Parents, who realize that they may not be competent to handle their troubled teens by themselves, often seek professional help. Some children have learning disabilities, undeveloped social skills, or personality disorders that when left undiagnosed or untreated can lead to behavioral problems later in life.

Parenting teens is difficult enough as it is, but if the teen is struggling with emotional or psychological problems, then both the parents and children suffer more. A teenager’s problems reflect in their academic performance and overall behavior in school. Failing grades and isolation from peers are common signs of a troubled teenager. Parents can help reform their troubled teen by sending them to a military boarding school, a type of therapeutic boarding school.

Therapeutic boarding schools or emotional growth boarding schools help students deal with behavioral and emotional problems before they get worse. These students may also be suffering from substance abuse, alcohol abuse, or may be plagued with significant learning differences.

Unlike in a traditional school setting, therapeutic military boarding schools aim to provide a warm, safe atmosphere to help troubled teens get back on the right track. They have a compassionate educational community that helps develop personal growth and healthy self-expression to inspire academic excellence and teaching and encouraging individual responsibility.

However, this begs the question of how young a child could be for parents to send to a boarding school. It actually depends on the family, the child, and the particular boarding school concerned. A child will need to adjust to the new environment, and his ability to adjust will depend largely on his maturity, personality, and flexibility.

Parents should carefully consider any decision to send their child to a military boarding school or any other type of facility where they will live away from home and family. They should make a thorough assessment of the child’s strengths and weaknesses. They should also look into the factors that contribute to their problem teens’ behavior. The younger their teens are, the more important this process of assessment will be.

Some teens struggle with low or failing grades for many reasons. One reason could be their inability to cope well with their adolescence and with their environment. Their show of defiance or resentment towards authority may be a mask to hide their fears and insecurities.

However, most parents feel inadequate to handle their teenagers’ behavior problems. They feel hard-pressed in finding the root of their teenagers’ issues and concerns. These parents see military boarding schools as a way to with their problem teenagers who suffer from behavior disorders and substance abuse issues. Can military boarding schools really help troubled teens?

Military boarding school programs specifically target troubled teens that have problems with authority, exhibit anti-social and self-destructive behavior, and have substance abuse problems. The environment in a therapeutic boarding school, like a military school, is more structured and consistent. Unlike classrooms, where the teachers seem inadequate to deal with problem students, military boarding schools employ trained and licensed professionals, including the teachers, counselors, and the administrative staff.

The literature in behavior modification refers to military boarding schools as “emotional growth” schools. Extra-curricular activities, such as field trips and camping trips, promote and improve self-esteem and personal responsibility. Students actively participate in all activities, not only those found in the classroom, but with the whole community as well.

Student participation is strongly encouraged as it leads to affirmations and positive reinforcement about the value of their participating and about their value as people. This is exactly the kind of positive feelings that problem teenagers need to help rebuild their self-confidence, self-respect and sense of self-worth. The staff and teachers carefully supervise all activities to ensure order and maintain safety among students.

Military boarding schools and other therapeutic programs designed for troubled teens emphasize personal responsibility and the need to understand the natural consequences of their behaviors. Teens live in an environment where they can learn to recognize negative behavior and make better choices.

Teens who have attended therapeutic military boarding schools or similar programs have shown remarkable progress academically and improvements in their behavior and mental health in a relatively short period. After finishing the program or school, they return home with a more positive outlook on life. Since therapeutic boarding schools also work closely with the teens’ families, the parents also benefit from positive changes in behavior they show towards their children.

A boot camp refers colloquially to the training new recruits receive as introduction to the military. The term means both the place where the training takes place and the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel.

Originally, boot camps were for the United States Marine Corps initial training. Lately, the term refers more commonly to any United States Military initial training. All recruit go through boot camps, which include special detailed programs for commissioned officers.

Although most boot camps direct their efforts towards helping troubled teens, rigorous military-like training takes a backseat from therapy and counseling. Emotionally troubled teens especially those who experienced trauma and abuse need rehabilitation before signing up for boot camp.

The site, Boot Camps Info, questions the theory that subjecting juvenile delinquents to a punishing regime modifies their aggressive behavior. Instead of helping, boot camp training may aggravate the situation.

Some trainees develop a more aggressive behavior towards their fellow recruits as a way to act out feelings of anger and helplessness. This kind of behavior also means they are modeling after the behavior of adults in the camp.

Boot camps in military schools generally differ from military training. Military schools put their students through boot camps to instill in their young charges strong self-discipline and deep respect towards authority. Negative reinforcement does not include physical and psychological punishment.

In fact, military schools screen their new students before accepting them. They discourage parents who think military schools are the solutions to their problem teens.

For parents looking for information on military schools, the site Military School Options is a gold mine of information. It has everything about military school life and opportunities. The site caters to adults as well as to kids who are eligible to enter military schools.

The resources on Military School Options include information on different military schools in different states. Aside from providing resources on education, Military School Options also has information on military jobs and careers. Links to international military schools are also available.

Sending your kids to a military school does not mean they need to be “punished.” They should not be treated like criminals because their behavior can still be modified through less violent means. Actually, teens who want to enter the military with whatever branch of service should be encouraged to enroll in a military school and go through boot camp training. This serves as a good introduction to military life in the future.

Aside from including ROTC training in the college curriculum of military colleges and authorized universities, the United States federal government has also issued authorization for some military academies and high schools to include a Junior ROTC subject in their curriculum.

The purpose of the JROTC, according to Title 10, Section 2031 of the United States Code, is “to instill in students in the United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.”

The United States Army Junior ROTC aims to motivate young people to be better citizens. The program aims to develop leadership potential among high school students, starting them off early.

As a necessity for all military personnel, Junior ROTC training emphasizes physical fitness in its cadets. The physical training helps students to appreciate more deeply the importance of physical fitness in maintaining good health.

Junior ROTC is an important stepping-stone for those who want to proceed to a military career without actually enrolling in a military school, as they may not yet be final in their decision. Although the Junior ROTC was not primarily created as a recruitment tool, it helps those inclined in joining the military have a better and easier chance of pursuing their dreams. In addition, it helps recruiters as they can focus on helping those interested.

The Marine Corps even has some testimonies that fully one-third of those who join the Marine Corps Junior ROTC end up enlisting for the Marines. Some students who have enjoyed their experience during the Junior ROTC either enlist as service members or go on to join the Reserved Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) Program and end up as officers in the service.

Depending on the state and school, the Junior ROTC program is usually an elective course, and students who participate for one year receive credit in lieu of a physical education class. Most schools offer three to four years of Junior ROTC training, and students who excel in the first year can opt to take another year of training. Successful completion of 2 to 4 years of the program can give a graduate the option to enlist with an advanced rank in the Armed Forces.

As the involvement of the United States with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, so does the need for more military personnel in different branches of the military – the army, the navy and the air force.

Aside from the need for enlisted personnel, there is also a need for commissioned officers to lead the soldiers. These officers usually come from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Program offered at military colleges around the nation.

The ROTC Program usually gives out four-year scholarships that pay the full tuition for a college degree. However, some college students and enlisted personnel who had signified interest in becoming a commissioned officer may already have earned college units from previous courses.

To finish the ROTC Program through the remainder of a college degree, perhaps in two years, cadets enter the Early Commissioning Program (ECP), which is offered at Military Junior Colleges.

The ECP is a good way for students to earn while they learn. They go on to complete their bachelor’s degree while being commissioned as regular Officers on Active Duty in one of the Reserve Components.

In the United States, there are 5 Military Junior Colleges (MJC):
• Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, Missouri
• Valley Forge Military Academy, Wayne, Pennsylvania
• Marion Military Institute, Marion, Alabama
• New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico
• Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Georgia

The number of ECP slots has been increased in response to the rising need for military personnel to be deployed to the Middle East.

For more information on military schools and colleges, click here.