I almost went down the same path when I was in high school. I was the
only child at home, and was living in a one parent household. My Dad
was a postal worker and was often too tired to participate in my life
and that gave me WAY too much leeway. It is my opinion that the reason
I started acting out was because I was given 100 feet of rope to hang
myself with, if that makes sense. I knew my Dad was too tired to argue
with me. I knew that I could take advantage of the situation I was in
to get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. He was always mentally
tired, and physically tired and I took advantage every chance I got.

Sometimes, going back to the beginning is a good place to start. Just
think about toddlers. If you don't give them something constructive to
do, they would find unacceptable things to get into. Teenagers are not
much different. They need direction, and supervision. I think we as
parents forget that just because they can wipe their own butt, fix
their own food, and take care of their basic needs, doesn't necessarily
mean it should be that way. I think many parents make the mistake in
believing our teens are grown up, when in reality, the teen years are
just as important as those toddler years. Instead of teaching them how
to interact and preparing them for school -- you have to prepare them
for life. Teens are just like babies. They need that constant support
and love because they are going through vast changes, just like when
they were babies.

So, with that said, here are my suggestions:

1. Counseling -- If it is a matter of money, there are many groups
out there that help at low cost and no cost. Help is always there, you
just have to be determined and look for it. My Dad had immediately
took me to counseling when I started going downhill and it helped us
bond. This is the MOST important thing. You need a professional to
help you discover why she is acting out and what you can do to fix it.

2. Make time for her -- Get a gym membership together. It can help
with self esteem, its good for the both of you, and it will give you
something to bond over. If not that, find something you can do
together. One hour of your day can make the difference. If you find
yourself not being able to make the time, then you might want to
consider alternatives to make the time.

3. Find something constructive for her to participate in -- Find
out what she loves and use it. Art groups, sports, dance, music
lessons, poetry readings, volunteering. The more positive things you
introduce her to, the chances are she will leave behind those bad
influences for positive ones. It sounds like she has way too much time
on her hands.

4. Remember that YOU are the parent -- Don't let her push you
around.

5. A contract -- She is old enough to understand consequences. Sit
down and write out the rules of the house. Make sure the punishments
fit the crime. Make sure that there are equal positive goals as well.
Discuss your expectations and what you will/will not tolerate. Get her
in the habit of talking with you and compromising. Make sure she has a
copy of it and both of you sign it. This will only work if you enforce
100% of the time consistently. My Dad did this and it kept me in line.
If I went a whole month without a major screw up, he would take me out
to dinner and then let me pick out a CD I wanted, or a DVD. The key is
to give her something to work towards.

6. Show her the path she is headed down -- My Dad took me to a
crisis clinic. He had me volunteer at an battered women's shelter. He
signed me up for every program imaginable that showed me how sex and
drugs can ruin your life. Again, if you do the research, you can find
these programs. Working with battered women and listening to their
life stories set me straight. Many of them got in with the wrong crowd
at a young age. Most were drug users, and/or uneducated. There wasn't
a day that went by that at least one of those women would tell me how
important school was, or how they wished they took the right path. I
also met my share of successful, highly educated women that were
beaten, and hearing their stories helped me as well. It taught me that
just because you are intelligent and successful, that you aren't any
less prone to abuse. It showed me that as a woman, no matter where you
come from, is hard and taught me to be strong. But the greatest lesson
was watching those women rise from the lowest points in their lives and
become something better. It gave me hope. So, that might be somewhere
to start as well.

I really wish you luck and hope things straighten out.