Alternatives to this Prison

We will now begin a series of posts helping parents find alternatives to Victory Forge. This institution has been accused, time and time again, of child abuse. I guess the old saying still holds, "where there is smoke there is fire". In many cases, think of this - "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me". The Weiermans have done a fantastic job of fooling parents and the community, but the truth is being exposed. Here is part 1 of alternatives:

Most troubled adolescents have underlying emotional and behavioral problems that are rarely addressed in military-style boot camps. Boot camps are about discipline, deferring to authority, and saying, "Yes, Sir!," often in response to pointless directives. Does running miles on a muddy track carrying a log teach the same thing as cooperating with peers in creating a camp fire so you will can cook a meal and be warm at night?

Therapeutic programs that combine therapy, the teaching of survival skills, and the impact of the natural environment create more profound, lasting changes in struggling adolescents.
Boot camps, even more juvenile offenders, have a history of problems, from accusations of abusive staff to poor training that has led to serious incidents and even death of their adolescent participants.


Therapeutic Wilderness Program teach:
- Respect of authority
- Self-DisciplineCooperation
- Responsibility
- Self-Esteem
- Self-confidence

Military-Style Boot Camp teach:
- Fear of authority
- Doing "as told"
- Obedience
- Repression
- Resentment

Source: CRC Health Group