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Military Schools and Boot Camps 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
Pennsylvania children between the ages of 4-17 diagnosed each year with ADD/ADHD: 10.2% (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011 Study). https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/prevalence.html
In a 2016 report, 6, 452 babies were born to women under the age of 20. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016 Study). https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/facts-and-stats/national-and-state-data-sheets/adolescent-reproductive-health/pennsylvania/index.html
National suicide ranking: 21st. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and its Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting, 2016). https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/population-health/us-states-ranked-by-suicide-rate.html
A 2017 report showed that 31% of Pennsylvania teens abuse alcohol and 13% binge drink. Marijuana use in Pennsylvania teens was 33% and 11% of teens use electronic vapor products. (State Report, 2017, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.) https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/facts-and-stats/national-and-state-data-sheets/adolescents-and-substance-abuse/pennsylvania/index.html
Juvenile arrests in Pennsylvania for 2016 include 124 arrests for Aggravated Assault, 92 teen arrests for robbery, 489 arrests for larceny, 279 arrests for drug abuse and 69 arrests for weapons violations. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2016 Report) https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/qa05103.asp?qaDate=2016
For the 2014-2015 school year, Pennsylvania reported an 84.8% high school graduation rate. (U.S. Department of Education, Graduation Rates 2014-2015) https://www.governing.com/gov-data/high-school-graduation-rates-by-state.html
Summary
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. HelpYourTeenNow can guide you in making the hard decisions about what programs will actually provide support and help for your teen during a free consultation. HelpYourTeenNow assess your child’s issues and then draw on our vast network of parents and teen experts to give you options tailored for your situation.
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