Are Teen Boot Camps Effective? You May Be Surprised

Many parents mistakenly believe that a teen boot camp will scare their teen into making right decisions, only to find out too late that such programs produce only temporary results and may cause greater problems later on. Most parents who send their child to a teen boot camp are looking for a short-term program that will result in permanent behavior modification. Their basic premise is that the severity of the program will serve as a wake-up call and shock their child into making better decisions (i.e., their child will be “scared straight”). They may want to teach their child a lesson – that he is not the center of the universe. Unfortunately, the solution is not so simple. Since the use of teen boot camps became prominent in the 1990s, numerous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of these programs. These studies have identified several deficiencies in teen boot camps that make them an ineffective method of rehabilitating wayward teens. Recidivism is Common. Teen boot camps do not reduce the likelihood that the child will return to his former behavior once he leaves the boot camp. This tendency to relapse into an earlier form of behavior is known as recidivism. Because the intimidating environment of a teen boot camp can seem far-removed once a child returns to a more comfortable setting, recidivism is common among former boot camp attendees. Confrontational Atmosphere is Potentially Damaging. Experts agree that the confrontational approach employed by teen boot camps is not appropriate. The use of intimidation, humiliation, and fear to achieve behavior modification are damaging and can result in permanent harm to the child. For children with learning, behavioral, or emotional difficulties, the degrading practices of teen boot camps can be particularly damaging. Boot Camps Do Not Provide Pro-Social Coping Skills. Teen boot camps do not equip children with the skills they need to succeed outside of the boot camp environment. As children develop, they must learn the skills needed to make decisions on their own and live in society. They must learn to behave properly once the threat of intimidation is removed. Because teen boot camps do not model pro-social behavior and empathy, they do not provide children with the maturity and self-control necessary to succeed in the real world.Based on these and other deficiencies, many authorities, including the National Mental Health Association, has concluded that the “shock incarceration” methods of teen boot camps are an ineffective and potentially harmful method of dealing with behavioral problems in troubled teens.