Help! with friend's teen ds stealing etc

[Hullygully]

My friend (not a euphemism for me) has a 14 year old son who is intelligent, pleasant, has a stable home, nice parents but steals from them, including bank cards. He goes to school, but does no work and definitely smokes some dope. He lies wherever possible to avoid admitting his behaviours.

They don't know what to do. Terribly upset and worried. They don't want to ground him because he would ignore them and go out anyway and then what would they do?

Advice? Please?

Nice as they appear there is something wrong at home. ( in my opinion)

The whole family need counselling so that whatever the problem is, it comes out into the open.
They can tell you ' what ever' but you don't really know what goes on behind closed doors, do you?
The nicest appearing family can easily conceal real problems. I know because my Father was charm personified, pillar of the community etc. not to me or my siblings he wasn't. We kept our mouths shut and I stole stuff.

However your friends are not going to seek family counselling willingly are they? Wil they take advice from you?
I have never known a errant child come from an easy going respectful family. Barring mental illness, but even then there was something in the background.
No doubt other mumnetters will know someone who brought their child up in a Perfect home, who went haywire. But I don't.

Thanks, hole.

I am suggesting family counselling on the grounds that there are obviously issues of some kind, although I don't think it's anything horrid.

I don't think I can tell you something that I know without outing my self. However if you allow me to I can message you privately. O

Please do.