Teen Boot Camps Treat Symptoms, Not Problems

By Staff Writer

Your teen is misbehaving – refusing to come home at night, failing out of school, disrespecting your authority – and your natural inclination is to fight fire with fire by sending him to a boot camp, where he will be met with the same tough-guy attitude from equally angry, confrontational military-style drill sergeants. But as the saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right. Punishing bad behavior with more bad behavior is, in most cases, counterproductive.

Most therapists and experts in adolescent development have found that teen boot camps are ineffective at producing lasting change. Why? Because they address symptoms (by demanding submission and obedience) rather than the underlying problems (by offering therapy and support). In the end, their confrontational, in-your-face style brings out even greater resistance and rebellion in most defiant, angry teens.

Teen boot camps are about discipline, but not the kind of discipline that stems from respect, gratitude, or cooperation. Rather, teens who “behave” at boot camp are usually just following the rules to buy time until they can return home, only to wreak more havoc on family and loved ones.

Many adolescent psychologists believe that relationships rescue struggling teens, not punishment. But the goal of boot camp instructors is compliance, not creating bonds of trust and honesty. Counselors are usually unsupervised former military personnel or retired police, not therapists with specialized training and education who can serve as real-life role models to struggling teens.

"Youth will modify their dangerous behavior in response to practical, problem-solving, behavioral therapies—if they feel respected and cared for by the therapist," said Charles Huffine, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Seattle.

Worse Than Prison: Boot Camps Do More Harm Than Good

The U.S. Justice Department has criticized teen boot camps in the past, saying that the programs do more harm than good. After a series of investigations, federal officials found that boot camp guards routinely used extreme forms of punishment, resulting in serious injuries, and the services were inadequate for teens with emotional and psychological problems.

Years later, a government panel of experts again reviewed the effectiveness of boot camps and reiterated that scare tactics and bullying simply don’t work, according to a 2004 Health Day News article. "These programs can cost money and yet not produce any outcome the community wants -- and there's also the possibility that the programs might actually harm some youth and the community," panel chairman Dr. Robert C. Johnson, director of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, told Health Day News.

Beyond Boot Camp

For families who are seeking real, lasting change, teen boot camps are not the answer. Reputable wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers have higher success rates and lower recidivism rates, in large part because they have a therapeutic focus. These programs are run by master’s and doctoral level therapists and staff who specialize in adolescent treatment.

Through individual, group, and family therapy and various alternative therapies, such as equine therapy, recreational therapy, art therapy, and more, therapists work with the teens to identify and treat the underlying issues. Staff at therapeutic programs look beyond a teen’s anger, defiance, substance abuse, and other surface behaviors to understand the root causes of these behaviors.

In addition to therapists, wilderness programs and private boarding schools employ psychiatrists, medical personnel, and other professionals to ensure the safety and progress of their families. They treat adolescents with empathy, respect, and understanding, knowing that negative behaviors are usually a cry for help. The focus is not mere compliance, but to improve communication between teens and their parents, to help parents set clear boundaries, and to ensure that each teen’s particular developmental needs are met in safe and healthy ways.

Establishing trusting relationships means treating every teen as an individual. While boot camps use the same confrontational, harsh tactics with every teen, whether he has Asperger’s Syndrome, depression, drug addiction, or defiance, wilderness camps and therapeutic schools are constantly evaluating what each teen needs and how best to serve him. Treatment plans are completely personalized, and are re-evaluated by treatment teams on a weekly or monthly basis.

When working with adolescents, it is impossible to make a difference without treating the entire family system. While boot camps often isolate parents from their teens during their 4-6 week stay at camp, wilderness programs and therapeutic boarding schools incorporate parents into every aspect of treatment. Parents can attend workshops, seminars, and graduation ceremonies with their child and receive books, webinars, and counseling throughout their teen’s stay. The best teen programs also offer aftercare and continuing support.

If you’re craving structure, discipline, and respect in your home, know that you can find it – but not at a teen boot camp. Studies suggest that long-term treatment that focuses on cognitive-behavioral therapy tailored to the individual adolescent and her family are the most effective at turning teens’ lives around.

Most parents want their teens to live happy, meaningful lives and have healthy and fulfilling relationships. In the heat of the moment, the words “We’re sending you to boot camp” may fly out, but when the chaos settles, remember to choose a program for your teen that is likely to produce the results you are seeking.