Skip to content 
When Netflix released Wayward in 2025, millions of viewers were shocked to learn how “therapeutic boarding schools” and “wilderness programs” could hide systematic abuse under the guise of treatment. The show, though fictional, was inspired by real accounts from survivors of what has come to be known as the troubled teen industry (TTI).
The TTI is a vast, loosely regulated network of private programs that reform struggling youth through strict discipline, isolation, and “behavioral modification.”
The truth is, Wayward only scratches the surface. For decades, survivors have been telling similar, alarming stories of emotional torment, physical punishment, neglect, and in some instances sexual abuse inside programs marketed to desperate parents as effective therapeutic behavior-modification for their children.
TTI refers to a web of private residential treatment centers, boot camps, and wilderness therapy programs designed for teens with behavioral or emotional struggles. The programs often charge families tens of thousands of dollars for months of so-called therapeutic care.
But many of these institutions have deep roots in controversial practices that began in the mid-20th century. Their methods trace back to Synanon, a California cult founded in 1958 that developed confrontational “attack therapy” sessions. Synanon inspired later programs such as CEDU Educational Services, founded in 1967, which combined rigid control, humiliation-based therapy, and long-term isolation under the promise of “emotional growth.”
By the 1980s and 1990s, the TTI had become a multi-billion-dollar industry, with thousands of programs across the U.S. and abroad. Parents were told their children would be guided toward self-discipline and sobriety. Instead, countless teens endured physical abuse, forced labor, food deprivation, verbal degradation, prolonged solitary confinement, and sexual misconduct.
According to Unsilenced, a non-profit dedicated to ending institutional child abuse within the TTI, in their most recent accounting, over 120,000 children were in the more than 5,000 TTI facilities, which have been the scene of more than 350 deaths.
Survivor accounts, congressional reports, and investigative journalism paint a grim picture of systemic cruelty disguised as treatment.
Teens were often taken from their homes in the middle of the night by hired “transport agents”, shackled or handcuffed, and delivered to remote wilderness camps or locked boarding schools. Once inside, communication with family was severely limited or monitored.
Common forms of abuse included:
Physical punishment such as forced exercise, sleep deprivation, and exposure to extreme temperatures.
Psychological manipulation through humiliation sessions or “hot seat” confrontations.
Sexual misconduct and assault, often by staff members who faced little to no accountability.
Medical neglect, sometimes resulting in preventable deaths.
Many programs used cult-like tactics to suppress complaints. They enforced silence, cutting off contact with parents, and discouraging outside medical attention.
The TTI has operated under various names and corporate structures, often rebranding after public scandals or state investigations. Some of the most well-known programs include:
CEDU Schools (California, Idaho, and others): Among the earliest and most infamous, CEDU’s “emotional growth” model used public humiliation, isolation, and forced confessions. Several students, including Daniel Yuen, vanished under suspicious circumstances.
Aspen Education Group (nationwide): Once one of the largest private operators, Aspen ran dozens of wilderness and boarding programs through the 1990s and 2000s. Lawsuits accused Aspen of wrongful deaths, neglect, and widespread abuse (detailed below).
Sequel Youth & Family Services (multi-state): This for-profit company operated dozens of facilities across the country and became the subject of investigations and closures following reports of staff-on-youth violence and sexual assault.
Provo Canyon School (Utah): Long accused of abuse and forced sedation, it gained renewed attention when Paris Hilton publicly described her trauma there, leading to Utah state reforms in 2021.
Utah has become synonymous with the troubled teen industry. Its rural geography, low regulatory barriers, and reputation for youth rehabilitation programs made it a prime destination for operators seeking to avoid stricter oversight in other states.
For decades, hundreds of private programs flourished in Utah’s mountains and deserts, marketing themselves as therapeutic “second chances.” Many teens were flown in from other states or escorted across state lines without their parents ever visiting the facility in person.
Among Utah’s better-known programs were Aspen Achievement Academy, Island View Residential Treatment Center, and Turn-About Ranch. Former residents have described being restrained, starved, and psychologically terrorized. TTI staff justified these inhumane methodologies as “treatment.”
Utah lawmakers finally began to act after survivors, including Hilton and advocacy group Unsilenced.org, testified in 2021 hearings. New legislation now requires programs to document restraints, bans denial of food and water as punishment, and mandates regular state inspections.
Still, oversight remains inconsistent. Dozens of facilities have closed or rebranded since, but others continue to operate under new corporate names.
While many survivors have filed lawsuits, most settlements have been reached confidentially, meaning the public rarely learns the full scope of abuse or the size of payouts. The secrecy is often due to nondisclosure agreements that protect the institutions involved, including:
Aspen Education Group (AEG):
Brendan Blum wrongful death (2007): In 2011, Aspen settled after the 14-year-old died from a preventable illness at a Utah facility. Staff allegedly isolated him and failed to seek medical care.
Matthew Meyer wrongful death (2006): A 14-year-old boy died of heatstroke after being forced to hike in extreme heat at Aspen’s Lone Star Expeditions. The family’s wrongful death lawsuit was later settled out of court.
Mt. Bachelor Academy (Oregon, 2010): Aspen and its parent company CRC Health Group reached a settlement with state authorities, acknowledging “reasonable cause” to believe abuse occurred. The academy closed permanently in 2009.
Utah and the Ongoing Wave of Litigation:
Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Utah-based facilities, including Provo Canyon School, Sequel programs, and smaller wilderness camps, alleging sexual abuse, physical assault, and negligent oversight. Many are still pending, while others have been dismissed due to expired statutes of limitation.
Despite decades of reports and reform attempts, the troubled teen industry continues to thrive in part because of minimal federal regulation. Oversight is left largely to the states, and most lack comprehensive licensing or monitoring systems.
Programs often relocate across state lines when investigations begin, or simply change names and ownership to continue operating. In many cases, law enforcement and child protective services have been slow to act, leaving survivors without recourse until they reach adulthood.
Survivors themselves have been the driving force behind recent change. Organizations such as the previously-mentioned, Unsilenced.org have documented decades of abuse, built public archives of closed programs, and connected survivors with journalists and legislators.
Celebrity survivors like Paris Hilton have used their platforms to push for stronger laws, while grassroots groups have organized protests and storytelling campaigns under hashtags like #BreakingCodeSilence.
In addition, federal lawmakers have proposed legislation to establish national safety standards for youth residential programs, including bans on physical restraints, forced isolation, and transportation without consent. Although progress has been slow, the public pressure continues to grow.
Survivors of abuse within the troubled teen industry may be eligible to pursue civil claims, even if the facility has since closed or the abuse occurred years ago. Possible claims include:
Negligence or wrongful death
Physical or sexual assault
Fraud and misrepresentation
False imprisonment
Emotional distress
SurvivorsRights.com primarily connects survivors of sexual abuse and assault with experienced attorneys. However, we also partner with law firms representing individuals who endured physical, psychological, or institutional abuse in settings like boarding schools, wilderness programs, and residential treatment centers.
If you or your loved one suffered harm in a so-called “troubled teen” program, it may still be possible to seek justice through compensation, public accountability, or both.
The release of Wayward has reminded the world that what happens behind the closed doors of youth “rehabilitation” programs deserves scrutiny. For survivors, every story told and every lawsuit filed represents a step toward validation and reform.
After years of silence, the truth is finally being heard: the troubled teen industry is not about research-backed, effective treatment. Instead, it’s about control and profit for the corporations that run these insidious programs. The result is trauma. But thankfully, survivors are the ones reclaiming that narrative.
To see if you have a potential legal case, the first step is to complete the confidential, secure form below.
The Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) refers to a network of private, for-profit programs marketed to parents of “at-risk” youth. These include residential treatment centers, wilderness therapy camps, therapeutic boarding schools, and boot camps. While they promise to reform or rehabilitate teens, many have faced allegations of emotional, physical, and even sexual abuse.
Yes. Wilderness therapy programs are a major branch of the TTI. They remove teens from their homes and place them in remote natural environments, often with little oversight or medical supervision. Although marketed as therapeutic, many survivors have reported harsh conditions, coercion, and neglect that caused long-lasting trauma.
In many cases, yes. Survivors may be able to file civil lawsuits for negligence, assault, fraud, or wrongful death even if the program has since closed. Some states have extended or reopened “lookback windows” that allow survivors to pursue justice decades later. Speaking with an attorney experienced in institutional abuse cases is the best way to understand your options.
Estimates vary, but advocacy groups and watchdog organizations place the U.S. TTI’s value in the billions of dollars, with tens of thousands of teens enrolled each year. Despite growing scrutiny and program closures, new facilities continue to open under rebranded names or different corporate structures.
You can start by filling out the confidential, secure contact form on this page.
References:
The Hollywood Reporter. “A Closer Look at the Real-Life Inspiration in Netflix’s ‘Wayward.” October 14, 2025.
Biography. “Netflix’s ‘Wayward’ Is Inspired by a Real-Life Cult Whose Members Played a Twisted Therapy Game.” October 13, 2025.
Rolling Stone. “How Troubled Teens Became a Billion-Dollar Industry.” January 7, 2024.
The Regulatory Review (University of Pennsylvania Law). “The Troubled Teen Industry’s Troubling Lack of Oversight.” June 27, 2023.
APM Reports. “Under Scrutiny, Company That Claimed to Help Troubled Youth Closes Many Operations and Sells Others.” April 26, 2022.
APM Reports. “Embattled Sequel Closes Three More Facilities.” February 10, 2021.
National Disability Rights Network. “Desperation Without Dignity: Conditions of Children Placed in For-Profit Residential Facilities.” October 14, 2021.
The Imprint. “Federal Watchdogs Find Widespread Abuse at Youth Residential Programs.” November 2, 2021.
Los Angeles Magazine. “Suspect No. 1: Inside Daniel Yuen’s Missing Person Case.” March 1, 2023.
Type Investigations. Public Statement Regarding Mt. Bachelor Academy Settlement. September 28, 2010. [PDF].
U.S. House of Representatives. “Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse at Private Residential Treatment Facilities.” October 10, 2007.
Education Law Center: “Chester County Intermediate Unit Approves $3 Million Settlement in Glen Mills Schools Class Action Suit to Benefit Former Students.” January 2023.
Arizona Superior Court. Doe v. Spring Ridge Academy. [PDF]
APM Reports. “More citations and new concerns follow Utah’s increased oversight of troubled-teen industry.” April 12, 2022.
Deseret News. “Paris Hilton pushed Utah lawmakers to reform ‘trouble teen’ centers…. ” October 20, 2021.
The Salt Lake Tribune. “How Utah became the leading place to send the nation’s troubled teens,” April 5, 2022.
United States Senate Finance Committee. “Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: Examining Failures and Evaluating Solutions,” interim report, 2024.