Brat Camp Could Save Troubled Teen

If an out-of-control, drug using teen is lucky, they’ll end up really screwing up big time and find themselves in front of a judge who orders them into either brat camps or a drug program that will nip their teen age drug abuse in the bud. Because the odds suggest that if they don’t bottom out early in the game, they will be struggling with addiction and all the baggage that goes with it well into adulthood. Good-bye proms, good-bye graduation, Good-bye College. “Soon a judge told our defiant teen that she would go either into treatment or jail. With God’s help, we let her suffer the consequences of her choices. She spent some time in jail. A court order separated her from a friendship that encouraged her rebellion. Driving was a privilege limited to treatment, school and work. We prayed she would continue to get caught if she chose to do anything illegal. We wanted her to experience enough pain to discourage her destructive behavior.” (unknown source)

Tough is Called Tough for a Reason

That is a difficult position for parents to take but it beats the alternative of coddling the teen into a full blown addiction. Some parents can’t fathom that drug abuse could enter their family, but denial will only allow the problem to fester. If a teen were diagnosed with cancer, the parents would seek the most potent treatments that could be had. Addiction requires the same full frontal attack. -----By Ann Walker

Brat Camps

Brat Camp was a popular reality Television show a few years ago. It was based on a group of troubled and defiant teens that were sent to a wilderness camp. The idea behind the wilderness camp is to humble the arrogant spoiled children. Once humbled they become more teachable. There have been many success storied from troubled teens that were sent to a wilderness camp or wilderness program. Sometimes a troubled teen is sent to a Brat Camp or Wilderness Camp prior to being sent to a troubled teen boarding school. The Brat Camp is usually just a starting point. To obtain long term change defiant youth will usually need to spend a minimum of 12-18 months is a boarding school. This is not guarantee that the child will turn out successful. It does keep the at risk youth off the streets, and alive for a few years however.