Child Abuse

The Child Abuse Issue
Some people feel strongly that Boot Camps are child abuse. This issue can be debated for hours with either side remaining where they began. To really determine if this is the case or not you would have to have a well-defined description of what child abuse is. You would also have to have total honesty from those involved with any child abuse allegations. The problem arises when a child that is reprimanded for doing something wrong is corrected. In some cases children having privileges removed feel that they have been abused. Parents have told us that some states require very little for a parent to provide for their children. One parent said she was told that all she had to provide was one meal a day, a blanket, and a change of clothing for her child. To some this would be considered abusive, but according to her that was all she was required to provide. We did not try to verify the truth of her statement. Each state's laws vary when it comes to abuse.

The other concern that is important to consider is the honesty of the person making the claims of abuse. For children who consider taking away internet privileges abusive, it may be difficult to know when they have been abused in the legal sense of the word. In some cases people who work with children may not be totally forthcoming on how they treat the children in their care. Therein lies the problem.

For years the United States Military has been taking young men and women through what is called "basic training." Another name for this is also "boot camp." Many of the boot camps for teens we refer to use the same tactics that are used in a Military boot camp. To say that Boot Camps for Teens are abusive would then also mean that United States Military Boot Camps are abusive. We do not feel that structure and discipline are abusive but we definitely do not condone any form of child abuse.