What are your thoughts on troubled teen camps/programs?
This is an issue that has intrigued me for quite some time yet also given me a headache and heartache when I think about it. The troubled teen industry apparently is worth 23 billion dollars. Theoretically, the idea of a troubled teen camp should sound good. I'm not only referring to conversion therapy camps for LGBTQ individuals(Realistically, a federal ban on this should have been implemented a long time ago) but more so situations where A struggling teen with behavioral issues related to drugs/alcohol,etc would be sent away from home to hopefully learn some life skills, get some tough love, and come back a better person. This "therapy" occurs mostly in rural areas of the country. However, there have been numerous accounts exposing lots of these camps as verbally, physically, and even sexually abusive. There has also been lots of suspicious deaths that have occurred at these places. The accusations of abuse and neglect have gotten so bad that people are calling for them to be subject to stronger regulation by the federal government (even if they do not accept federal funding) , or even outright banned.
So, I ask my fellow liberals, progressives, conservatives, etc: How should we deal with this issue, one that has steadily gotten worse over the last few decades and is only attracting more and more controversy?
Dark Forest: A Look Inside Controversial Wilderness Therapy Camps – Sierra Nevada Ally
Hell Camp: The History Behind the Troubled Teen Industry
The Troubled Teen Industry’s Troubling Lack of Oversight | The Regulatory Review