It was interesting to learn how theoretically, group psychotherapy with adolescent clients should lead to success. However, in practice group psychotherapy with adolescents does not settle into a friendly group of adolescents who accept one another. Instead, most adolescents approach the group and one another with silence, suspicion, and defensiveness. I was surprised to read that many adolescent groups disintegrate after a meeting or 2. One reason a group can break apart is from a failure to consider all aspects of adolescent development, psychopathology, and dynamics of how the group will form during adolescence.
I am also interested in learning more about how some 'youngsters' either fail to respond to the group approach or may even be damaged by this technique.