Sue Scheff: Do Reform Schools Still Exist?
How many times have we heard a child, usually a troubled teen, will be sent to "reform school?" What exactly is a reform school? Are they still running? Did they ever truly reform a child? Years ago this expression of "reform school" was used as a threat and in some cases carried out by parents. Today we have learned (or hopefully have learned) that beating a child into submission rarely changes them for the better. This is strictly hypothetically speaking, not literally beating, however making the conditions extremely unbearable. Programs such as " boot camps " can, in my opinion and what I have discovered, can actually build more anger and resentment within a child. That anger and resentment can be targeted at the person that sent them there: The parent. If you find you are having difficulties with your teenager, and have discovered it has escalated to a point where you can no longer live with it, consider options that can help your teen, not harm...