BSFT benefits children and adolescents, ages 6 to 18 already showing conduct and emotional problems such as delinquency and early drug use, as well as maladaptive family functioning such as ineffective behavior management.

BSFT works on the principle that parental leadership, adequate parental involvement, mutual support among parenting figures, family communication, problem solving, clear rules and consequences, nurturance, and shared responsibility for the problems the family confronts are critical for healthy child and adolescent development. BSFT seeks to remedy and bolster family functioning in all of these areas.