Bootcamp Boot Camp

Bootcamps used to be a popular place to send a troubled and defiant teen. For the most part, boot camps are now a thing of the past. The problem with bootcamps was the people that were running them. With mostly former military staff in charge, the immature teens were treated in an abusive manor. There were some Boot Camps that really helped kids. There are still some military style, in your face programs, in existence that have found a balance of discipline and respect for the youth.

Military style Boot Camps have had to be toned down to fit the needs of an immature teenager. The problem as mentioned previously, was the military drill instructor used to dealing with enlistees. The enlistee in the bootcamp was there of his or her own volition creating a totally different setting. The students in a bootcamp for troubled teens do not want to be there and is usually unwilling to participate in anything required of them. This situation ignites the former bootcamp instructor creating a volatile situation. The instructor will sometimes revert back to his military experience and get louder and more intense.

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Boot Camps for troubled teens have been controversial for quite some time. The principle behind teen boot camps is based on the success the military has getting new recruits “whipped in to shape”. The thought was that the intense structure and physical exertion would change the troubled teen into a more compliant individual. In order for a teen to get boot camp principles, they would have to be somewhat desirous to be involved in the boot camp. The boot camps receive a lot of negative press when several teens died as a result of the harsh behavior. It would seem that the lesson to be learned is that you can not force a teen to do what you want them to. The teen will have to be willing or become willing in order to receive any benefit from the boot camp model.

The negative press was not the only reason teens didn’t get boot camp benefits that they were expected to get. The entire concept of forcing teens to do what is right has been questioned. There are statistics that show that boot camps are really not that successful at reforming a troubled teen. We have seen other types of programs that are having better success than the boot camp style programs. We believe that one of the most successful models being used today is the positive peer pressure style program. This puts the teen in a controlled environment where they can be taught that their negative choices will not help them. They are also confronted by the others in their peer group. If you have a teen and believe that he or she won’t get boot camp success, give us a call.