The Troubled Teens Industry (TTI) was established for teenagers who struggle with mental health issues, substance abuse, negative behavior, and destructive habits. The idea of having a place just for teens to heal from their issues sounds helpful and positive, however, this would be far from the truth of what these teens had to face while being at these camps.
The Beginning of TTI
TTI advertised itself as an organization aimed to help troubled teens with any issue they may be experiencing. On their website, it lists certified therapists who work with them. However, the way they would pick up the teens for transport across the country is frightening and strange; two random men would come in the middle of the night and forcibly take the resident out of the home to an isolated building far from civilization. When the teens arrived they were told to take off all their clothing and given only one set to last them the week as well as only one roll of toilet paper, ten pads, and ten tampons.
Activities Done at TTI
TTI believed in unusual forms of punishment and ways of transformation among the girls. Nearly every day the girls would walk for miles carrying around a 40lb backpack in 100-degree weather; during this, they were deprived of water and food. The teens would constantly participate in difficult labor if they wanted to eat. In addition, the industry did not believe in personal hygiene so the girls often went months without a shower and when asked if they could have extra menstrual products, the staff denied them the right. If they disobeyed, harsh punishments would be the result; the punishments included physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse.
The girls' communication was cut off from the rest of the world and were far from any populous city so they weren't able to get help from the abusive environment. During the stay, the girls would receive regular education to graduate from high school, they would also learn about religion and how it could help them overcome their problems. Teens who identified under the LGBTQ+ umbrella were especially targeted and sent to conversion therapy to undergo cruel treatment regarding their identity.
Health Impacts
Because of the cruel punishments the girls received while being in camp, many were left with chronic health issues or injuries that have never healed properly. The punishments they experienced often caused broken bones that would be left untreated. The vigorous work they endured also posed many health risks as many would get injured while completing their chores for the day.
When the girls left TTI they were examined by a medical doctor to discover many improperly healed injuries due to poor medical care from the camp. This alarmed parents about what their children experienced during their stay since many stayed for multiple years. Mental health also was an issue as numerous parents reported their child having nightmares or being scared around the house when they returned.
The concern got more intense when signs of sexual abuse and molestation were found on the girls. This enraged many parents as they had been blinded by the attractive goal of TTI which was fabricated to abuse teens.
Teens of Age
The girls would often stay at the camp for years, some up to a decade. The staff would do everything they could to keep the girls at the camp for as long as they could. Many would either run away or wait till they were 18 to leave, however, some stayed longer because the staff would attempt to stop them from leaving, and some stayed till they were in their 20s. Even though the industry couldn't make the girls stay, they continued to threaten the girls if they left but weren't able to stop them if they did. Some girls joined the staff when they were of age either from pressure from counselors or by choice of not knowing anything else from the life they were in for so long.
Many parents reported when teens returned back home that they were more obedient in the house but still carried some destructive behaviors outside of the house. Some even stated the girls were robotic and were often scared or presented PTSD symptoms. This concerned more parents as others were running into the same issue. Following that, the parents did more research and found the truth about the industry. Many sent their children to professional trauma psychiatrists but the girls found it difficult due to their trauma from the abusive therapists they lived with at the camp.
A survey was done to examine the industry and over 90% reported their experience at TTI was either negative or extremely negative. More girls who went to TTI spoke out against its abusive ways of reform and found other victims of TTI to confide in. The National Youth Rights Association got involved after hearing numerous stories and took the cases up to Congress to permanently shut down TTI. Many states are making adjustments not just regarding TTI but child health care in general to ensure the safety of children across the country.
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