Military Schools for Young Boys are one effective alternative to traditional schools for boys who are in trouble. The military-style environment provides young boys with a private school education. They also help struggling teens by emphasizing physical conditioning and discipline.

Although developed as alternatives to confining troubled boys in correctional facilities, they’re not the best approach for teens with psychological, mental and emotional issues. If your son is struggling with negative behavior caused by learning disabilities, emotional problems, mental disorders or substance abuse problem, Military Schools for Young Boys can be counterproductive.

Disadvantages of Military Schools for Young Boys

The approach to teaching at military schools is known as “shock incarceration” treatment. This treatment method involves what many would call humiliation and intimidation tactics. For teens with serious behavioral issues, this can lead to an even higher disrespect for authority. And, when it comes to troubled teens with mental disorders or those who’ve suffered through traumatic events, it can cause them to withdraw even more. This makes it more difficult to get to the underlying issues that have led to their destructive behaviors in the first place.

Most experts agree that the confrontational approaches of Military Schools for Young Boys are not always effective in the long-run. Humiliation and intimidation can be very counterproductive for teens suffering from ADHD, ADD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and other emotional and psychological issues. These tactics can be even more damaging to troubled teens in need of intense therapy. It’s only through the use of therapeutic approaches that these teens can learn to deal with their pasts and learn to live with their emotional disorders and psychological diagnosis.

Many troubled boys who have attended military schools have reported learning to feel more positive about life and their futures. However, without intense therapy and therapeutic intervention, these changes won’t last throughout their lifetimes. In these cases, there are better alternatives, such as Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Children. Your son needs both individualized and group therapy, coupled with a quality education in order to reap long-term benefits that military schools can’t provide.

Here are a couple more disadvantages of Military Schools for Young Boys:

  • Parents of troubled young boys who attend military schools have very limited access to their sons. According to the schools, this helps young boys learn self-sufficiency and independence. But, in order for troubled teens to learn to heal from past events, they need intense therapy to discover the root of their problems. Many also need intense family therapy in order to re-establish healthy relationships with their parents and other family members.
  • Many troubled young boys aren’t mentally or physically prepared for the rigorous training programs they must participate in at military schools. If this is the case, your child will suffer psychologically from the pressures of these programs. These tactics will only intensify their inferiority complexes, making them feel even lower about themselves.

Taking the Therapeutic Approach for Healing

Military Schools for Young Boys are great for teaching values to teens. However, they place a high amount of emphasis on discipline. They don’t provide troubled teens with the therapeutic methods needed to become better people psychologically, mentally and emotionally.

If your teen has been exhibiting negative, destructive behavior because of a mental disorder, psychological diagnosis or a traumatic experience, military schools are not the best approach. Your teen needs a therapeutic program that can help them heal from past events or learn to live with their diagnosis. Your child needs a program designed to focus on education, combined with intense group and individual therapy.

The Family Compass is a leader in the industry of Therapeutic Schools for Young Boys. We have an extensive database that helps us to evaluate the needs of each individual child, to discover the best approach for each situation. Our consultants have the expertise needed to help you evaluate Military Schools for Kids and Therapeutic Boarding Schools to choose the best one for your son.

If you have questions about alternatives for your troubled son, we’re here to help 24/7. Call The Family Compass today, toll-free at 866-490-3666 to get help for your son. Or, email us and one of our consultants will get back to you shortly.