By Keith Allen If your teen has recently been expelled from school or is constantly running away, maybe it's time for you to look into sending him or her to a juvenile boot camp. While some people view juvenile boot camps as a form of child abuse, these camps have actually produced positive results in the lives of thousands of teens.
Here are some of the issues that are dealt with at juvenile boot camps:
* Oppositional Defiant Disorder
* ADD/ADHD
* Uncontrollable anger
* Sudden outbursts
* Running away
* Substance abuse
* Bad influences from friends
If you choose to send your teen to a camp, expect that they will be in a very strict, highly structured and disciplined setting. This isn't church camp! And it's not cheap. Prices for one month at a juvenile boot camp start at $2,000 and go up from there. But the cost can well be worth it if you have a teen who is defiant and out of control.
Most juvenile boot camps do not deal with kids who are on medication. If you plan to send your child to a camp, it is best, and sometimes mandatory that you wean them off of their medication before they go. In many situations, the camp will attempt to help a child deal with life medication-free.
While sending your teen off to one of the many juvenile boot camps may seem like a last ditch effort to save your child, keep in mind that sometimes it's not the best option. If your teen has exhibited any signs of suicidal tendencies, consider having them treated in a psychiatric hospital or a residential treatment center. You may also want to consider a therapeutic boarding school if your teen is severely depressed. If he or she is self-mutilating or has been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, juvenile boot camps are not the answer.
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Teen Boot Camps

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By Caitlina Fuller

All teens are different, even the troubled ones so when you are choosing a boot camp it is worthwhile to take the teen into account when considering military boarding schools or boot camps. Remember that different solutions and approaches to troubled teens are important depending on the situation at hand. So, when you are looking at boot camps for teens you need to keep the following factors in mind.

Factor #1 Length of Program
When you are considering a boarding school troubled youth program you want to keep in mind the amount of time the troubled teen will be at the boot camp. Some teens will respond well to a short period of time while other teens will need a longer stay. Consider the length of the program and how best it will affect your child before making a decision.

Factor #2 Tutoring
Some troubled teens will need academic tutoring while others may not. You want to determine if the boot camp you have in mind offers this service or not.

Factor #3 Cost
Boot camps frequently cost a lot of money and you should evaluate the cost of the program and how much you can afford. While your troubled teen is important and deserves the best boot camp you also need to consider the price. Ask about payment options as well. Many boot camp programs offer a variety of payment options to help you pay the fee so your child can attend.

Factor #4 Certification of Counselors
You want to send your troubled teen to the boot camp that has the most certified counselors to help your child. If the counselors aren't certified then you want to look for another. Counselors should be trained in dealing with troubled teens and have at least several years experience.

Factor #5 Focus
The focus of the boot camp is also important. Will they focus on your teen's defiant behavior or will they simply "babysit" him for the duration of the boot camp? You are probably sending your child to boot camp to get some results in behavior so ask this question before paying for the program.

After you have considered these factors make sure you also consider your troubled teens. Lots of troubled teens will benefit greatly from boot camp, but not all of them will. So, consider your other options as well and then make the decision that you believe will be in the best interest of your child.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer.

By Lokesh Monga

What are Boot Camps for Troubled Teens?

Teen boot camps are correctional programs for delinquent youth in a military-style environment. These programs typically emphasize discipline and physical conditioning and were developed as a rigorous alternative to longer terms of confinement in juvenile correctional facilities. Many, but not all, of these programs are followed by a period of probation or some form of aftercare. Boot camps are generally restricted to non-violent or first-time offenders.

The idea of "shock incarceration" as a tough, low-cost alternative to more intensive programming brought about the establishment of military-style boot camps for troubled teens.

Are Boot Camps Effective? Experts agree that a confrontational approach is often inappropriate. Most correctional and military experts agree that a confrontational model, employing tactics of intimidation and humiliation, is counterproductive for most troubled teens. The use of this kind of model has led to disturbing incidents of abuse. For youth with emotional, behavioral, or learning problems, degrading tactics may be particularly inappropriate and potentially damaging. The bullying style and aggressive interactions that characterize the boot camp environment fail to model the pro-social behavior and development of empathy that these youth really need to learn.

Positive changes demonstrated while in the boot camp may not last when a youth returns to his community. Many juveniles report that the program is helpful to them and they feel more positive about their futures. It is unclear, however, whether these attitudes persist after youth leave the boot camp, or whether they are related to actual changes in behavior once a youth returns to his community. Without significant therapeutic intervention while in the program, as well as specialized aftercare following release, boot camp programs have been consistently unsuccessful in "changing" juveniles.

What are the alternatives? Youth who need some form of treatment care require an individualized approach that takes their strengths and needs into account. Programs and policies should be family-centered, including the family in all decision making about a child, as well as culturally and developmentally appropriate. Research has shown that small, family-centered programs are more effective than boot camps in the long term.

You have made the right choice in seeking help. The next step is to contact us. We have a great deal of experience in the treatment care industry. We have worked in the industry. We have lived in the industry. We have seen what works …… and what doesn't.

Does Your Child Need a Boot Camp for Troubled Teens?

Often when teens struggle with the numerous issues they face in today's society they become, frankly, quite unpleasant. Thousands of families throughout the country have felt that the best way to get youth back on track is to send them to boot camps for troubled teens. The idea is to both "straighten them out" and to legally punish them in the most painful way possible. However, unreported in both the media and from these programs is the fact that there is very little statistical evidence that boot camps for troubled teens have a long-term impact on the success of the child. In fact, there is mounting evidence that they are both ineffective and in many cases detrimental.

But there are other options to boot camps for troubled teens. InsightPros is here to help.

We will guide you. We will inform you. Take advantage of our knowledge and insight. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Michael Behunin is the author of this article. For more information on this article or Boot Camps for Troubled Teens, please feel free to visit our site http://www.insightpros.com/