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Boot Camps & Military Schools in Nevada

Parents looking for real solutions to their at-risk teen’s issues may think that short-term military-style boot camps can remedy bad behavior. The truth is that military schools and boot camps are frequently misunderstood about what they can do for kids and parents who are just starting to look for solutions can be easily misled. HelpYourTeenNow is a parent advocate group dedicated to helping parents just like you with troubled teens. We want you to get answers to all your questions about teen help programs—which ones are best for your situation and which ones to avoid. We’ll assess your family’s situation during our free consultation and give you the results of our extensive research and experience into these programs.

Military Schools and Boot Camps Aren’t the Best Option for Troubled Teens

Many decades ago, before the advancements in teen mental health and behavior therapy, the solution to a badly behaving teen was to send him to military school. Today’s military schools are academic institutions that prepare students for military service, not provide therapy for at-risk teens. Behavior boot camps are public or private programs with rigid discipline and military-style structures that work as short-term remedial behavioral facilities designed to teach teens to respect authority and scare them into good behavior. Neither of these programs help at-risk teens get to the heart of their issues and are not long-term therapy programs. At HelpYourTeenNow, we can help you understand which kinds of programs have a proven record of success in changing your teen’s behavior for the long term.

Nevada Regulatory Laws

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services is the licensing agency that oversees teen residential facilities. This department is a part of the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Licensing and regularly checks on facilities to make sure they meet the minimum standards set by the state of Nevada.

(NRS 394.075). Teachers at these schools must have a teaching license and meet the experience requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education (NAC 394.050(2). Administrators must also meet experience standards, depending on their level of education (5 years with a bachelor’s or 3 years with a master’s) as outlined by the USDE (NAC 394.050(1). All schools must keep current immunization records for all students NRS 394.192(1)–(4). While private schools in Nevada are not required to participate in state core testing, they are encouraged to (NAC 389.048–398.083).

(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

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Nevada Regulatory Laws

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services is the licensing agency that oversees teen residential facilities. This department is a part of the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Licensing and regularly checks on facilities to make sure they meet the minimum standards set by the state of Nevada.

(NRS 394.075). Teachers at these schools must have a teaching license and meet the experience requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education (NAC 394.050(2). Administrators must also meet experience standards, depending on their level of education (5 years with a bachelor’s or 3 years with a master’s) as outlined by the USDE (NAC 394.050(1). All schools must keep current immunization records for all students NRS 394.192(1)–(4). While private schools in Nevada are not required to participate in state core testing, they are encouraged to (NAC 389.048–398.083).

(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

Statistics for At-Risk Nevada Teens

ADD/ADHD

  • 5.7%

5.7 percent of children in Nevada, aged 3–17 years have been diagnosed with ADHD. (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2016–2019).

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9489617/

TEEN PREGNANCY 

  • 16.8%

The teen pregnancy rate for adolescents aged 15 to 19 in Nevada is 16.8 per 1,000 females in this age group, according to the World Population Review.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/teen-pregnancy-rates-by-state

TEEN SUICIDE

  • 15%

Nevada ranks 37th with a suicide rate of 15 deaths per 100,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19, according to data from the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death Files (2020–2022).

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/teen_suicide/NV

DRUG USE

  • 10.24%

In 2020, approximately 788,000 teenagers aged 12 to 17 nationwide met the criteria for Illicit Drug Use Disorder (IDUD). In Nevada, about 10.24% of adolescents in this age group reported using illicit drugs, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#nevada

 

ALCOHOL USE

  • 9.39%

Approximately 9.39% of teens in Nevada suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2020).

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#nevada

TEEN VAPING

  • 24.1%

Nevada ranks 21st among all states, with 24.1% of high school teens reported to have used vapes. (Drug Watch, 2024).

https://www.drugwatch.com/e-cigarettes/vape-stat-by-state/

TEEN PORNOGRAPHY

  • 57%

The porn industry experienced a 12.6% annual revenue increase from 2018 to 2023. Adolescent exposure to pornography has steadily risen, with the age of first exposure becoming increasingly younger. 57% of young adults ages 18-25 use porn monthly or more often.

https://www.addictionhelp.com/porn/statistics/

TEEN BULLYING

  • 46%

According to Pew Research Center, 46% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 have experienced at least one of six types of cyberbullying behaviors. (Pew Research Center, 2022).

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/

 

Summary

We Can Help!

Boot camps and military-style teen help programs are generally not the solution for a teen with behavior issues, substance abuse problems or other at-risk behavior. At HelpYourTeenNow, we can provide you with recommendations for options that will help you to make an informed decision about what kinds of programs out there offer lasting help and long-term benefits. Call HelpYourTeenNow for expert advice and personal experience when you are ready to choose to intervene on behalf of your teen.