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Boot Camps & Military Schools in Pennsylvania
Teen therapy programs are often successful in changing at-risk teen behavior, especially ones that are struggling with substance abuse, low self-esteem, psychological issues and violence to others or to themselves. Many parents seek out military schools or boot camps as their programs of choice, and may not realize that there are a range of teen rehabilitation programs out there. At HelpYourTeenNow, we can advise you on all your options and steer you toward reputable programs that have a proven success record of helping teens and their families regain peace and re-establish relationships. Call us for a free consultation on military schools and boot camps.
Military Schools and Boot Camps Aren’t the Best Option for Troubled Teens
Troubled teens need intensive therapy, and military schools and boot camps don’t usually provide that. Military schools are reputable academic institutions and boot camps are private, short-term programs with lots of structure and plenty of physical activity. Neither of these programs are intended to deliver long-term recovery for at-risk teens. As a parent, you want to choose the best program for your teen, and military schools and boot camps are rarely the right choice.
Pennsylvania Regulatory Laws
The Adolescent Health Program, part of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Family Health/Division of Child & Adult Services, is the governing agency that monitors and licenses residential care facilities for children and teens.
Pennsylvania private schools must either be accredited or licensed—they can choose which to comply with (24 P.S. §6705). Non-licensed schools are not required to hire state certified teachers, but licensed schools must do so (22 Pa. Code §51.34.; 24 P.S. §13-1327(b). All classes must be taught in English for all Pennsylvania private schools (24 P.S. §15-1511). School employees must undergo criminal history checks as well as basic background screening (23 Pa. Cons. Stat. §6355). Current immunization records for private school students is mandatory (24 Pa. Cons. Stat. §13-1303a).
(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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Educational Recources
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Pennsylvania Regulatory Laws
The Adolescent Health Program, part of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Family Health/Division of Child & Adult Services, is the governing agency that monitors and licenses residential care facilities for children and teens.
Pennsylvania private schools must either be accredited or licensed—they can choose which to comply with (24 P.S. §6705). Non-licensed schools are not required to hire state certified teachers, but licensed schools must do so (22 Pa. Code §51.34.; 24 P.S. §13-1327(b). All classes must be taught in English for all Pennsylvania private schools (24 P.S. §15-1511). School employees must undergo criminal history checks as well as basic background screening (23 Pa. Cons. Stat. §6355). Current immunization records for private school students is mandatory (24 Pa. Cons. Stat. §13-1303a).
(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)
Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf
Educational Recources
Teen Statistics in the State of Pennsylvania
ADD/ADHD
- 8%
8% of Pennsylvania children between the ages of 4-17 are diagnosed each year with ADD/ADHD (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, State-based Prevalence of ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment 2016-2019)
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data/diagnosis-treatment-data.html
TEEN PREGNANCY
11.5 per 1,000 female teens
Pennsylvania has a rate of 22.3 pregnancies per 1,000 female teens per a 2021 study by the CDC. (CDC State-by-State Statistics: Teen Births 2021)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm
TEEN SUICIDE
1885 deaths by suicide yearly
Pennsylvania had 1885 deaths caused by suicide in teens in 2021. (CDC State by State Suicide Rates, 2021)
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
- 9.19%
9.19% of Pennsylvania teens report abusing alcohol within the last month, and 7.22%% report using illicit drugs such as prescription painkillers and cocaine. (NCDAS, Drug Use Among Youth: Facts & Statistics 2022)
VIOLENT CRIME
744
Juvenile arrests in Pennsylvania for 2021 included 144 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault, 49 arrests for robbery, 278 arrests for theft, 223 arrests for drug abuse, and 50 arrests for weapons violations. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2021 Statistics)
https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/qa05103.asp?qaDate=2018&text=yes
GRADUATION RATES
- 87%
For the 2020-2021 school year, Pennsylvania reported an 87% high school graduation rate. (National Center for Education Statistics 2021)
https://www.governing.com/gov-data/high-school-graduation-rates-by-state.html
Summary
We Can Help!
Teen therapy boot camps may advertise that they have a quick solution to all your teen’s problems, but studies show that this kind of program doesn’t allow teens to make lasting changes in their behavior, nor does it give them a chance to work on the issues causing the problems. Military schools are not interested in rehabilitation and therapy—they are college prep schools with high academic standards. Help Your Teen Now can guide you in making the hard decisions about what programs will support and help your teen during a free consultation. Help Your Teen Now assesses your child’s issues and draws on our vast network of parents and teen experts to give you options tailored to your situation.