A Real Teen Boot Camp Compared to What You’ve Seen in the Movies

Teen Boot Camp

We’ve all seen the movies that depict teen boot camps as rough, disciplined camps that whip defiant teens into shape and magically turn their lives around by the end. But can you actually believe what’s depicted in the movies? Are boot camps really all that successful? And what is it really like in a teen boot camp?

What is a Teen Boot Camp?

A real teen boot camp, or a “diversion program,” typically takes the at-risk teens out away from home, usually to a rough, wilderness-based camp, where the surroundings and the people are all unfamiliar. The conditions tend to be harsh, modeled after the toughness of a military boot camp. It is believed that the authoritarian, rigid life in a boot camp is just what is needed to convince a wayward teen to change his ways. After a stay of perhaps 30 to even 60 days, the teen is sent back home, hopefully ready to live like a responsible member of a family and society at large. But is that what really happens?

Does Boot Camp Actually Work?

Psychology Today cited a study done on 43 different teen boot camps, with teens who were under court order to participate in this type of treatment. The study compared the boot camp teens to another set of teens who were also in trouble with the law, but not participating in a boot camp.

About half of the boot camps in this study did positively affect the teens who participated in them. But the other half had teens who were even more likely to re-offend after the boot camp was over. The simple truth is that boot camps don’t do any better at reforming teens than other juvenile justice programs.

Are Boot Camps Harmful?

It’s extremely important to note that boot camps are mostly non-regulated, and there are thousands of allegations of abuse by boot camp programs. The abuses range from dehydration, starvation, beatings, and electric shock therapy, to solitary confinement and even verbal and sexual abuse.

There are also allegations that many boot camps are being run by people with no experience or qualifications in working with troubled teens. Simply put, the risk of harm to your teen in a boot camp probably exceeds the possible benefits. There are better ways to help troubled teens.

How Can I Help My Troubled Teen?

It’s possible that your teen needs more help than you can give, but you don’t have to send him to a boot camp to get it. There are successful residential treatment centers which specialize in helping troubled teens turn their lives around.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

22 Dec, 2017

Recent Posts

What Are The Best Programs for Troubled Teens?

What Are The Best Programs for Troubled Teens?

If you have a troubled teen or a teen otherwise in crisis, it may have been suggested that you consider a therapeutic boarding school or a residential treatment center. While you know your teen needs more help and better therapeutic options, you may hesitate to...

Is My Teenager Gaslighting?

Is My Teenager Gaslighting?

Does it sometimes feel like your teenager is making you doubt yourself, doubt the things you’ve said, and even feel confused about what you have or haven’t said? If you’re confused just by trying to figure it out, there are good odds that your teenager is gaslighting...

10 Fall Activities To Do With Your Teen

10 Fall Activities To Do With Your Teen

The holidays will be here before we know it - and now is the perfect time to reconnect with your teen before the hustle and bustle of the winter season arrives. Not only can you show your teen that you’re available to them for time outside of work and school, but you...

Help! My Teen is Sexually Active.

Help! My Teen is Sexually Active.

It’s the conversation many of us have been dreading for years: Talking to your sexually active teens about what they are doing, how they need to be safe, and how to recognize red flags in their sexually active life. As much as we’d like to simply bury our heads and...

Conflict Resolution for Teens

Conflict Resolution for Teens

Conflict can be stressful no matter how old you are. Unfortunately, conflict is just part of life. Teens can feel conflict to be very personal and even scary, leading to behaviors that are not optimal for dealing with this stress. Teens also are more likely to be...

How Do I Control My Anger as A Teenager?

How Do I Control My Anger as A Teenager?

Your teen years are filled with rollercoasters of emotions, confusion, frustration, and so much more. Parents may say that the teen years are challenging for them, but it could just be that they’ve forgotten just how it feels to be a teen. And indeed, parents today...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *