Juvenile Boot Camps
By Craig Rogers
Juvenile boot camps are typically used as an alternative to jail for troubled teens who have participated in and suffered the damaging consequences of early criminal behavior. Juvenile boot camps are typically overseen and managed by State, county, or city juvenile court systems, and are not designed as private therapeutic programs. Parents of troubled teens who wish to avoid the juvenile court system can choose a more effective alternative to juvenile boot camps and seek real therapeutic intervention.
Typically, juvenile boot camps do not have a therapeutic element and are styled after a military disciplinary approach. There are various types of juvenile boot camps. Nevertheless, all juvenile boot camps are typically utilized as an early intervention for troubled teens. Regardless of the type of program approach, the main goal of boot camps is to scare teens straight. Generally, troubled teens respond well to the discipline and physical training but, all in all, juvenile boot camps are a short-term resolution. Parents often seek the aid of boot camps with the assumption that a "wake up call" is all that is needed for their troubled teen. However, most of the time the improvement is only temporary.
Some troubled teens do not benefit from a juvenile boot camp because authority is truly their enemy. When a troubled teen's enemy is literally in their face screaming and belittling them, they are not going to gain new insight. They are not going to magically start respecting and listening to authority. In fact, the opposite effect will occur. They will develop even more distain for authority.