps Boys Heal from Defiance Issues

Rocky Mountain Frontier treats young boys who struggle with defiance issues. Therapists address your child’s symptoms to determine if conflict issues are symptoms of other mental disorders, or not, and create an individual treatment plan to follow at school, including therapy. We also provide nutritious meals, and healthy exercise and activities. We want each student to experience effective counseling and treatment, as well as improve daily life at school, and back home with family.

If you want to learn more about how we treat young boys struggling with defiance issues or Oppositional Defiance Disorder at our therapeutic boarding school and ranch in rustic Wyoming, please call (307)899-1690 now.

Sources: 

1.  https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-handle-defiant-children-620106

2) https://www.healthline.com/health/oppositional-defiant-disorder#causes