I am getting more and more upset by the growing number of "troubled teen" ranches and boot camps in states like Utah, Idaho, Texas, and Montana.
I work with adolescents and young adults as a mentor and counselor and it seems more and more of them have been to these programs. Let me make clear, I do not think every single one of these programs is awful, but a lot of them are. More than that, they are dangerous.
These programs, a huge industry that is getting bigger by the minute, often believe in using any means necessary to "break down" a child physically and emotionally. They cut the teens off completely from their friends and families. Dozens of deaths have been reported.
There is a woman who has done some remarkable reporting about these programs. Her name is Maia Szalavitz and she has a very informative website called Help At Any Cost (LINK). She also has a book by the same name (AMAZON.COM).
Let me emphasize that I know there are a lot of parents out there who are feeling helpless these days. It seems there are a lot of teens that are out of control and it's hard to know what to do. However, I think parents have to do a lot more homework before putting their kids in one of these places.
