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REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE POWERFUL

Decades of Greed, Corruption & Sexual Abuse Plague Troubled Teen Industry Wilderness Therapy Programs

Despite decades of allegations of rampant sexual abuse, the Troubled Teen Industry still operates with few government regulations, making TTI programs ripe breeding grounds for neglect and sexual abuse.
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The Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) is an umbrella term for a network of privately owned, nonprofit, and faith-based behavioral modification programs across the United States.
The Troubled Teen Industry is a booming business with roots that go back to the 1950s. However, since its establishment, the industry has been fraught with corporate greed, uneducated staff, and cult-like practices.
The United States Government Accountability Office reported finding "thousands of allegations of abuse, some of which involved death" over seventeen years. 1
Despite decades of allegations of rampant sexual abuse, the Troubled Teen Industry still operates with few government regulations, making TTI programs ripe breeding grounds for neglect and sexual abuse.

BEHIND THE DECEPTIVE MARKETING PRACTICES OF TEEN WILDERNESS THERAPY BROCHURES

According to the American Bar Association, the Troubled Teen Industry brings in 23 billion dollars annually in public funds alone. 2
It's a big business that relies on deceptive marketing practices that target and profit from desperate families.
It starts with the brochure—kids with big, toothy smiles hiking or riding horses up a sunny trail. Professional therapists and program specialists lead hikes and group activities.
Furthermore, daytime television hosts like Dr. Phill promote teen wilderness programs on popular television shows. They use buzz words and phrases like "tough love," "true potential," and "personal accountability."
They also aggressively campaign for immediate placement and promote loans with high-interest rates for families who can't afford the average camp's $558.00/ per day price tag (after the initial enrollment fees.) 3
Teen wilderness therapy programs know how to make great sales pitches.
What parent wouldn't pay? Especially since the alternative, according to the sales pitch, without this specific TTI program, their child will be dead or in jail without drastic intervention.
In hindsight, many parents report how these marketing tactics take advantage of families in their most vulnerable times.
All the kids in the glossy photos look happy and, most importantly, healthy. So, it was easy for the parents to give in to pressure.
"The parent wants so badly for the kid to be okay, and they are offered this solution that not only alleviates the kind of stress and pain that they are experiencing in their own lives but gives the promise that their kid is going to be okay." TTI survivor and activist Jen Robinson tells Breaking Code Silence. 4
The reality children face in these facilities is much darker and more sobering.

THE TRUTH ABOUT REGULATION AND SEXUAL ABUSE INSIDE TEEN WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAMS

The truth is that states and the federal government have little to no regulation over the Troubled Teen Industry. Most facilities don't even need a license or accreditation to operate.
The lack of oversight extends to how staff discipline residents and why.
Most teens report experiencing traumatic and life-altering forms of disciples during their tenure at a wilderness program, including sexual abuse and humiliation.
When they arrive at these programs, children as young as twelve get a full cavity strip search, and that's only the beginning of the nightmare.
"I had just turned thirteen years old," one survivor told Vice News in 2021. "They did a full intake cavity search. I had a supervised shower, which was also very traumatizing." 5
Troubled Teen Industry programs claim to specialize in treating various behavioral disorders ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to eating disorders and low self-esteem. However, neither the state nor federal governments regulate what these programs call therapy, allowing facilities to practice pseudo-scientific treatments.
In an interview with Vice, another TTI survivor recounts one program's group therapy session where staff forced sexual assault survivors to participate in rape re-enactments.
"They would have a male staff come in and re-enact the rape on the victim. And while that was happening, we were instructed to yell things at her like whore, slut." 5
Furthermore, there are no mandates requiring education or training for employees who develop and lead these therapy sessions, allowing staff to disguise sexual abuse as a treatment plan.

Code Silence: How The Troubled Teen Industry Uses Social Isolation to Cover Up Sexual Abuse Allegations

Despite decades of allegations, the Troubled Teen Industry, including teen wilderness therapy programs, successfully cover-up abuse by employing restricted communication and Code Silence.

Code Silence is a type of punishment that TTI employees use to manipulate children by utilizing weaponized silence.

Code Silence is a type of social isolation. A child on Code Silence experiences communication restrictions at the highest level. They are not allowed to talk to their parents. They are not allowed to speak, gesture towards, or even look at staff members or peers.

Social isolation under Code Silence can last for days, weeks, or even months. The emotional consequences are devastating. Humans are social creatures, and children especially need socialization to develop, thrive, and navigate the world successfully.

Breaking Code Silence points out that when TTI programs impose social isolation, they "take away [the child's] right to express themself, report abuse, and make relationships with their peers." 6

Children quickly learn that speaking up puts them in danger. It's a trauma that doesn't end when they leave the facility. Code Silence takes years of therapy and healing to unlearn, making it an effective way for the Troubled Teen Industry to control the narrative and keep abuse behind closed doors.

WHO BENEFITS OFF THE TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY?

Money from the billion-dollar Troubled Teen Industry funnels its way into many pockets. The tip of the iceberg includes Religious institutions, private interest companies, nonprofits, politicians, education consultants, and those employed by the company.
It's hard to know where all the money goes. Currently, due to the lax oversight of the TTI, there isn't an institution or agency that tracks the industry.
Still, with the limited information we have, it's clear that the Troubled Teen Industry is a big business, and the massive profits it rakes in equal a big payout for private equity firms.
The business makes a profit the way many companies make money. They cut costs, including reducing and underpaying staff, failing to train staff, removing therapeutic and education services, and disregarding facility maintenance. 7
So who benefits from the Troubled Teen Industry?
Everyone benefits except the teenagers who live in one of the more than 1,000 Troubled Teen Industries across the United States and their desperate families.

How Can We Stop the Cycle of Abuse?

The Troubled Teen Industry holds more than 50,000 children against their will every year. 2
Our kids are not safe.
These institutions don't help the teenagers in their care. They are not in the business of mental health. Shadow companies, hedge funds, and private groups invest in the TTI industry. And they specialize in targeting at-risk teenagers to profit from child abuse and then shaming them into silence.
To break the cycle of abuse, we need to stand up to power. Holding the companies and people who profit from teen wilderness therapy and other TTI programs accountable is the first step in protecting the most vulnerable in our society.
When we hold big companies accountable for putting profit over people, we give the victims back their voice and shine a light on the lifelong impact of those abuses on the children who suffered in silence.
At AVA Law Group, we stand with the victims of sexual abuse.
If you or a loved one have suffered sexual abuse while attending a teen wilderness therapy program, you may be entitled to compensation.
Call an AVA legal expert to reclaim your voice today.
Our experienced legal team promises to work tirelessly to defend your rights and fight to ensure you receive the financial compensation you deserve.

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