Juvenile Boot Camps and Alternatives to Uncontrollable Behavior free essay sample

Behavior Juvenile boot camps are privately run businesses that acclaim that they are an alternative or intervention to prevent and deter jail sentencing. Jail, sometimes is the better way to go, instead of some of these death camps, children are being harmed and mistreated in boot camps. Seeking alternative means of controlling and depleting poor behavior is the answer. It is through research, investigation and constant contact with the facility or program in which a troubled child is placed that one will see improvement and changes for the better. The Basic Belief: They Can Be Helped† (Gross. 1997) In some camps children can learn and may be changed and live a better existence than they had previous to this experience. Some teens are not that fortunate, they are beaten and abused, and yes; there are even cases in which death has occurred at camp. In one certain camp a boy became dehydrated and fell ill to exhaustion and died. â€Å"Investigators also found that owners and employees were seldom sent to prison when teenagers died in their care. † (Schemo. 2007) It amazes how people show such flagrant disregard towards human life and the treatment of teenagers at these types of camps. Instead of parents wanting what is best for their children, they just want them put of the way and supervised. More or less, the parents need daycare for the teen, but at protection levels that include seclusion and distance from the home. Teens expect a certain amount of safety and assuredness that they are being cared for by professionally trained individuals, that are equipped to deal with their psychological, physical, and possible chemical dependency issues. Yet these facilities are armed with recent drill sergeants and retired military personnel. Some of the qualifications in personnel might be an asset to such ran boot camps, but the staff needs to include such personnel as psychologists, nurses, doctors and therapists/counselors that can handle all the problems these teens face and have dealt with, that have brought on the behavior that has brought on the issues that brought them to these facilities. It is a business, the tuition for a teen to attend such a boot camp can run from 12,000 dollars to 18,00 dollars and more. That starts with the short-term treatment (intervention type boot camps for the less severe problem teens. These include the teens that parents want to scare from getting in with the wrong crowd, prevent drug use or discontinue use. The longer term of admission can be from a few months to a residency program, where the teen learns life skills and how to live in society with rule and regulations everywhere. Most teens are children who were diagnosed with some sort of learning disability and schools no longer have the resources to help and encourage the good behavior and deal with the disorders and such: from dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, or even slight cases of autism. Once a child is labeled schools are done and parents are left with no help or assistance in educating their teen or child. â€Å"The teenagers who attend these programs have often been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or other behavioral problems and are taking medications. † (Story. 2005) In some cases the teen is wrongly diagnosed or over medicated. It is up to the parent to insure proper treatment and to inquire about the affects of the medication and diagnosis made. Not all doctors know everything about everything. ADD and ADHD have not been prevalent except for the last ten to fifteen years. The physicians are pushing medications on children that are made for adults with no real research done on the effects it might have on a child. Anyone under the age 18 is considered to be a child. Boot camps do not require physicians on site to properly maintain or even diagnose such disorders. Usually a teen only sees a hospital for a severe injury while hiking and camping, or in the extreme cases of death. Similar accusations have led state and local officials in Colorado, Arizona, and North Dakota to drop their programs, while Florida and California are scaling back theirs. † (Blair. 2000) There are some alternatives to boot camps, parents can choose treatment centers, rehabilitation centers that include in-patient and out-patient, helplines, and psychological and physiological therapy. Group homes and personal treatment help in aiding teens diagnosed with similar disorders. â€Å"Children with c ertain behavior disorders can cognitively incapable of comprehending the consequences that may occur from an action. The correct intervention can help a child manage his behavior in a positive way. † (Family Compass. 2006) Parents need to take more involvement in the care of their children so that they are prepared for the trials and tribulations that are ahead of them as teens. There are programs in which families can seek counseling together. Activities together as a whole can improve the family unit. In my own personal experience, as a teen, I think I should have been diagnosed with depression earlier than I was as an adult. My parents may have been ore informed of what to expect and prepared to handle the mood swings of medication and the tweaking it takes until a medication is regulated and given at the right dose. I wish that I had been informed that all my feelings were viable and mattered. It is now that I dealing with a child who needs extra attention and medication. At first I was opposed to all Medications and labeling of my child, afraid that he will be stuck with that label and m edication. After a lot of researching, it is in my opinion that he may grow out of his disorder or learn how to handle the situations that he was unable to as a child. It will not happen overnight or with a magical pill, but I know, with love and understanding we will both be able to handle everything that comes our way, as long as, we keep educated about the facts of our disorders or illnesses and not ignorant to their existence. It would be easy to place the responsibility of his care and treatment on others, but I to have issues and problems. Should I then be locked up and put away Where would I be then, a lot worse off in my opinion? It is not easy doing things as I do, but we are together as a family and informed as a family. Ignorance can only separate me from those I love and care about. I believe boot camps are for those that have no time for their child and can afford the money it takes to forget them and place the responsibility on someone else. May be some people have to use them as a last resort and have no other options, I have researched them and they are better than jail. If given the option of jail or boot camp for violating an offense or law, I would choose boot camp; more can be learned in that kind of setting, but using camps to keep children away is not effective in any way other than a last resort.