Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries

Extreme Brat Camp (2014x53)

Air date: Oct 08, 2014

Brat Camps are an extreme youth disciplinary concept that's firmly embedded in American culture. Every year thousands of American children are transported to one of over 1000 private facilities dotted across the United States. In the USA today it's estimated the child intervention industry is worth over $2 billion, as parents send their kids away to residential programmes - often against their will - in an attempt to change their behaviour. This True Stories documentary aims to shed light on the world of behavioural modification camps and other child intervention programmes, illuminating the beliefs and ambitions that underpin this controversial industry, many of which contrast starkly with British norms. While these programmes appear well-run and organised with some form of regulation, there are concerns about the standards of other camps and the possibility of abuse, particularly when there is no federal body to regulate and monitor the quality of care in the child intervention industry.