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Is a school for troubled girls similar to a boot camp?

For many parents, especially these days, raising teenage girls can be a real problem as the communication gap between the two generations can literally lead to trouble. From anger issues to disciplinary issues- all are a common aspect of raising teenage daughters. However, sometimes things may seem to be getting out of hand. Perhaps your daughter is heavily involved in drugs or has dropped out of school and spends the day partying. Either way, this can lead to a very stressful situation for the parents who only want the best for their children.

At this point, many parents may consider sending their troubled girls to a boot camp in order to bring back some kind of order and discipline into their lives. This may seem like a cruel reaction but it becomes necessary upon the realization that the child you love is steadily heading towards self-destruction.

There is no doubt, though, that boot camps are a harsh place to send troubled girls. Although they are effective in instilling values of discipline, respect for authority and a sense of responsibility, boot camps simply do not address the underlying issues your daughter may be facing. They tend to focus on military-style training which consists of strict routines, drills and the use of punishment and fear tactics. Whereas this does eventually produce the results intended, it does not necessary help the teen.

Schools for troubled girls differ from boot camps in many ways and are a much better option for seeing a genuine, positive change in your teenage girl. Boot camps use strict and uncompromising measures to discipline a child. Schools for troubled girls, on the other hand, are more therapeutic in nature. They offer results similar to that of a boot camp but they are gentler in their treatment of the troubled girls.

Routines are still imposed and expected to be followed and there are rules which must be abided by.

However, positive reinforcement is used to inculcate the sense of responsibility and the value of discipline and authority within the teenage girls. Unlike a boot camp, the issues which may have caused the girl to become troubled or to act out in any manner are addressed and the girls receive proper therapy and counseling to help them deal with whatever the underlying causes for their rebellion or irresponsibility are. 

The main difference between a boot camp and a school for troubled girls is that boot camps tend to focus on bringing about a complete and extreme change in the child through rigorous training, activities, and punishments. Schools for troubled girls, on the other hand, try to focus on changing the thought patterns and the behavior of troubled girls through alternative academic programs, counseling, and therapy.

The primary goal of a school for troubled girls (also called a therapeutic school) is to help the teenage girl recover from the emotional and academic setbacks she has faced and helped her on the road to recovering and discovering herself and her true potential.