Kids that are "made" to participate by parents

Parents often send their children to a youth program with the expectation that you will “fix” their children. This may mean that those children are there against their will and the underlying expectation is unreasonable and unattainable.

• If there is any chance of acknowledging to the particular youth that you understand and accept their resistance, but since they are stuck with you and the church group, the two of you can work together to make it as painless as possible. The subject has to come up naturally, such as the youth declaring “my parents make me come and you can't make me like it.”
  
• Cut them some slack.
  
• If the parents complain that you haven't “helped” their child, comment that you and [child's name] “are working on his/her issues” but you find their child to be [something positive: “fun to be with” “helpful” “livens things up”] Don't get sucked into defending yourself, the program or the kid. Don't accept the job of “fixing” the kid.