Family therapy and group therapy are NOT the same thing.
I can understand not going into group therapy - or even individual counseling - if the person has no intention of getting help. When you put them there "anyway", what the learn is how to work the system, not how to get help. The figure out what to say to get certain reactions, learn more bad tricks from the other kids... not that the others are intentionally sending this one off the rails, but as they share their problems and experiences... if you're not on the "getting help" page then its dangerous.
Family therapy, on the other hand, involves only individuals who already know difficult child, know what to expect, normal modus-operandi, can call it as they see it... the therapist is helping the combined group work through or past issues productively. If difficult child still doesn't want help, its not going to happen - but they don't get "wrong ideas" from family therapy like they would from group therapy.
Does that make more sense?
I can understand not going into group therapy - or even individual counseling - if the person has no intention of getting help. When you put them there "anyway", what the learn is how to work the system, not how to get help. The figure out what to say to get certain reactions, learn more bad tricks from the other kids... not that the others are intentionally sending this one off the rails, but as they share their problems and experiences... if you're not on the "getting help" page then its dangerous.
Family therapy, on the other hand, involves only individuals who already know difficult child, know what to expect, normal modus-operandi, can call it as they see it... the therapist is helping the combined group work through or past issues productively. If difficult child still doesn't want help, its not going to happen - but they don't get "wrong ideas" from family therapy like they would from group therapy.
Does that make more sense?