What Happens in the Youth Group
A structured group where adolescents practice better choices with peers their own age, never alongside adults.
The youth group is a structured counseling group for adolescents 13 to 17. Meetings last 45 to 60 minutes and mix guided discussion, interactive activities and skill-building. Teens work on anger, impulse control, decision-making, behavioral challenges and problematic sexual behavior. Every member is expected to attend regularly, take part, show respect and follow group rules. The adult group, for those 18 and older, is completely separate, so your teen meets only with other adolescents.
How It Runs
How the Group Works
The group combines three kinds of work:
- Guided discussion: focused conversations on topics such as handling anger or thinking through a decision, where members respond, ask questions and hear how peers handle similar pressure
- Interactive activities: exercises that get teens doing and practicing, not only listening
- Skill-building: work on specific skills, like pausing before acting or calming down when frustrated, that teens can use outside the room
What Teens Work On in Group
- Anger management: noticing what sets anger off and responding without making things worse
- Impulse control: building the habit of stopping to think before acting
- Decision-making: weighing options and consequences before the moment arrives
- Behavioral challenges at home, at school and in the community
- Problematic sexual behavior: understanding it, owning it and keeping healthy boundaries
What Is Expected of Every Member
A group depends on its members holding up their end. Every teen is expected to:
- Attend regularly, as the treatment plan schedules
- Take part in discussions and activities instead of sitting them out
- Show respect to everyone in the room, including during disagreements
- Follow the group rules, which are part of the program expectations covered at the assessment
Why Adults Are Never in the Youth Group
Only adolescents attend the youth group. Adults 18 and older have their own group, the Adult Sexual Behavior Treatment Group, which runs on its own, and the practice keeps the two completely apart, with no shared meetings.
Teenagers and adults are at different points in life. A teen's work centers on choices at home, at school and with friends, while the adult group is built around adult responsibilities and adult treatment goals. Keeping them apart lets each group fit the people in it.
How Group Fits With Individual Sessions
Group is one part of a plan, and not every teen's plan includes it. After the assessment, a teen's plan may call for individual sessions, group or a combination, depending on needs and any program requirements. Individual sessions leave room for personal work that does not belong in front of peers; group adds practice with other teens facing similar challenges.
If OJA, a court or probation requires group attendance, that agency still decides whether the treatment counts toward its requirement. Ask your teen's caseworker or probation officer what will be accepted.
Questions About the Youth Group
How long is each group meeting?
Each one runs 45 to 60 minutes, the same length as an individual session. How often your teen attends is set in the treatment plan at the assessment.
Is the group only about problematic sexual behavior?
No. The group also covers anger management, impulse control, decision-making and behavioral challenges, so problematic sexual behavior is one of several areas it addresses.
What if my teen is nervous about talking in a group?
Bring it up at the consultation or the assessment. Participation is expected, and nerves are worth raising early so the plan can account for them.
Does my teen have to come to the office for group?
Ask during the free consultation. Sessions are offered in person at the Oklahoma City office and by telehealth anywhere in Oklahoma, and the assessment sets how your teen's plan will run.
Keep Reading
- Youth ServicesWhere the youth group fits in
- Are Youth and Adults in the Same Group?Who attends which group, and why
- Problematic Sexual Behavior Treatment for TeensThe full picture of teen treatment
- Group or Individual Sessions?How the mix is decided
- Anger Management for TeensWhen anger is the main concern
Ask Whether Group Fits Your Teen
Ask about the youth group, and whether it belongs in your teen's plan, in a free consultation lasting 20 to 30 minutes. No charge, no obligation.
Free 20 to 30 minute consultation. Monday through Friday, by appointment.