Does Behavior Modification Offer Real Hope For Troubled Teens?

Many of the programs designed to provide help for troubled teens-including well-publicized "boot camps"--rely upon behavior modification strategies to inspire change. Although this method is unquestionably popular, it's well worth considering just how well it works to produce lasting and meaningful alterations in behavior.

Behavior modification utilizes positive and/or negative reinforcement to encourage people to act in a preferred manners. Generally, a structured system of punishments and rewards are used in hopes of molding behavior to fit a goal "pattern". With boot camps for teens and other programs, children are subjected to rules and structures and are taught that certain (positive) behaviors will result in some kind of reward while other (negative) behaviors will not.

In some cases, positive behaviors will stave off negative events and negative behavior will have consequences in the form of punishment. Treating teens like one of Pavlov's dogs will produce changes in behavior.

The participants quickly learn the rules to "the game" and alter their actions to minimize discomfort and to maximize rewards. They don't change because doing so is "right".

They change because it makes their life a little easier within the environment of the program.

However, that doesn't mean the programs are truly working.
The changes in outward behavior might look good, but they're quite superficial.
They often exist only as a means of playing the behavior modification game.

When the teen returns home, it's all too common to watch them backslide once the artificial constraints of the punishment/reward structure are removed.

Meanwhile, the root causes of the behavior that led up to enrollment in the program are often ignored.
Those sources of rebellion, distance or disregard for others remain intact.
The superficial behavior changes are nothing more than a band-aid that won't stay in place over the long run. If you want to offer real hope for teens to improve their behavior and to function successfully over the long run, you don't want to rely on behavior modification-based boot camps and other programs.

Instead, find a way to deal with the core issues at play. Real change comes from deep within, not from "playing by the rules" just to pass through a program.