Brat Camp
Just been watching 'Brat Camp' on Channel 4. Basically, 7 severely messed up, unhappy girls get taken into the wilderness in Utah and made to survive away from drugs, families and alcohol, with the hope that they will reform when stripped of their identities.
Got me thinking. Can this kind of thing really work for behaviour change in the long term? Or will it have what many profound writers call the 'spring harvest effect' whereby an intense experience leads to promises of behaviour change but actually, once back in the same environment from which you came, that change doesnt occur to such a dramatic effect.
Also, how much of the blame for behaviour rests with the parents? by demonising the kids there is no explanation of how the children got that way in the first place. although obviously there isnt always such a straightforeward cause and effect, but surely the parents have to accept some of the responsibility and enrol in parents-of-a-brat camp?
posted by jodes da princess @ 10:15 PM
8 Comments:
i think they can potentially spark a change provided that it is in conjunction with loads of other changes in their real lives,
ie a change of environment, rehab,
new school etc
'Spring Harvest Effect'! Love it. I'm also a victim of the 'soul survivor effect', similar but subsides even sooner than the spring harvest one!
I'm sure for some of them they'd probably have given up drugs if they could and so the intense rehab would help with that but speaking cynically, they'll all go back to how they were.
Environment and their peers will play a huge role in determining their identities and their actions. If they walk back into the same setting they were at then it'll lead to similar lifestyles.
Jodie you have just made onto the links of my blog. I look forward to seeing my name on yours!
I change my blog links about once a decade, the template thingy scares me!
I think the parents of the kids should have to go on some sort of parenting course while they are away. cos a lot of the behaviour the kids have obviously stems from the parents.Kids dont hate themselves for no reason.Bullying probably plays a big part of it too.
btw gonna be in wales for the next week or so, so wont be blogging too much
Good thoughts. A follow up programme showing how things worked out would be really interesting.
Lovely to see me on the list but couldn’t you please list me as 'very eligible bachelor'?!
picky picky picky. you're lucky you made it mate!
I'll see what I can do....
ki, I agree, but the problem that almost all of these kids seem to have (apart from the oone who is clearly depressed) is that they have had no boundaries.
One of the biggest parenting problems nowadays is that parents are afraid to say 'no' to their kids, fearing that by depriving them of things they are depriving them of love.
So kids grow up unable to cope with having boundaries, which the world will inevitably place around them.The camp places extreme boundaries and refuses to budge. if the kids can deal with those, then they stand more of a chance of facing the boundaries that life puts in place. I love it. Extreme parenting!
What I meant by the spring harvest scenario is that it is an incredibly intense, condensed environment. growth that happens in these situations often has a bigger impact in an environment where everything is intense rather thsn back in the real world. or am I the only one that made multiple promises to stop swearing and pray everyday?
Post a Comment
<< Home