OK, first and foremost, she quite obviously broke the law and needs to accept responsibility for her actions and her punishment. Given that she's 15 that's not likely, regardless of her other issues. Don't get caught in the blame game. Your brother and his wife are not responsible for your neice stealing a car - your neice is. There's also the issue of underage drinking. From what you know of the events, it sounds like she got loaded at home and then snuck out.
That said, it sounds like this kid is in desparate need of a friend or two. If she's constantly grounded, it would just make it harder for her to reach out to her peers. If you know anyone who goes to school with her, could you reach out to them on the sly and see what the consensus about her is?
Assuming that she's going to be coming home (the new home that is), maybe you can voice your concerns with her mother and offer to help in any way that the parents see fit. That way you leave their authority in place and hopefully provide some sort of conduit for the kid. Can she be convinced to go out for some sort of team or group activity (although it is a little late in the school year for that).
Therapy is probably not a bad idea, and hopefully the court will figure that out.
__________________
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
|