Sometimes parents ask Dr. Wilgus, "Should I ever call the authorities on my teen?"

Dr. Wilgus says yes. There's a time and a place to call the authorities or 911 on your teen. He says you can take this course of action for runaways and for those who are physically violent.

He says the teen who is posing a physical threat should already be aware of and you as a parent should be confident in the limitations you've already placed on him or her.

Dr. Wilgus provides language you can use in a potentially volatile situation but says it can be risky to threaten police involvement as a regular method of discipline. He says police actions will vary from state to state.

For more from Dr. Wilgus, check out his book here: http://bit.ly/3n1MvOO.

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