Do Teen Boot Camps Work?
The short answer is 'yes' in many but not all cases
. And this means that parents with a troubled teen need to think carefully before sending their son or daughter off to a boot camp.The first point to consider is the nature of the problem or problems being faced by your teen. There is a world of difference between a teen who has slackened off in their studies and is spending too much time watching TV and on their computer and a teen who is in trouble with the law or seriously depressed and has a drug habit. Lumping all troubled teens in the same basket is wrong and potentially dangerous.
The next point to consider is the goal and program of a particular boot camp. Some are tough places where the staff has military rank, where tough love is the order of the day and the teens are driven hard meaning they tend to collapse in their bunk at the end of the day from tiredness. That's fine if you want to give your teen a friendly wake-up call, to help them snap out of their lethargy and get back to their studies with a vengeance. And if the time spent in the boot camp does just that then you and your teen will have made significant progress.
But on the other hand, if your teen is depressed or angry at life or rebellious towards authority even any bootcamp, may not only not help your teen, it may make their condition worse. Those teens who engage in anti-social behavior probably need therapy far more than they need punishment. Any form of punishment may backfire. Telling such a teen they can't do such and such may only make them more determined to do just that.
So once you know exactly what is wrong with your troubled teen and once you know what various boot camps offer in the way of their staffing, activities and programs, you are in a strong position to choose the right camp for your child. Don't rush the decision and instead, ask around before selecting your boot camp. Parents of teens who have been to a particular camp are often an ideal source of valuable information. Did the camp help your teen? And if not, why not?
Parents should not fall for the trap of believing that all boot camps are tough places concentrating on harsh discipline. In fact there are some where the approach is to give the residents a chance to re-build their lives. Teens need structure and the skills to make their goals attainable. Sending a troubled teen home from a boot camp with a plan and a solid dose of self-confidence may be the best investment a parent can make for their child.
Remember too the saying of 'horses for courses'. Bootcamps do not, generally speaking, place great emphasis on therapeutic activities either one on one or in groups. If your teen needs therapy and a specific type at that, a boot camp may not be your best bet. Sure a boot camp can do marvelous things for many troubled teens but not for every child. Find out what is wrong with your teen and then place him or her in a boot camp which is designed to fix your troubled teen's troubles.
Do Teen Boot Camps Work?
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