Many parents may feel hesitant to place their troubled teenager in a boot camp because of ideas that Teen boot camps are a form of child abuse. When a defiant teenager commits a wrong doing and is reprimanded for it, let’s say for example by taking away TV privileges at home for a week, a teenager may feel feelings of abuse. But is this really abuse? In actuality, every state’s laws differ when defining child abuse, so debates on boot camps as child abuse could actually go on forever. The general aim of boot camps may be to force direction onto your troubled teenagers while providing an effective short-term answer to their self-destructive behavior. These camps often last from around 20-40 days and are focused on the rebellious attitudes of adolescents. In boot camps the structure used can be likened to that of military camps, where physical challenges are used to overcome negative behaviors and instill values of dependability and respect. The main concept behind these types of camps is that a reality check may be all that your child needs to get back on track and leave self-destructive behavior behind.

Boot camps as a form of administering “tough love”

When considering the issue of “child abuse” and boot camps, a choice that many parents may struggle with is choosing to use “tough love” as a way of dealing with a defiant teen. We are not just talking about administering discipline here but the difference lies in your role in the situation itself. As a parent, you have weak spots. You love your teenager. And despite the rebellion that he/she may be showing, you care and want to help him/her get past it. But this superhuman patience and care that a parent has for his/her child can be disabling as well. Your teenager may know your weak spots and hit you where it hurts when he/she is in a fit of rebellion or defiance. Some therapists argue that the programs at boot camps are not equipped with the follow-through counseling which is necessary in order for long-term changes to occur.

Know your teen and have faith in your Government

Consider if you know that your confused teenager shies away from authority and has generally chosen an indifferent approach to handling his/her emotional issues when you are thinking about a boot camp for your troubled teen. Of course boot camps structured after the United States Military Boot Camp have a prominent emphasis on discipline and respect and saying that these types of boot camps for teens are abusive is like saying that the Military Camps themselves are abusive. The US government does not condone forms of child abuse and these types of structured camps would not be permissible.