| 7/13/2005 |
I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU by Three Days Grace
|
ABC has a new show starting called Brat Camp. They have been pimping it for weeks, showing home video footage of some very unruly teens behavior. In one clip we see a kid pull out a dagger. Another beats the begeezus out of some lawn furniture. Yet another girl discusses her sexual activities. It's pretty hard core for something that is on during prime time.
These kids are sent to a wilderness camp where they are forced to face the harsh realities of life at camp. As a result change their behaviors and go home with their new found respect for living a better life. These kids are in the Oregon wilderness for almost two months with trained faculty helping them deal with their personal issues.
I am totally dreading this being a show. I'm sure the work that these camps do is a good thing and I hope that the kids left the camp having learned something about themselves and the at-risk behaviors they were taking part in. What I don't life is the 'false hope' it might give a lot of families.
When I worked at the call center we would occasionally get a rush of calls from family members (typically Moms) who were watching a talk show where a boot camp type facility was used as a behavior modification tool. These Moms would see how these teens were miraculously changed people after attending such a camp. Sometimes camp information would be given on the show directing families where to seek help. A lot of these families needed immediate help. Many would miss the information when it was given and as a result they would call an operator and through the magic of telephonics be transferred to The Hotline.
These were tired families calling. Moms who had "tried everything" and "nothing worked." There was so much desperation in their voices. To see a program where a child could be sent to straighten up their act seemed like a prayer answered. Unfortunately the reality isn't always as easy as that. Many treatment facilities require a great deal of money to take care of your kid. I wish I could recall the exact cost per day that was said, in order to take care of a youth at the facility I worked at. It was a lot. However much you think it might cost, add about $250 to it. It's a lot. Many programs offer "scholarships" or financial assistance to attend such programs. Payments based on a sliding scale will also help those families that have a hard time making ends meet. This doesn't mean "free." Nothing is free.
So these parents that are calling in to The Hotline are wanting to place their kids in boot camps, but many don't understand the finances involved in doing so. Since The Hotline was part of the treatment facility we were always willing to tell them about our program as well. Which seems like a "bait and switch" tactic, but, whatever...
Such things are not cheap. I don't know if Brat Camp will discuss that as part of their show, but I know that the talks shows typically didn't. Parents would balk when our own facilities financial requirements were mentioned.
Part of me always wanted to ask, "What did you think was going to happen? That someone would take your drug addicted, promiscuous, law-disobeying child and turn them into a prince/princess for free?" Not that the money mattered to me, but I don't know that a lot of people really thought about.
I always wanted to know how the family got to the point with the child that Mom and/or Dad were ready to ship Junior off without not much of a second thought. What lead up to the call? How has his behavior been over the last few months, a year ago, 5 years ago. Has there been a drastic life change? Maybe their issue could be helped by not sending the child away for a couple months (or more if some of these parents had their way) and could be solved at home with help. This is where the Tried Everythings began. Nothing worked. He just started getting in trouble with the law. She just started staying out all night. Perhaps, but nothing just happens overnight, when it comes to behaviors. If it does. There is probably something else causing the problem. Behaviors grow over time.
What have these Brat Camp parents tried before sending their child away? What other options have they looked into? Has anything worked, even a little bit?
What about putting your "problem child" on television? Do I need to even explain this? How much of what we see is real and how much is put on for the camera either because they think it's cool or funny, or maybe because they think this is what they want to hear/see? Not to mention how footage is edited to make situations look more dramatic.
Who is going to explain to the single mother in Brooklyn, that her 14 year old son can't go to boot camp because she is unable to pony up the money required to send him to a forrest located across the country? I doubt Brat Camp will. |
|
I posted this @ 7/13/2005 09:56:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
|
|
|
|
|
|
