There has been an enormous upsurge in enrollments for military schools. Many parents are convinced that if there are behavioral problems with their child, military schools will instill some discipline and all will be well. It can also absolve them of any worry or responsibility. This may well be true in some cases but in many ways there could be problems as troubled teens may not be happy in that sort of military environment and behavioral problems may well resurface later on.
Parents need to think carefully about removing a troubled teen from the loving family environment to a structure where discipline is the order of the day but there is little bonding and or affectionate support. In any case, there will be difficulty in getting troubled teens with behavioral problems accepted at one of these schools. Entry procedures are usually quite rigorous.
Another misconception is that military schools are a type of boarding school or reform school and these certainly have a very mixed reputation. As regards the military schools, there are many who have fine reputations and expect and demand high academic standards which may be a problem for a teen with a learning disability. The main point though is that very often, in the public school system, there are facilities and special programs which are available for troubled kids and this is especially true for ADHD where the IES and /or a 504 plan can be implemented.
Troubled teens can have many problems and are under a great deal of stress. Sometimes this is manifested by aggressive behavior, shyness, defiance or depression. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has some recommendations on its website which parents can easily implement .This includes having supportive relationships both within the family and outside it. Making sure that healthy diet and exercise are part of the teen’s life is also a great help. The best solution of all is to follow a behavior modification program which has been shown to be the most effective way of parenting troubled teens.
