If your teen has recently been expelled from school or is constantly running away, maybe it's time for you to look into sending him or her to a juvenile boot camp. While some people view juvenile boot camps as a form of child abuse, these camps have actually produced positive results in the lives of thousands of teens.

Here are some of the issues that are dealt with at juvenile boot camps:

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder

• ADD/ADHD

• Uncontrollable anger

• Sudden outbursts

• Running away

• Substance abuse

• Bad influences from friends

If you choose to send your teen to a camp, expect that they will be in a very strict, highly structured and disciplined setting. This isn't church camp! And it's not cheap. Prices for one month at ajuvenile boot camp start at $2,000 and go up from there. But the cost can well be worth it if you have a teen who is defiant and out of control.

Most juvenile boot camps do not deal with kids who are on medication. If you plan to send your child to a camp, it is best, and sometimes mandatory that you wean them off of their medication before they go. In many situations, the camp will attempt to help a child deal with life medication-free.

While sending your teen off to one of the many juvenile boot camps may seem like a last ditch effort to save your child, keep in mind that sometimes it's not the best option. If your teen has exhibited any signs of suicidal tendencies, consider having them treated in a psychiatric hospital or a residential treatment center. You may also want to consider a therapeutic boarding school if your teen is severely depressed. If he or she is self-mutilating or has been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, juvenile boot camps are not the answer.