The Problem

What is the Troubled Teen Industry?

Each year, the guardianship of thousands of vulnerable youth are signed over to private and for-profit residential programs that lack state and federal oversight. This means that these programs can be established fairly spontaneously and are not required to report what goes on within the facility to the state or federal government. This lack of oversight extends to:

  • The identities & backgrounds of staff
  • Number of children in the institutions' care
  • Incidents of abuse, neglect, exploitation and restraint
  • Medication [overuse or lack of] & medical treatment
  • Quality of education being provided
  • Violation of discrimination and ADA laws

 

These programs may label themselves as wilderness, therapeutic, boot camp, or religious programs, and are collectively known as the “troubled teen industry” (tti). The TTI operates out of sight and out of mind, typically in remote locations away from public scrutiny. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that exploits vulnerable youth & their families for profit. 

Thousands of cases of abuse and neglect have been reported in the media over the last 40 years. During this time, young people in the TTI have experienced human rights violations, abuse and injustices. These include but are not limited to:

  1. Seclusion & Restraint: Including seclusion, restraint, isolation, solitary confinement & strict restriction of communication with the outside world including contact with family, mandated reporters, lawyers and advocates.
  2. Unethical & abusive force of Transporting ( kidnaping) young people. 
  3. Abuse of Religious Exemptions: Including physical abuse, emotional abuse, racist verbal abuse, neglect, medical neglect, and death
  4. Conversion therapy harmful therapeutic  to change another individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
  5. Human Rights Violations: Including sleep deprivation, food deprivation, forced feeding, restrictions on marriage based on race, lack of freedom of religion, exploitation of labor and exploitation of traumatic experiences.

Thousands who have survived institutional abuse as youth still live with trauma from their experiences to this day. 

In 2008, congressional hearings were held on the detriments of private residential youth programs with little to no  state / federal oversight. These hearings were led by Congressman George Miller & Greg Kutz, a GAO (Government Accountability Office). The GAO found that the abuse, neglect and death of at-risk youth were due to the untrained and uncaring staff. Yet even after a bill was created to protect youth from institutional abuse, it never passed. See the report here.

To this day our elected officials have not taken enough critical actions to protect youth from institutional abuse. We need your help holding elected officials accountable for their lack of action to protect our most vulnerable.

To this day our elected officials have not taken enough critical actions to protevt youth from institutional abuse. We need your help holding elected officials accountable for their lack of action to protevt out most vunerable.


Congressman George Miller

The following outlines the problems as well as the solutions that can help effectively reduce institutional abuse, of at-risk youth, nationwide. It includes policies that can effectively reduce cases of institutional abuse, neglect, exploitation while providing transparency. By implementing these policies we can achieve substantial reductions in the abuse and exploitation of institutionalized youth nationwide while also saving lives and making communities safer in the process. The We Warned Them Campaign encourages policymakers to focus on solutions with the strongest evidence of effectiveness at reducing institutional abuse of at-risk youth.

The problems + policy solutions

End Seclusion & Restraint

The Problem

Seclusion: Seclusion is being forcibly placed in solitary confinement = and are not allowed to leave.

  • Restraint: 
  • Restraint involves a physical or mechanical limitation on the ability to move. Instances of restraint include holding a student’s hands behind their back, a type of physical restraint, or mechanical restraint using objects like handcuffs, tape or rope. Chemical Restraint. 62 youth have died from being improperly restrained. 
  • Isolation & solitary confinement: In some programs, as punishment or used in conversion therapy,  youth are forced to remain isolated in soliarty confinment where they are denied food or the restroom, not allowed to speak or see anyone, degraded, neglected and in some cases assaulted for days, weeks and months at a time. When used in Conversion therapy settings, youth are not allowed to leave isolation until they renounce their identity.  
“Both Restraint and seclusion can cause physical, psychological and emotional damage, and may result in serious injury or even death. The use of restraint and seclusion can place staff as well as the student being restrained in a highly confrontational, physically dangerous situation. Restraint and seclusion can escalate agitation and increase the chance of harm to either oneself or others. Researchers have documented the lasting effects of restraint and seclusion well-after the initial incident. Suicide has also been associated with the use of seclusion rooms.”

Alliance against Seclusion & Restraint

Lives have been lost to Seclusion & Restraint​

 On May 1, 2020 Cornelius “Corn” Fredericks was restrained by 6 staff members for 12 minutes at a Sequel facility for throwing a sandwich. He went into cardiac arrest and later died. His last words were, “I Can’t Breathe.” 

MDHHS found “10 licensing violations, including a failure to follow rules related to resident restraint and discipline,” the press release said.

In 2018, David Hess was murder by staff members at Philidelphias Wordsworth Academy after being accused of stealing an ipod. His last words were, “I can’t breathe.”

 

 

Those that survived seclusion & restraint still live with the trauma from it to this day.


The Solution

We need to eliminate use of force, restraint and seclusion by:

  • Establishing alternative community based responses to mental health crises and issues (i.e behavioral health, running away, substance use, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, trauma responses, etc.) 
  • Deploying first responder teams of mental health providers, social workers and community intervention workers. 

There is ample evidence that replacing restraints & seclusion with trauma-informed care works. The longer we wait to implement trauma informed care, the longer youth will continue to suffer for profit. Staffers should be mandated to receive certification from extensive training in de-escalation techniques, such as those described here. 

End abusive transport services​

The Problem

Abuse in youth transport services enables involuntary enrollment of youth in TTI programs. Youth transportation services are essentially for-hire kidnappers who take “at-risk” youth from their homes to behavioral programs, per the instructions of their parents. “In general, parents have enormously wide discretion with respect to decisions regarding their children. They can decide to leave their children with people and give them parental rights and no one can interfere,” says Philip Elberg, an attorney who has worked on cases involving the troubled teen industry.

Often these surprise “escorts” are done in the early hours of the morning when young people are sleeping, and the transport services use varying levels of aggressive tactics. Youth comply out of fear, or are forced to comply. These transport services often traumatize youth further, as many believe they’re being abducted or trafficked. 

“This scarcely publicized practice-known as the youth-transportation industry-operates on the fringes of existing law. The law generally presumes that parents have almost unlimited authority over their children, but the youth-transportation industry has never been closely examined regarding exactly what the transportation process entails or whether it is in fact legal.” – Kidnapping Incorporated: The Unregulated Youth-Transportation Industry and the Potential for Abuse. 

The Solution

Regulation of this industry should include de-escalation training, reporting the transport incident to appropriate authorities, regulation of the methods and drivers, inclusion of appropriate authorities.

“The cases that have already recognized a constitutional bodily integrity right for minors speak of the right as one against “arbitrary” or “unjustified” intrusions on the minor’s bodily security. In one case involving an allegation of excessive corporal punishment by a public-school teacher, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals explained that the substantive due-process right to bodily integrity protected minors against “violations of personal rights of privacy and bodily security” that are “severe, . . . disproportionate to the need presented, and . . . inspired by malice or sadism.” Key to these understandings is a notion of protecting children from harm that is more than de minimis in quality, and that is not of such a nature as to be potentially beneficial to them.” – Hill, B. Jessie. “Constituting children’s bodily integrity.” Duke Law Journal, vol. 64, no. 7, 2015, p. 1328+. Gale In Context: U.S. History, Accessed 25 June 2021.

End Religious Exemptions in Residential Youth Programs

The Problem

Under the Religious Freedom Act, legal loopholes allow abuse to go undetected at religious boarding schools for at-risk youth. Most states allow religious exemptions from child abuse and neglect laws. Additionally, some states have religious exemptions to criminal child abuse and neglect statutes, including at least six that have exemptions to manslaughter laws. Currently, only 19 states and territories have no religious exemptions to civil child abuse and neglect statutes. Religious boarding schools are exempt from crucial health and oversight laws. The result is that children are at risk for abuse and neglect. Many state governments around the country lack the legal power to oversee religiously affiliated residential schools. In many states, such exemptions are written directly into the laws meant to regulate residential youth facilities—that is, religious schools are never subject to the rules in the first place.

 

  • Emotional abuse: Subjected to being emotionally abused and brainwashed in order to force youth to comply and conform to the program.
  • In some programs, BIPOC were not allowed to participate in cultural traditions such as speaking their native language or wearing cultural garments. BIPOC are subjected to biblical tirades citing scripture to justify this treatment.
  • Conversion therapy 
  • Medical Neglect 

The Solutions

Ensuring that youth’s rights are being protected from nonconsensual cultural assimilation, abuse, neglect, exploitation & manslaughter as well as no infringement on religious freedom. It sets a standard that protecting youth supersedes everything, and upholds a basic standard of human rights. 

End conversion therapy

The Problem

Conversion Therapy of the LGBTQ+ community:  

Conversion therapy, also known as reperative therapy, is when someone attempts to change another individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. It is a range of dangerous and discredited practices that have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades, but due to continuing discrimination and societal bias against LGBTQ+ people, some practitioners continue to conduct conversion therapy. Radical Anti-LGBTQ activists have argued for years that sexual orientation is changeable. They often claim “homosexuality” is not real, but rather a form of mental illness or an emotional disorder that can be “cured” through quack-psychiatric or religious intervention. 

  • Those who identified as LGBTQ+ in TTI programs are treated as if how they identify is a sin or illness that can be cured through conversion therapy.
  • In the  2020 ABC special: A Boy Named Lucas, A 16-year-old gay teen, whose mother sent him to a series of Christian-run youth camps that practice so-called “gay-conversion therapys”, was beaten (whipped with a belt), isolated, neglected, and degraded. They are only one story out of hundreds of youth who have been subjected to the abusive practices of conversion therapy. 

 Conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. Minors are especially vulnerable. 

 

The Solution

Conversion therapy programs like River View Christian Academy have come under increased scrutiny recently and are being shut down for using discredited practices, claiming to covert youth. In some cases use of religious exemptions extend to child abuse and manslaughter charges.

Only 14 states have passed laws to protect LGBTQ+ youth leaving the majority of the United States vulnerable.  This needs to change: Urge congress to Pass Federal Legislation now. Participate in The Trevor Project’s 50 BILLS/50 STATES Campaign!

End Human Rights Violations

The Problem

Youth are subjected to:

  • Degrading, unwarranted,  physical  Jail-style strip searches 
  • Forced participation in attack therapy without a licensed therapist with the sole purpose of staff and other exploited youth degrading and humiliating the participant. A reference to attack therapy would be the scene from BOOTCAMP, where youth are seated in a makeshift arena with one student in the middle. Along with the a staff member, a few of the youth are chosen to degrade and assault the student in the middle until she complies. This technique is still commonly used in WWASP programs. 
  • Discrimination: 
    • Those who are differently abled or neurodivergent are mocked, called fakers or are said to over exaggerate, neglected, under/over medicated & degraded using disability slurs. 
    • In some programs, people of color were subjected to blatant racism, such as:
      • Techniques similar to the paper bag test
      • Degraded using racial slurs 
      • Racist Ideologies
        • POC were not allowed to marry outside of their race
          • If these rules were violated POC would be punished. 
  • Cruel & Unusual punishment used to modify behavior:
    • Sleep deprivation: this practice has been used as a torture tactic in Japanese Prisoner of War (POW) camps, Apartheid (South Africa), The British Army, Irish Republican Army (IRA), the US Military as well as cults. The endgame is compliance. This tactic is used to coerce youth into conforming to the ideologies and agenda of the program. 
    • Using food as punishment: Starvation, overfeeding, or force feeding of rotten/moldy food is another tactic that has been used to coerce youth into conforming. In some cases, youth who threw up the food were forced to eat their vomit. 
  • Most fail to provide competent and accredited education for young people. 
  • Denial of access to basic needs: restroom/showers, proper shelter, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, food, cold/warm weather gear, soap, et cetera. 
  • Exploitation:
    • Forced unpaid labor at the facility itself, churches, community center’s, and private businesses. Youth were required to clean or provide services depending on the job description/need. For example, some youth were forced to: build/clean homes/facilities, work at restaurants/churches/stores operated by the programs owners, 
    • At-risk youth’s stories (including traumas, abuse, abortion, drug use, gang activity, self harm, and more) were exploited on radio stations & magazines, for profit to boost revenue for the program. 
    • Youth are brainwashed into promoting the program using punishments to reinforce their submission.
    • Death: At least 145 children have died from avoidable causes at residential facilities over the past 35 years. 
    • Sexual assault, harassment, grooming, and staff/student sexual relationships
    • Physical Abuse: At Circle Of Hope, a girl was chained to a wall, kicked, whipped with a belt and given only bread & water for 2 weeks.

The Solution

Human rights, ADA, & Discrimination Laws need to be enforced effective immediately. Should a youth’s rights be violated, those responsible will be held accountable & prosecuted swiftly. 

A list of commonly violated rights youth in private residential programs according to University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Resource Center, Appendix 5: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

  • Article 1: Right to Equality 
  • Article 2: Freedom from Discrimintation 
  • Article 3: Right to life, liberty & personal security 
  • Article 5: Freedom from torture & degrading treatment
  • Article 12: Freedom from interference with privacy, family, home & correspondence.
  • Article 13: Right to free movement in & out of the country.
  • Article 18: Freedom of belief & religion. 
  • Article 24: Right to rest & leisure. 
  • Article 25: Right to adequate living standards. 
  • Article 26: Right to education.
  • Article 27: Right to participate in the cultural life of a community.
  • Article 30: Freedom from state or personal interference in the above rights.

Implement a YRP Task Force Nationwide

Although oversight is a crucial added measure to help protect at-risk youth in congregate care, abuse and exploitation still does occur in residential youth facilities with oversight. We believe that the implementation of a nationwide task force modeled after Philadelphia’s Youth Residential Placement Task Force (YRP Task Force) can help provide transparency and assure youth’s rights are continued being protected in the future.

The YRP Task Force would have investigative, auditing and community outreach responsibilities as well as have the ability to make abuse and misconduct complaints available to the public on an ongoing basis.

david hess, 16 years old

Philadelphia’s YRP Task Force was established by a City Council resolution in 2018 following the death of David Hess at a residential placement facility. This incident and other cases of harm to young Philadelphians compelled City officials and stakeholders in the child welfare, behavioral health, juvenile justice, and education communities to form this Task Force to accelerate the progress already underway. The City and the Task Force are committed to redoubling efforts to reduce the use of residential placement. And wherever residential placement remains necessary, they are committed to ensuring that residential placement is safe, provides high quality care, and meets youths’ educational needs. 


Enforce State Oversight

States Should Model Oversight After Oregon’s Legislation For Behavioral Health Services: This Step One. State Monitoring by Department of Human Services (DHS) & the Department of Education should be required.

Make the following mandatory:

  • Licensing, certification & credentials 
    • Name/type of agency that licenses program
    • Any licensing actions taken against the program/parent company in the previous 24 months disclosed
  • Documentation & reporting of every incident of abuse or use of force, restraints, medication (or lack of), emotional/sexual or physical assault
  • Make education standards are met by federal and state guidelines
  • Mental health services are given by licensed healthcare professionals.
  • Residential care referral agents must be registered with the Department of Human Services
  • Make all residential referral agents mandatory reporters of child abuse


Enact federal oversight

The American Bar Association urges state, territorial, and tribal legislatures to enact laws that require the licensing, regulating, and monitoring of residential treatment facilities that are not funded by public or government systems, but are privately-operated overnight facilities that offer treatment to at-risk children and youth under age 18 for emotional, behavioral, educational, substance abuse, and social issues and problems, including strenuous athletic, mental health, and tough love programs. This legislation should:

  • Require licensure of, or otherwise regulate, private residential treatment facilities by defining clearly which programs must comply with the statute and impose minimum legal requirements to operate and maintain them, including standards regarding staff qualifications and residents’ physical and emotional safety, educational, mental health, and other treatment needs.
  • Require government monitoring and enforcement of the operational standards outlined in the statute.
  • Promote the preferred use of appropriate in-home and community-based prevention and intervention programs for at-risk children and youth by requiring enhanced governmental support that provides families with better access to these programs.
  • The American Bar Association urges the Congress to enact legislation that would assure the safety of American youth placed not only in U.S-owned, but foreign-based unregulated private residential treatment facilities by requiring U.S. federal agencies to work with foreign governments to monitor such facilities regularly

Pin it for Change campaign map of reported programs provided from SIA-now.org

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