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Activism, Humanity, News, Good World

Ending the Troubled Youth Industry’s Reign of Terror

Jlavraie25 contributor
Jlavraie25

Organizations such as #BreakingCodeSilence, and Unsilenced are fighting to bring legislative reform to the industry

Taylor Goodridge, age 17, died under the supervision of the staff at Diamond Ranch Academy in Utah on December 20th. By the time she collapsed and the team attempted to take her to the ER, she had been complaining of severe abdominal pain, constant vomiting, high fevers, and other symptoms for weeks. The circumstances surrounding Taylor's death have brought back to the forefront conversations about the treatment of children and teenagers at Diamond Ranch Academy and youth facilities in general.

As the latest reported instance in a long-standing history of negligence and abuse at these kinds of institutions, Taylor's story pushes parents, lawmakers, and society at large to think about the dire consequences of leaving already vulnerable youth in these camps. It also sparks the conversation around believing women, especially women's pain, and why it continues being undermined — and even weaponized against us.

According to the lawsuit set by Taylor's parents, she died of sepsis after weeks of being denied treatment by the Academy's staff. NBC spoke to seven former staff members who recounted several occasions when Taylor complained of severe pain and several other symptoms to the point of inability to function normally. A lawsuit filed by former students in 2014 pointed out that kids who complained of being sick "were ignored, refused treatment, and even punished for manipulating."

These allegations resemble those made by former staff at the Academy after Taylor's tragic death and point out the culture of silence and neglect at this treatment facility and many others that have seen similar cases throughout the years. The commonplace nature of these kinds of abuse should increase the scrutiny of what's known as the "troubled teen industry;" however, places like these operate in states where they are allowed to work with little oversight and regulation.

Why are places like this allowed to continue operating, even after some have been amassing lawsuits and complaints for years? Most of the time, it comes down to the high demand from parents who don't believe there's a better way to deal with their children. In reality, this is not the only way so many children and teenagers end up in this unjust system. The American Bar Association (ABA) lists other vital sources of demand: "state and local governments can pay these programs to take youths from their foster care and juvenile justice systems; school districts can place youth through their individualized education programs; refugee resettlement agencies can place youth; or they can be placed by mental health providers."

This industry, which is highly unregulated, receives an estimated “23 billion dollars of annual public funds to purportedly treat the behavioral and psychological needs of vulnerable youth." Highlighting the economic and political leverage at play, especially in conservative-leaning states.

The National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) describes these facilities as places where young people are sent against their will to control their behavior. Sometimes the behaviors in question can range from talking back and video game use to entitlement and drug abuse, all behaviors that can be corrected with adequate counseling in a positive environment. These disciplinary interventions, which in many cases resort to isolation and physical and mental abuse, are known to not only be ineffective in correcting potentially damaging behaviors, but can also cause irreversible damage to the young people forced into these programs.

Even though the panorama seems grim, there are organizations and advocates, one of them being Paris Hilton, who have been spotlighting the damaging, and sometimes fatal consequences of placing young people in these facilities. Organizations such as #BreakingCodeSilence, and Unsilenced are fighting to bring legislative reform to the troubled teen industry and help give a voice to the victims. Although the road to actual change and enacted laws is long and arduous, the information these organizations provide and their activism is an invaluable tool for parents and legal guardians who have considered this as an option.

Sources:

#law #Activism #youth

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