Troubled Teen Industry

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

I have never heard of this type of an organised process of dealing with troubled teens.....

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57442175

**********

Troubled US teens left traumatised by tough love camps.

As one of the most famous faces of the 2000s, people think they know the story of Paris Hilton. So, when the 40-year-old released a YouTube documentary about her life last year, many were shocked to learn about her decades-long struggle with trauma.

Hilton tearfully recounted how she was woken up by strangers in her bedroom in the middle of the night as a teenager and forcibly taken across the country. She said her unanswered cries for help repeatedly play out in nightmares which make it difficult to sleep.

Her story, though shocking, is not unique. Hilton is one of thousands of American children sent every year by their parents into a private network of "tough love" residential programmes and schools marketed at reforming their behaviour.

No-one knows how many for sure, because nobody is keeping track.

As a teenager, Daniel suffered anxiety and depression. He was 15 and had recently come out as gay when he self-harmed so severely that he required hospital care. It was in hospital that he was shaken awake in the middle of the night by two men. They told him the process could be easy or hard - depending on how much he resisted. With little fight left in him, Daniel went with the pair. But when he asked a stranger if he could use a telephone to call his parents on a brief stop for food, he says the escorts threatened him with handcuffs.

Daniel was sent to a wilderness programme in Utah where he spent 77 days living outdoors, hiking miles a day on rations. He vividly remembers feeling cold, hungry and dirty for weeks on end and witnessing others attempt to run away and try to take their own lives. Like many others sent to wilderness programmes, he was then enrolled directly into a long-term facility - this time in Montana - where he would spend another 15 months.

**********

Not sure how useful this 'toughening' process is though...

Any views?

Sriram

[Aruntraveller]

Well my first thought was "Only in America".

I recognise that as being both a sweeping generalisation and also largely true.

It's a huge topic to get into. Suffice to say it comes from a feeling of fear, not love.

The issue here (partly at least) is labelling - "troubled teens".

What are the definitions of this?

A child is gay. That doesn't make them troubled necessarily, unless of course, they are living with a less than accepting family. If that is the case, shouldn't we be talking about "troubled parents"?

I don't know the specifics of Paris Hilton's issues so can't comment on those.

It's a shame they don't concentrate more on those "troubled teens" who see it as completely acceptable to carry guns and use them, or sexually abuse their peers without any discernible risk to their liberty. I somehow doubt many of those will get this tough love.

[Roses]

Religion troubled my teens, I am glad I was able to sort it out so it was no longer the problem it was in my youth.

Our own children say they enjoyed their childhood, even though they were expected to abide by rules we thought import.

Our grandchildren, who are all in their teens, don't seem at all troubled, in fact we are so proud as all five of them are doing their best to help other kids and even adults who are not in the same happy state they are in.