How Youth Unity Transformed a Family’s Struggle into Strength
We want to share how Youth Unity has been an incredible source of support for this family.
As a severely disabled widow with two neurodiverse teenage children, life has been extremely challenging. Over the past year, they have faced significant difficulties due to the behaviour of the teenage son, which was violent, destructive, and incredibly hard to manage at both home and school.
Youth Unity stepped in and provided a safe space for him to open up about his behaviour and the choices he was making. Through these conversations, he has been able to reflect and make more positive decisions, leading to a significant reduction in violence.
But their support didn’t stop there. Youth Unity also recognised the impact on the daughter, ensuring she had access to activities tailored for her, rather than feeling the need to follow in her brother’s footsteps.
For the mother, the support has been invaluable. Youth Unity has stayed in regular contact, listening without judgment, validating her as a parent, and giving her the strength to keep going—even on the hardest days. Parents facing violent or challenging behavior from their children often feel ashamed and withdraw from others, which is exactly what happened in this case. Youth Unity helped break that isolation, reminding her that she and her needs matter just as much as her children’s.
There is still a long journey ahead, made even more difficult by the long waiting times for professional services like CAMHS to provide therapy. Youth Unity has been there during this waiting period, offering the crucial support families need when they feel like there’s nowhere else to turn.
The experience with Youth Unity has been nothing but positive, and their work has made a real difference for this family.
