Disciplining children has long been one of those subjects that no one seems to agree on. Up until recently, I only had a passing interest in it though there was no doubt that I had strong opinions. I don’t believe in beating any child, however an appropriately delivered spanking when earned, certainly should not be out of the question. This is true whether given by the parents (preferred) or by proper authorities within the school system. Believe me, when I was in school ‘getting a swat’ was one heck of a deterrent. What’s sad is that of late, is that because of those few who go overboard in the use of this type of discipline, more often we’re finding parents afraid to use it for fear of being accused of child abuse. And as for school officials, forget it unless you want a lawsuit. So how is a ‘trouble child’ to learn if there are no consequences for their actions? Admittedly this is a difficult subject for me to completely identify with because I was never a ‘trouble child.’

I was never into drugs or alcohol, I didn’t beat up other kids, I didn’t shoplift and I certainly never brought a gun to school. My parents were pretty open with me and allowed me to stay out late because I had earned their trust. Don’t get me wrong, I could backtalk with the best of them, but when I went too far I could be assured of getting a belt across my bottom. I didn’t like it then, but I’m appreciative of it now.

My interest increased over the last ten years, in part because my wife was the mother of a 3-year old boy at the time we met (he’s now 11), and even more so because we now have a 15 month old little girl now. I had a lot to learn about disciplining, and though I’m sure I didn’t make all the right choices, I can only hope that most of them were. But now that I have a daughter, it feels like everything has changed and I have to learn it all over again. Here’s hoping I get it right for her sake.

As for the answer to my earlier question, “How is a ‘trouble child’ to learn if there are no consequences for their actions?” Well, at least what I think might be part of the answer… it would have to be by teaching respect through fear and intimidation. Keep in mind that I don’t recommend this for every kid; after all they are all different and respond to different forms of punishment and reward systems. This is just for the ‘hard cases’. Those whose paths seem destined for disaster.

Documentarian Chuck Braverman chose this as the subject of his 2000 film “High School Boot Camp.” In it, he follows the experiences of a group of boys who spend five months at Eagle Academy, a military style boot camp for teenagers. From the opening sequences of the boys as they ride the bus into the camp, you know they are not in for a good time. They are immediately met by bellowing drill instructors that have no hesitancy about getting right in the student’s faces. The idea is to teach these kids by pushing them to their limits, both physically and emotionally. Tearing them down in order to build them up.

It’s a controversial method to be sure, but no more so than the “Scared Straight” program that brought juvenile delinquents into an actual prison to go face to face with hardened criminals, most of whom were in for life. That was another program I heartily agreed with. “High School Boot Camp” pulls no punches and even though the five month stay had to be edited down to a ninety minute running time, it still delivered an unflinching look at the experiences several of the boys have while staying at the camp.

Whether or not you agree with the program the question is, does it work? From the way the film is presented, you get the impression that it does. It’s when you get to he extra features that one has to wonder. The filmmaker’s commentary is pretty straight forward, and while Braverman touches on the subject at hand, he more so talks about how he went about filming the project, and what kind of equipment he used. The extra feature I recommend checking out focuses on “where are they now” and re-visits some of the boys we followed through the film. Needless to say, some of the results were less than stellar.

In spite of some of these results, I would still have to say that I agree with most of the methods used in this program. We are living in tough times; probably the most difficult that it has ever been for children. The crime rates amongst children is growing and as these kids are getting tougher (even to the point of killing each other), we have no choice but to employ tougher methods. Even if this program is only able to help one kid get his life back in order, then wouldn’t that one kid consider it a success?

Directed by: Chuck Braverman
Extras: Filmmaker Commentary, Additional Scenes, “Where Are they Now” Updates, Filmmaker Biography and Filmography
Specifications: Dolby Digital Stereo
Studio: Docurama
Release Date: 11/30/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give High School Boot Camp an A.