The “Troubled Teen” Industry and Companies Operating in that Industry Face Lawsuits

Dealing with troubled teenagers is extremely challenging. As a result, an entire industry has sprung up to provide options for parents struggling to get their teens on the right path. However, the “troubled teen” industry is increasingly facing lawsuits for abusing and neglecting young residents.

What is the troubled teen industry?

The term “troubled teen industry” refers to a collection of for-profit programs, schools, camps, and therapeutic facilities that claim to provide treatment and rehabilitation for teenagers with behavioral, emotional, or psychological issues. These programs often target parents seeking help for their children who may be struggling with issues such as substance abuse, mental health disorders, defiance, or academic problems.

The troubled teen industry includes a variety of programs, such as:

• Boot camps: Military-style camps that use strict discipline and physical training to instill obedience and structure.
• Wilderness therapy programs: Outdoor programs that use survival skills and nature-based activities to promote personal growth and self-reliance.
• Residential treatment centers (RTCs): Live-in facilities that provide therapeutic and educational services in a structured environment.
• Therapeutic boarding schools: Schools that combine academics with therapy and counseling for long-term treatment.
• Behavior modification programs: Programs that use a system of rewards and punishments to change behavior.

While some of these programs may offer legitimate help, the troubled teen industry has faced significant criticism and controversy, including:

• Lack of regulation: Many programs operate with minimal oversight, leading to concerns about safety and efficacy.
• Abuse allegations: Numerous reports of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse have surfaced, with some facilities being accused of neglect and mistreatment.
• Questionable practices: Some programs use harsh and punitive methods, including isolation, restraint, and deprivation, which can be traumatic for participants.
• Inadequate professional staff: Some programs employ staff without proper credentials or training to handle the complex needs of troubled teens.

Due to these issues, the industry has faced calls for greater regulation, transparency, and accountability to ensure the safety and well-being of the teenagers in their care. Experienced lawyers are assisting with lawsuits filed by those who have been abused.

Types of abuse teens suffer during treatment

Teens in treatment programs might be at risk for various types of abuse, including:

Physical abuse

• Excessive use of force: Teens may be held in restraints or endure physical punishments that lead to injuries or physical pain.
• Assault: Beatings, slapping, or other forms of physical aggression by staff are not uncommon at certain facilities.
• Excessive physical demands: Grueling physical activities without adequate rest or nutrition can cause teens to sustain exhaustion or injury.

Emotional and psychological abuse

• Verbal abuse: Troubled teens may be forced to endure insults, threats, yelling, and derogatory comments.
• Humiliation: Public shaming, degrading tasks, or ridicule are methods that some facilities use to “break” teens and change their behaviors.
• Isolation: Solitary confinement or prolonged periods of isolation from peers and family can be extremely harmful to teens in treatment.
• Manipulation: Some centers use emotional blackmail, gaslighting or create dependency on staff to control troubled teens.

Sexual abuse

• Inappropriate touching: Some teens endure unwanted physical contact or sexual advances by staff or other residents while in treatment.
• Sexual assault: Rape or coerced sexual activities are common at some treatment facilities.
• Exploitative relationships: When inappropriately hired or supervised, some staff are permitted to engage in inappropriate relationships with young residents.

Neglect

• Medical neglect: Some centers fail to provide necessary medical care or medication to residents away from their families.
• Nutritional neglect: Providing inadequate food or water can lead to malnutrition or dehydration at teen treatment centers.
• Hygiene neglect: Denial of basic hygiene needs such as showers, clean clothes, or sanitary products is extremely harmful to teens who are struggling.

Provision of alcohol/drugs

• There are many accounts of counselors or employees of these facilities sharing drugs/alcohol with a teen sent to facility for care

Financial abuse

• Overcharging: Parents may be charged excessive fees for services, leading to financial strain on families.
• Exploitation: Poorly run centers may require residents to work without proper compensation or confiscate their personal funds.

Rights violations

• Deprivation of communication: Restricting or monitoring communication with family and friends deprives residents of their right to vital communications with loved ones.
• Violation of privacy: Invasive searches, monitoring, or lack of personal space invades the privacy of teen residents.
• Denial of education: Some facilities harm teens intellectually by providing inadequate educational opportunities or resources.

These abuses can have long-lasting effects on the mental and physical health of teenagers, leading to issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trust issues. Due to these concerns, there have been increasing calls for stricter regulations, oversight, and accountability within the troubled teen industry.

Lawsuits filed against teen treatment centers cite abuse

Lawsuits are being filed against teen treatment centers alleging negligence, recklessness, false advertising, and medical malpractice. Here are some examples:

• May 2024. Fourteen individuals are suing a Michigan youth detention center, alleging they were sexually abused at the facility when they were teens. The lawsuit alleges that residents were improperly restrained, hit, choked, handcuffed to beds, and subjected to unwelcome sexual advances and requests for sexual favors from a supervisor. According to the lawsuits, multiple allegations of sexual abuse were reported to employees of the center over the years but were not followed up on. The center closed permanently in 2021.
• March 2022. Twenty-six former residents sued a Utah teen treatment center, alleging staff mistreatment. The lawsuit charges that the staff used harmful group therapy strategies, shamed youth for conveying their sexuality, placed residents in physical restraints, and made them take unnecessary medication. The complaint alleges that the program used a referral scheme where it paid education consultants to recommend the center to parents with struggling children. The center closed in July 2022.
• November 2020. A lawsuit was filed against Trinity Teen Solutions, a residential treatment center in Powell, Wyoming, alleging that the ranch owners abused and human trafficked residents and required them to engage in forced labor. According to the complaint, the teens were forced to work long hours without compensation, were threatened with food and sleep deprivation, and suffered physical punishment and emotional abuse. In October 2023, the court certified the lawsuit as a class action.

Did your child suffer abuse while in an inpatient behavioral treatment facility? McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC fights on behalf of victims of abuse, sexual assault, and neglect in residential treatment facilities in South Carolina and partners with local counsel in other states. If your child has been harmed, we want to help. Call us or fill out our contact form to schedule your free initial case evaluation today.