How The Term Boot Camp Has Evolved Over The Years
When the military (Army, Marines, Navy, etc.) start their intensive training for new recruits it is called boot camp, appropriately named for the footwear that is given to the camp trainees in the military. The basic time frame for this would begin when a civilian first arrives on a military base and lasts through an intensive basic training camp until graduation, when they officially become a soldier. Now, this term is not used strictly by the military. It is being used to describe a number of events.
Obviously, the most notorious type of program, other than the original military use of the term, is when it is used in a correctional capacity as it refers to adolescents. Normally, these types of camps are within the US Penal System and many parents send their errant teens to these programs. It uses techniques that apply to military recruits and they are also taught socially acceptable patterns of behavior. Most times the pattern follows closely to what a military training camp would entail, not at all similar to what a youth would consider a camping hiking adventure.
The popularity of these types of base camp training programs has led several companies to figure out a way to incorporate the boot camp theme into their every day business. For instance, the popularity of a fat camp in general, perhaps indicates a need for a touch more discipline in all of us. Evidently, discipline may be in order because this type of program indicates that many overweight people are not successful in losing weight on their own and need the “hard work and don’t talk back” atmosphere, strict routines and rigorously filled timetables that at one time was strictly used by the military.
Are there other types of these camps? Yes, they are everywhere you look. There are probably some that you have never heard of, or some you can’t even believe exist, but one thing you can be sure of is that they are most definitely not like summer camp. In the 1980’s, Georgia and Oklahoma were the first to open “camps” for prisoners, done mainly to reduce the population in largely overcrowded prisons, and as a preventive measure for those likely to commit crime again. There are also camps for things such as paper and essay writing, spiritual boot camps, baby boot camps and leadership boot camps.
As parents and guardians, you may wonder if sending your troubled teen to a boot camp will “fix” your child. Many experts have said that at best, this type of juvenile training camp will result in only temporary improvements and at worst; they may even harm children in the long run.
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