The entertainment value is properly best without the parents along. The viewer want to see children who acts very odd without knowing the reason. They want them to break down on TV. We did not dig very deep into their minds. Somethings like the death of a father were held out in public.
Most kids focus on their surroundings and acts accordingly of what they see. So the treatment value are higher on the parent/offspring show. Suddenly we can see that some of the reasons are to blame on the parent or simply of the fact that the parent did not listen when it was time and left the child to find inspiration in another and certainly not better place.
Fix the parents and you are about to fix the child.
I have just finished the book from Dave Marcus featuring "Academy at Swifth River" and at that school parents have to attend some schooling at this private prison (disguised as a boarding school) as well. They are not evil parents, but just absents parent due to a number of reasons (deaths, own substance abuse, divorce, career etc.)
The parents are a part of the problem and not 3 days seminar at the end would enable them to cope with some of the serious problems, those kids have to carry.
Regards
Denmark
