Boot Camps for Troubled Teens what exactly are they?

Boot camps are military-style, semi-penal institutions that use discipline, military exercises, and rigorous physical training to "break" a defiant adolescent and supposedly return home a "good soldier" who will obey authority, follow rules, and improve behavior at home and school. There is no therapy, no 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 "get tough" camps where the "guards" enforce strict rules, some of them simply there for no other reason than to challenge the student to follow the rules or break them, force physical exertion (forced long runs and obstacle courses), and generally shake up the child's 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 child's will (spirit?) and teach them that they are not the center of the universe.

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.

Alternatives to Boot Camps

What are some of the viable alternatives to a penal-oriented boot camp? Most troubled adolescents have underlying emotional and behavioral problems that are rarely addressed in military-style boot camps. Boot camps are about discipline, deferring to authority, and saying, "Yes, Sir!," often in response to pointless directives. Does running miles on a muddy track carrying a log teach the same thing as cooperating with peers in creating a camp fire so you will can cook a meal and be warm at night?

Therapeutic programs that combine therapy, the teaching of survival skills, and the impact of the natural environment create more profound, lasting changes in struggling adolescents. Boot camps, even more juvenile offenders, have a history of problems, from accusations of abusive staff to poor training that has led to serious incidents and even death of their adolescent participants.

Comparison of Therapy Type Program vs. Boot Camps