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.

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.

Embarking on a military career is not as easy as it looks. Enlisting in the army is not enough to push you up the ranks of commissioned officers. A vital requirement would be to finish a college degree with elective courses in military training.

A soldier who already had military experience, especially in combat, and has shown potential to become a military leader is often recommended for this kind of promotion. On one hand, college students, or even high school students, who do not have military experience yet, but are interested in building a career with the military, are encouraged to enroll in military courses to augment their normal college curriculum.

All these courses are offered at a Senior Military College, specifically under a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. The ROTC Program is any enlisted personnel’s or cadet’s one-way ticket to becoming a commissioned officer. As long as an ROTC Program graduate is at the top of the graduating class, he or she is eligible to be commissioned as a ranking officer in the military.

In the United States, there are six major Senior Military Colleges, which include:

* North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Georgia
* Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont
* Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas
* The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina
* Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia

Each of these Senior Military Colleges offers four-year courses of military training, formation and military experience. They have a Corps of Cadets and are specifically recognized under 10 USC 2111(a).

What is defensive driving?
It is a training, a practice, and most of all, a mindset for motor vehicle drivers. The bottom line is that it seeks to guarantee at all possible costs safety in traveling.

Defensive driving may be achieved through proper adherence to a variety of general rules of the road as well as practicing driving techniques. Most states in America actually require drivers, particularly those who have committed offenses, to take defensive driving courses.

A driver who understands defensive driving is one who possesses the knowledge, skills and the right attitude while driving. He knows the traffic rules, is highly skilled when it comes to driving but not lax or overconfident, and has a right attitude towards driving and others on the road.

A regular day in a military school starts with a wake up call at exactly 6:00 A.M. The cadets will then have a series of physical fitness activities. The breakfast or the “first mess” is often delicious and nutritious. Morning classes, usually around six periods, follow that is 45 minutes each. But before that, they are called for the morning military formation, inspection colors ceremony and announcements. Lunch is the second mess around noontime. Two classes in the afternoon are more of tutorials. These classes are mandatory especially for those cadets whose been falling back, or those who got below 70% in any subject. Every cadet is expected to participate in sports and other activities until dinner is served around 6:00 P.M. They then study from 7:00 P.M. until approximately or exactly 9:30 P.M. By 10:00 P.M., all lights are out.

Like any other emotions, anger is normal and even healthy. Everybody is angry once in awhile. Yet, when it comes to be too frequent and out of control, anger becomes destructive. Most of the time, anger is mistaken as a behavior. It is because of the resulting unpredictable and inappropriate actions that the kids show. Anger and behavior is related, but anger could never be a behavior or the other way around. However, anger can ruin a teenager’s life. It will destroy relationships, create school problem and personal struggle.

To some extent, angry teenagers could be admitted to military schools, but not all of them could qualify. Why? Because there are kids whose anger is already out of control. The environment of military schools could do such teenagers harm by aggravating their conditions.

Whenever your teenagers approach you and tell you that they are being bullied,maybe you ought to listen to them. Maybe it is not the first time that they are being bullied. Maybe they are finally telling you because they could not deal with the situation anymore.

Remember that most teen kids never talk to their parents about these kinds of issues. They often prefer to settle it on their own. Most of the time, they just let everything be because they are afraid. Yet, even if parents will deal with the situation, when school starts the bullying starts again too.

Teen kids, who are being bullied, could be partly right. However, parents should also confront the matter and then do something about it as soon as possible. One example is transferring the kids to another school, if not, sending them to a more safe and self- encouraging school like a military school.

A military school can provide a strong foundation to develop teen personality. See, the stronger the personality of the kids is, the lesser the possibility that they would be bullied.

There are several reasons why kids learn to bully other kids. For adults, it may just seem like a child’s play but bullying has been an alarming act. Yet, why do these teenagers become bullies:

* They often see others do it. Worse yet, they learn the behavior from adults. For instance, domestic violence could be a source of bullying.
* Bullies do what they do because they usually think that their actions are acceptable, because everybody else is doing it. Like, everyone in the “popular” circle are expected to treat everybody else like trash.
* Bullying itself creates a certain strength and power over other kids.
* Sometimes, bullying becomes a defense mechanism so that other bullies would keep away from them.

Not all teenagers who enroll in a military school have behavioral issues. There are some kids who go to such a school because they want a career in the military. Take note that studying in a military academy is never a prerequisite in joining the Army. However, it is an advantage.

Most military schools usually provide their students with information that could help them in their future military careers. Even if the job is not military in nature, military school graduates already have an advantage, because they are known to have undergone stringent education and training. Their acquired values, like respect and responsibility, will even take them further to success.