The Cons of Juvenile Boot Camps

Juvenile crime is fast becoming a major problem worldwide. Though the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that violent crime has declined in America dramatically since 1994, juvenile crime is still a huge problem. Kids are selling drugs, stealing, and even killing. Juvenile boot camps are one controversial way that these juveniles are being treated; however, there are genuine concerns with these programs.

Doesn't Deal With Underlying Problem

Boot camps can be a good way to get a kid to behave better for a short period of time. However, a major problem with boot camps is that they don't deal with the psychological problem inherent in the child's misbehavior. There is always an underlying psychological problem, be it a persecution complex or abandonment issues. A kid who ends up in a boot camp has serious emotional and psychological problems that should be dealt with quickly. Sending a kid to a boot camp will make him behave out of fear, but that will eventually wear off.

No Internal Change

The fact that boot camps don't deal with the psychological issues leads to a lack of internal change. Sometimes kids develop bad or criminal habits in a short period and don't need severe emotional or psychological changes. Boot camps can scare these amateur criminals into shape. However, if a child has developed his problem behavior over a long period of time, a boot camp will be ineffective because he will be used to this kind of mistreatment and anger. No doubt these kids have been in juvenile homes before. It'll just be another place to tolerate before getting out to return to criminal habits. Internal change will end crime, but boot camps don't offer this.

Brutality

Another huge problem with juvenile boot camps is the brutality they can create. In the report "Time to stick a fork in America's correctional boot camp boondoggle" it is reported that "The Mobile program was forced to shut down for three months in its first year after allegations of abuse by staff members. Brutality-related criminal charges or lawsuits related to juvenile boot camps are pending in a number of states, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Texas." They discuss another incident in Arizona where a boot camp lost its license, "when a 16-year-old boy died while being forced to exercise" and discusses an incident at a South Dakota camp where, "a 14-year-old girl died...while on a forced walk and run."

While it's doubtful that these camps are trying to kill children, their harsh ways of dealing with problems can lead to true brutality. Sometimes they simply don't listen to the children when they complain about health problems because they think they're lying to them. These brutal methods are a problem in many juvenile boot camps.

Old Habits Die Hard

Boot camps don't tell a kid how to deal with peer pressure or how to make new friends. So, these well meaning kids are likely to fall back into the same crowd and chances are, these friends will have been part of the cause of the bad behavior. Without understanding how to get out of this circle, these children often fall back into their old habits quickly and easily.

Expensive

A boot camp can cost upwards of $30,000 to attend. This is a lot of money even for the richer among us, and for many people it can represent over an entire year's worth of salary. For the lower class, it can be impossible to afford this kind of treatment. And even after spending all of that money, there is a great chance that the boot camp will not work. The article "The Pros and Cons of Boot Camps for Troubled Teens" reports that, "The boot camp should be long term. Short term boot camps and programs have been referred to as expensive babysitting. If your child has been progressively getting worse for 5 or 10 years it is unrealistic to think that he will be cured and ready to come home after a 60 or 90 day stay." Problem children understand that simply behaving for their stays at the boot camp will get them out of there and at home. After spending all of this money, the parents will be left with a child who still has all the same problems.

References

• Teen Boot Camps
• The pros and cons of boot camps for troubled teens: Boarding Schools Troubled Teens Info
• Time to stick a fork in America's correctional boot camp boondoggle: No Spank

Resources

• Statistical Briefing Book: Office of Justice Programs