Military Schools for Kids help children who need discipline combined with a quality education. They provide a military-style environment where students learn physical conditioning and self-discipline. They were developed as a rigorous alternative to confining troubled teens to correctional facilities.

Unlike Therapeutic Boarding Schools, military schools have major behavioral restrictions. They’re generally restricted to children with mild behavioral problems. This means that they’re not necessarily the best approach for troubled teens with learning disabilities, emotional problems, psychological issues or substance abuse problems.

Disadvantages of Military Schools for Kids

There are some advantages to Military Schools for Kids. Some of these advantages include a quality, private school education, long-term board and care, a greater outlook on life. These students learn how to practice self-control and self-discipline, while learning to excel in school.

However, for kids in need of therapeutic care, they have some major disadvantages. Military schools place more emphasis on discipline and punishment. This may sound ideal to parents of troubled teens. But, if your teen is in trouble because of a traumatic experience or a psychological diagnosis, they need a more therapeutic approach to healing from within.

If these troubled teens don’t learn to deal with the traumatic event, they’ll never learn to get past it in order to eliminate their destructive behaviors. When it comes to those with diagnosis such as ADD, ADHD, bipolar and depression, the hard-core, emotionless tactics can be very counterproductive. In these cases, your teen needs intense therapy in order to heal and get on the right track to succeeding in life.

There are also other disadvantages of Military Schools for Kids that parents of troubled teens have found hard to deal with:

  • When your troubled teen is a student of a military school, you will have limited access to your child. The purpose of this is to teach teens how to become more self-sufficient and independent. But, if the root of your teen’s problems are related to past events, or family issues, this may not be a good idea. These teens need interaction with parents and family members, including family therapy sessions.
  •  Military schools involve rigorous training programs. This puts a high amount of physical and psychological pressures on these students. Many troubled teens are already having a problem with feeling inferior to their peers. In order to excel under this type of pressure, your teen needs to be very strong, both physically and psychologically. This is usually not the case with teens in trouble.

A Therapeutic Approach to Learning

Military Schools for Kids teach values with an emphasis on discipline. Yet, they are not the best alternative to traditional schools in all cases. As a parent, you need to be sure that your troubled teen can handle the difficulties and pressures that come with attending these schools.

If your teen is in trouble because of a psychological diagnosis, mental disorder or traumatic event, he/she needs a therapeutic approach to learning. They need a program that focuses on education, as well as intense therapy in order to heal from the inside out.

The Family Compass has an extensive database of Therapeutic Schools for Kids. We evaluate each individual situation to help parents choose the best approach for their children. We will help you understand how Military Schools for Kids and Therapeutic Boarding Schools can help your child.

Have questions or concerns? Send us an email, or call The Family Compass at 866-490-3666 today to discuss the best alternative for your child.