The criteria is stringent here in Aus, not sure what it is in America… But the vetting process is fairly thorough. I’d be rejected for my history of severe depression in response to extensive bullying when I was 12-14… And ages 7-9
This is where we disagree… I don’t believe accepting authoritative figures is a natural part of “growing up” or maturing. If one finds a certain authoritarian figure legitimately unjust for his/her policies I see no reason as to why pushback shouldn’t be expected regardless of age disparity or power dynamics at play.
Anyone who tells me that I’m a delinquent because I didn’t follow rules in school that made no sense can politely get lost. There was no reason as to why I shouldn’t have been able to call my parents, a relative, a friend from overseas etc during lunch (keep in mind I’ve graduated HS)
For some kids… Discipline would suit them well, it depends on the child’s personality. Take delinquent A, put him in the army/boot camp, it may induce a deleterious psychological alteration, may merely induce more hatred towards authoritative figures than he/she had prior. Delinquent B however finds solace and a sense of purpose within the structure, the routine, the training implimented with the millitary
It isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Whilst impulsive delinquency does typically decrease with age. There are many who I’ve seen and thought “some discipline would give him purpose” and many wherein I think “cracking down/putting him in a millitarisric environment will be a detrimental”. Granted I don’t know for sure, it’s just my opinion.
I find the argument “rules are rules… Regardless of how fair they are” to be null… Rules aren’t to be blindly accepted if they induce more detriment than they do good… If a rule/regulation induces harm, public pushback is warranted.
Not all kids are the same, not all kids need to learn how to listen to more authority. It’s dependent on the individual… I for one as a young teenager had a knack for not listening to authority… (Particuarly relating to not getting my homework done on time) It evened itself out as I got older (by the time I was about sixteen) and realised how stupid not listening for the sake of not listening was. Granted I’m still rather mischevious at times but my misdeeds have no deleterious effect on anyone besides perhaps myself. Authoritative figures who abuse their power/enforce rules that make absolutely no sense still get on my nerves.
Stigmitisation/stereotypical attitude primed against teenagers stating they “don’t listen” is typically correct. Teenagers tend to be impulsive, rule breaking morons… Obviously not all, but a large majority. As we get older, we typically learn from our mistakes and harbour new ideologies on the basis of our prior life experiences.
In my opinion, attempting to overtly control kids at times may stifle the individual from developing these ideals as to what is/isn’t acceptable, they’ll typically lie/sneak about regardless to the best of their ability. When they’re finally let loose all hell is unleashed.
Good example would be the IDF soldiers going to Kasol post service… I’ve been told upon the release/travel to this destination rates of drug use are very, very, very high… Another example would be how sneaky the kids with ultra strict / overbearing parents tend to be.
Many kids serve something bigger than themselves. You’ve got volunteer work, some work to support their families, protests and more. Impulsivity and selfishness are very common traits amongst the teenage demographic, I don’t believe millitary service can effectively wipe out either of these traits.