A Mixed Methods Study on Outcomes of The Troubled Teen Industry

• In Event: Unpacking the Troubled Teen Industry—Part 2: Outcomes and Effects of Attendance on Survivors

Abstract

The Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) is a term to describe for-profit, private institutions comprised of therapeutic wilderness camps, residential treatment centers, and therapeutic boarding schools that are advertised as a treatment for youth with mental health concerns, unsavory conduct, neurodivergence, relational issues, substance use, poor grades, sexual expression, or other non-normative behaviors. Parents enroll their children in these programs with the expectation that the program will improve their child's behaviors, grades, mental health, and long-term outcomes. Despite numerous accounts of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, these programs continue to operate (Chatfield, 2019). We are working on a wide-ranging mixed methods study on the outcomes of the Troubled Teen Industry. We are currently in the IRB process and expect to start seeing results within the next year. In addition to that, we are running an advocacy campaign that includes speaking at conferences like the 2025 ASC Annual Meeting.

Authors

• Jake Schefer, Fordham University

• Katie Schendel, Fordham University