Should you need help finding troubled teen boarding schools, all-girl schools, schools with therapy or homes for boys, please let us know. As the parent of a troubled teen, you’re faced with even greater challenges. This is especially true if your teen is abusing drugs or alcohol. A troubled teen faces behavioral, emotional, or learning problems beyond the normal teenage issues. While any negative behavior repeated over and over can be a sign of underlying trouble, it’s important for parents to understand which behaviors are normal during adolescent development, and which can point to more serious problems.