Teen Boot Camps - teen boot camp summary

  The teen boot camp environment is probably one of the first options that comes to mind for the parents of a troubled teen, as it offers a possibility for the troubled teen to readjust his of her behavior using a strict system that is much like what is seen in military academies, such as West Point or the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. Other teen boot camps are patterned after the structure of military boot camps (basic training) which were designed for new recruits that do not involve commissioned officers. Essentially, most of the privately owned or funded programs use similar but questionable tactics to get the attention of a troubled teen who has minor problems with school and society or following some of the most simple instructions.

  If a teen is psychologically stable and has displayed an attitude towards society and rules that make civilization work well, then a teen boot camp might be an excellent choice. However, if the teen has deep-rooted problems that are beyond the scope of the instructors at a boot camp and the teen is not able to handle the harsh, structured environment and the teen is defiant with respect to authority, the parent would better serve the teen to seek out other options that are available to the public. It would certainly not serve the best interest of a teen to send him or her to an environment that consists of yelling and screaming for such infractions as not standing correctly or talking in ranks. This will almost certainly cause undue harm to a child that might be better served with treatment by a trained counselor in a home environment, preferably along with the parents where the threat of separation is not an issue. Especially considering boot camps poor track record for helping troubled teens improve their lives.