Could your child benefit from a teen boot camp?
Although it’s certainly possible to find a boot camp for kids, discipline-oriented teen boot camps are the most common and most widely discussed. This is not surprising, given that adolescence is the most rebellious stage of a young person’s life, and the time when they start to exhibit solid signs of some behavioral patterns that can extend into adulthood.
Teenager boot camps are usually gender-specific rather than coed, but in many cases, a boot camp for girls will have similar strategies and goals as a boot camp for boys. They are often feature a militaristic style of leadership and supervision, strict routines and exhausting physical exertion. Successful boot-camp graduates come away with a new sense of self-discipline and a new respect for themselves and others.
Signs that Boot Camp Might Do Them Some Good
Behavioral experts and professionals in the boot-camp industry point to a large number of characteristics typical of boot-camp candidates, including: an ongoing inability to control anger, with a tendency to become violent; verbal abuse of and openly expressed contempt for all authority figures, such as parents, teachers, police; frequent truancy, detentions and failing of classes; abuse of drugs or engagement in other criminal activity; and refusal to accept any accountability for their actions.
However, it’s important to be able to distinguish between a normal amount of teenage disrespect and rebellious self-expression (some is normal), and that which might require a stronger intervention. Also, sometimes teens’ seemingly “bad” behaviors can actually be signs of serious underlying conditions that might be better treated with counseling, medication or other therapies.
The bottom line? Boot camp could be a positive life-changing experience for your teen, but don’t look to it as your first line of disciplinary defense, and don’t make the decision alone.
Confer with your child’s doctor and/or other medical professionals before sending your child to boot camp. Many parents say it has worked wonders for their troubled teens, but because boot camp can be a good experience that is nonetheless very difficult for both you and your child, you want to make sure you can move forward with a clear conscience that you are making a good investment (since most free boot camps are state-funded for teens already in the juvenile system) for your child and your family.
