Page Topic: Boot Camps for Troubled Teens

Troubled Teens Help - Boot Camps for Troubled Teens.

Boot camps for troubled teens are military-style, semi-penal institutions that use discipline, military exercises, and rigorous physical training to "break" a defiant adolescent. The Troubled Teen is supposed to return home a "good soldier" who will obey authority, follow rules, and improve behavior at home and school. Therapy is an option, also psychological intervention to address underlying emotional or behavioral problems that may have been developing over many years. The theory is that a swift "kick in the pants" will turn around a child who has probably been acting out for years. There is more than one type of boot camp. Some are state-run substitutes for juvenile jail. Some are privately run "Shape Up" camps where the "Instructors" enforce strict rules, some of them are simply there for no other reason than to challenge the student to follow the rules or break them, force physical exertion (force long runs and obstacle courses), and generally shake up the troubled teens perception of reality. Of course, this isn't reality. Most of us do not live in a boot camp or military atmosphere in the real world. These boot camps were created as a short-term alternative to military boarding schools. The idea is that you break the teens will (spirit?) and teach them that they are not the center of attention al the time. However, many therapists would disagree that such a tactic results in a well-adjusted, responsible young adult. The recidivism rate of juveniles who attend state-run boot camps has been said to be as high as 94%. That does not say much for the success of this model of rehabilitation. Are They Effective in todays society? Boot camps came into being as an alternative to jail for juvenile delinquents. Research has shown that the recidivism rate for juvenile offenders who have attended a "boot camp" is very high, as high as 90%. Why would a parent want to send a troubled teen to a program that was originally intended for adolescents who have been prosecuted for criminal acts? It is not an environment intended to modify behavior through self-understanding. It is an environment that seeks to scare kids straight, a method that has proven time and again to have on short-term results. Whatever program or therapeutic approach you choose for your struggling adolescent you should take into consideration the long-term impact of the choice. If a teen undergoes significant behavioral and emotional changes in a therapeutic problem, the long-term success rate will be much higher. Many times parents want a "quick fix" for their troubled teen. How many years did it take to end up with a sullen, belligerent, hostile child? You can not fix it overnight. Focusing on a long-term plan in which the intervention is therapeutic and emphasizes behavioral change through the acceptance of personal responsibility will improve the outlook for your child. Bootcamps are rarely the best choice for a truly troubled teenager. They need to face their basic emotional and behavioral issues as well as discover and be taught behaviors and positive interactions that will improve their academic performance, personal relationships, and personal success as well as get them ready for what the future has in store for them. It is change that occurs through self-revelation that has the longest and most permanent effect on any human being. Give your teen the opportunity to learn more about himself or herself, and then discover that he or she can be a positive part of the community.

If you would like more information on the various bootcamps and other facilities out there that will benefit your troubled teen, please call us today at (866) 698-3362 or (866) MY-TEEN2. We look forward to your son or daughters success and want to show them the light at the end of the tunnel. Call today for more information.