BOOT
CAMPS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
by Greg Stevenson
Boot
camps can have an understandable appeal for parents who
are at their wits end with struggling teens. In desperate
situations, behavioural issues like defiance, rebelliousness,
dishonesty, and drug abuse can seem to be a good fit for
boot camp.
However,
boot camps have been found to be largely ineffective in
generating long-term growth and advancement among struggling
teens. In fact, some studies have shown that recidivism
rates are 90% among youth that have attended teen boot
camps.
In
their 1998 paper entitled BOOT CAMPS: ISSUES FOR CANADA,
the John Howard Society wrote: "The area of greatest
concern and controversy over boot camps relates to the
use of the military style. Most journalistic accounts
of boot camps have portrayed an image of a relatively
dehumanizing experience that is usually marked by hard,
meaningless labour (Morash & Rucker, 1990). It is
extremely troubling that the public's perception of offenders
sent to boot camps is that they deserve dehumanizing treatment.
It is worthy to note that the military style often adopted
by boot camp programs is based on an exaggerated, outdated
system of military training that has been rejected by
the military itself (Morash & Rucker, 1990, p. 21).
Several components of this military model are problematic;
traditional boot camps involve inconsistent philosophies,
policies and procedures. Further, traditional boot camp
training fosters a "we-versus-they" attitude
and the view that trainees deserve degrading treatment.
Finally, traditional boot camps promote an aggressive
model of leadership and a conflict-dominated style of
interaction (Morash & Rucker, 1990, pp. 210-211).
In the few programs where recidivism rates were lowered,
this was attributed to the quality of the boot camp's
rehabilitation programming and post-program support, not
to its military regime (Begin, 1996, p.11). Morash and
Rucker make the following observation about the use of
the military style:
Despite the quick-fix attraction of boot camps, parents
should search deeper to find programs that offer a more
constructive and respectful approach, modelling the type
of behaviour they are hoping to see in their children.
One option is wilderness therapy, where youth find similar
challenges as those depicted in boot camps but presented
in a positive, meaningful, and respectful manner.
It
is only by engaging struggling teens on a sincere and
voluntary basis in healthy and challenging activity that
personal growth will truly be internalized. Boot camp
authoritarianism may generate obedience through intimidation
and fear, but these patterns will quickly be reversed
by most once the fear and intimidation is removed -ie.
when the boot camp is over.
At
CanAdventure Education, participants are accepted only
on a voluntary basis. Youth that are accepted make an
advance commitment to engage in the program and 'give
it a fair chance'. This cooperation is made of their own
free will, giving the program a head-start, not only over
boot camps but also over wilderness programs that accept
forced placements.
So,
when seeking a program for your struggling teen, ask questions
about program practices in the areas of teaching philosophy,
motivation techniques, voluntary vs. forced participation,
and the type of activities involved in the program.
Find
out more about CanAdventure Education's wilderness therapy
programs.
