How do you deal when your child is threatened by a fellow drug user?

[goose58]

I recently discovered my 8th grade 14 year old is smoking pot and drinking.  The night I found out he was actually with some older HS kids who threatened him with violence if he revealed their identities.  They said if they got caught, their network of buddies would come after him.  We have my son's issue nipped because he is peeing in a cup every week for the next 5 years with the threat of loosing his sports participation for the season.  He doesnt want that so I think we have caught it early enough...but what do I do about this other group?  Let it alone and hope the system catches up with them?  Annonymous tip?  

[goose58]

Fortunately...it appears as though this just started in the past 6-8 weeks and only on weekends.  It was a group of three boys and they all are exposed so that kills the peer group.  The thing with the HS kids was one off thing two nights ago...so hopefully this isnt ingrained enough yet to be a problem stopping.  He is also going to be meeting with the minister for some sessions and we are going to be doing volunteer work for the homeless shelter for four Saturdays.  Hopefully we'll be able to move past this at some level anyway.

I am considering an anonymous letter to the local paper.  We live in a "Mayberry" community and I think other will be shocked about what I have found out is going on here and in the Middle Schools, at the skate park, and on the streets in the middle of the night.  My son reports it is commonplace for kids to wandering the town between 1-4AM.
Thanks for your comments.

[gnarly_1]

hi the battle you have is with your son and it might be a long hard one addicts will put nothing b/4 there addiction Pot is not physically addictive but it is phonologically addictive
and its always that part thats harder to deal with I would suggest n/a meetings you need to address this behavior b/4 it becomes more problematic I smoked my first joint at 14 and have been an addict most of my life im 48 now and clean as for the friend as long as nothing is done theirs little chance of retaliation sooner or later the will get cought on there own
addiction is hard to hide from your parents I wish you all the luck in the world with this
I went threw it with one of my daughters started out with weed ended up with methamphetamine and crack....addiction is progressive....buy the way they sell stuff in the head shops that will let you pi ss clean so your u/a might be frivolous keep posting for support and God bless....Gnarly          

[Crys833]

What a tough situation! I'm glad you got your son going on the right track, it'll take a lot of love and support to keep him there. I don't know what you should do about the other kids? As a mother i want to tell you to go with the annonymous tip, but if those kids find out then your son could get backlash from it. I would say to leave it alone for now and focus on your son. if anything happens then you'll know what you have to do! Good Luck!