Alternative boarding school offering troubled teens programs and boot camps providing teenage help and parenting advice and tips.

Boot camps for troubled youth were originally conceptualized as a more cost-effective state-funded solution to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents. Initially it seemed a more desirable option rather than locking young people up in jail. These days, there are many troubled youth boot camps that are privately funded and are meant to be solutions for troubled teens who are becoming a challenge for their parents to handle.

Why do some parents consider troubled youth boot camp?
Many parents can be so deeply concerned or emotionally fed up of the attitude problems that their teens show. Some people think that boot camps are a quick solution to troubled teens' behavioral problems. Add to that the fact that boot camps are portrayed a certain way in television reality shows and movies. Parents often expect their children to come back well-behaved, polite little "soldiers" that have a high regard to authority figures, keeps their room clean and orderly, and are more mature and responsible.

Not many countries around the world have state-run boot camps or adopt similar systems to help their troubled teens. This is primarily because statistical data about troubled youth boot camps show that they're not particularly effective in terms of lowering the rate of repeat offenses. In fact, the rate of repeat offenses in campers is higher than among teens that spent time in juvenile detention centers. This is quite a statement, especially when you consider the fact that most teens in boot camps are first time offenders or troubled teens who have not been charged in court yet.

How can troubled youth boot camps become counter productive?
There have been many criticisms about troubled youth boot camps, specifically when they are used as a means to help challenged teens. One of the main issues with boot camps is that it develops an unhealthy resentment and/or fear of authority figures. Instead of learning more healthy and positive ways to interact with other people with respect, teens become resentful of authority figures that assert their point through intimidation. While some teens may be scared into submission or become concerned enough to keep up a front of obedience while in camp, they can hardly sustain the "good behavior" when they get out of boot camp.

Boot camps indeed give young people a regimen, a daily routine that consists of getting up early, doing physically tiring exercises, and sleeping on time. However, what would be more helpful for troubled teens is having a structure rather than a routine. It would help them to understand what their priorities are, and to realize why they need to adhere to a structure in order to be productive daily. The point is to help teens get on the right track without a taskmaster or drill sergeant (because there won't be any of those outside, in the real world).

There could be many reasons why teenagers are challenged. Boot camps often just deal with removing the symptoms of troubled teens rather than finding out why they are troubled. A teen who has issues with sexually acting out can be intimidated into stopping what they are doing for a short period of time, but the reasons that caused the teen to sexually act out are left untouched.

There are many other approaches that are more successful in helping troubled teens get back on the right track, reduce recidivism, and help them stay in school and eventually even go to college. Most of these involve removing troubled teens from their immediate environment for a short time in order to help stabilize them in a positive and nurturing environment where they can receive therapy and counseling. Over time, these teens are eased back into a home environment and, as they adjust back to their homes and their schools, go through an aftercare program to ensure that they get the help they need to face the challenges that come with the adjustment.