Boot Camp for Teenagers

Boot camps are also called 'outdoor behavioral health care facilities'. These camps are more like 'state correctional facilities'. There are state-run boot camps as well as private boot camps. However, the state-run boot camps are on a decline because of some tragic incidents, that occurred in these camps. Most of the state-run boot camps are funded equally by the state and federal governments. The state-run boot camps were created as an alternative to the juvenile jails. Hence, normally the children inducted by juvenile courts are sent to the state-run boot camps. At times, boot camps can also take an errant teenager under their tutelage. Normally parents of troubled teens send their wards to privately-run boot camps.

Boot camps have strict discipline regime. The setup of a youth boot camp is like a hard core military setup. The day begins at 5 am, with some exercise drills, running, hiking, etc. Any kind of indiscipline is not tolerated in these boot camps. Children who misbehave, are at times handcuffed, kicked with shackles, etc. The characteristics of a boot camp are fear of authority, respecting commands and orders of staffs, hard feelings towards people in authoritative positions and subjugation.

Most of the youth boot camps have a ghost of obsessed staffers looming at large over them. A large number of staffs at the boot camps have been fired for assaulting the teenagers. Criminal actions have also been initiated against some of them. Although the correctional boot camps claim to have the best of facilities, the staffs may not be well-qualified to handle the troubled teens. At times the staff may also be abusive.

The duration of juvenile boot camps is approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Boot camps are not only for teenagers, who need disciplinary actions to get rid of drug addiction, but also for children who like exercising or would like to get themselves into good habits. Children who are at times sloppy at their work, benefit a great deal from such camps.

At times these boot camps are looked upon as behavior correction centers. But, it is not possible to change the behavior of children in such a short period of time. There are chances that children might pick up some bad habits during their stay at boot camps. Also, there is no follow-up after the camp tenure is over. Therefore, the effects are not everlasting. Changes may be seen for a small period of time, but the child soon goes back to the bad behavior that has been his second nature. The percentage of relapsing to the old behavior is as high as 80%.

The cost of each camp lasting approximately for a period of 30 days is $5000 to $18,000. They are upwardly priced. The organizers are aware of the fact that parents want change in the behavior of their wards and hence, are ready to pay high price for the same. The state-run boot camps are cheaper than private boot camps.

Parenting teenagers requires more than your time and patience. Boot camps should not be an option chosen for troubled teens. Teenagers need emotional support, kindness and co-operation from their parents, rather than strict discipline at these youth boot camps. The strict regime at boot camps does not help teenagers to cope up with their problems. Rather, they should be made accountable for their behavior; the teens must learn from their own mistakes or from mistakes committed by their peers. To learn to cope up with problems, they should be taken into confidence and made to feel, that their parents are their close confidants and not enemies.

An option to boot camps can be therapeutic programs, which teach survival skills. These skills help children to cope with the surroundings, as we all know, in the world we are living in, it's the survival of the fittest.