DISTURBING STATISTICS
Statistics about the Troubled Teen Industry
Disturbing Statistics about the Troubled Teen Industry
Nora Ashleigh Barrie | April 12, 2023
By making love conditional, tough love undermines familial affection, removing the one refuge where people can ordinarily assume they are loved for who they are, not what they do.
― Maia Szalavitz, Help At Any Cost: How the Troubled Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids
Many aspects of the Troubled Teen Industry are incredibly secretive and intentionally hidden from the view of most members of society. These range from the number of children held in Troubled Teen Industry programs to the financial gains made by programs to the number and causes of death of hundreds of children. I have gathered this data over the course of the last two years and thousands of hours spent researching this industry of legalized child abuse, disguised as therapy, for the financial gain of countless individuals, groups, and larger entities.
The Troubled Teen Industry is almost exclusively a problem within the United States. While programs outside of our country exist, there are very few, and almost all of them are owned by umbrella companies of Troubled Teen Industry programs that are based in the United States. For instance, these programs are almost entirely non-existent in any other region of the world, notably, Europe and Australia- other developed regions where it is possible for parents to afford the exorbitant costs associated with these programs.
Troubled Teen Industry Programs in the United States
10,000+
Children in Troubled Teen Industry Programs at Any Given Time
120,000-200,000
Deaths of Children in Troubled Teen Industry Programs Since 1934
315+
Cost per Year for a Troubled Teen Industry Program
$215,000-$480,000
Annual Value of The Troubled Teen Industry
$69 BILLION
In the United States, as of 2022, there are over 10,000 programs within the Troubled Teen Industry. More of those are located in the state of Utah than anywhere else in the world.
10,000+
0
5,000
10,000
7,500
2,500
Troubled Teen Industry Programs in the US
10,500+
Walmart Stores
Worldwide
10,000+
Aldi Stores Worldwide
205,293
250,000
244,989
201,867
202,010
120k-200k
200,000
120k-200k
200,000
150,000
127,108
150,000
120,000
100,000
100,000
50,000
50,000
0
Students in TTI Programs
Population
Waco, TX (2012)
Population
Shreveport, La (2012)
Population
Tacoma, WA (2012)
Population
Montgomery, AL (2012)
0
Students in TTI Programs
2022 Deaths Involving COVID-19
Number of Protesters Present on January 6, 2021
Within these 10,000+ programs in our country, there are anywhere from 120,000 to 200,000 children held at these facilities at any given time.
The cost of Troubled Teen Industry programs is astronomical. Just one day in a program can cost parents, families, and government agencies $500-$1,400.
30 Days
$17,640-$39,450
90 Days
$52,920-$118,350
12 Months
$214,620-$480,000
18 Months
$321,930-$720,000
24 Months
$429,240-$960,000
$588/day
$800/day
$1200/day
$1315/day
$0
$250,000
$500,000
$750,000
$1,000,000
Given the number of children held within Troubled Teen Industry programs every year, how many programs are located within the United States, and how much these programs cost, it is appalling, but unsurprising, that those who run these programs make disturbing amounts of money from this unique form of legalized child abuse every year.
$75 billion
$69 billion
$50 billion
$46 billion
$25 billion
$23 billion
In 2015, the state of Utah saw a positive economic impact of $714 million from the Troubled Teen Industry alone.
*Not all programs in Utah are represented*
$0
Data from 59 Behavioral Programs for Troubled Teens
Government
Funding
Commercial
Payers
TOTAL
$439 mil
Economic Impact of the Toy Industry on Utah
(2015)
$83.4 mil
Economic Impact of the Sundance Film Festival on Utah
(2015)
$714 mil
Total Economic Impact of the Troubled Teen Industry on Utah
(2015)
$22 mil
State & Local Tax Revenue from the Troubled Teen Industry
(2015)
$423 mil
Utah GDP Earnings from the Troubled Teen Industry
(2015)
$296 mil
Utah Earnings from the Troubled Teen Industry
(2015)
$500 million
$250 million
$0
Since 1976, over 300 children have died in Troubled Teen Industry programs, almost exclusively due to preventable causes. Neglect and abuse is rampant in these programs.
Deaths of Children in TTI Programs Since 1976
315/400
The majority of these preventable deaths have occurred in five states: Texas, Florida, Utah, California, and Pennsylvania.
Restraint
Medical Neglect
Suicide
Escape Attempt
Accident
Fight
Overdose
Beating
Car Accident
Homicide
Drowning
Fall
Unknown
Neglect
(not medical)
Hanging
(not suicide)
0
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
6
10
10
20
26
37
27
Texas
(36)
Florida
(26)
Utah
(25)
California
(19)
30
Pennsylvania
(18)
Fall From Vehicle
Hanging
(not suicide)
Beating
Fire
Accident
Car Accident
Drowning
Overdose
Unknown
Fight
Fall
Homicide
Neglect
(not medical)
Escape Attempt
Medical Neglect
Suicide
Restraint
1
1
2
2
Male
Female
Unknown
Transgender
2
3
4
4
5
5
6
8
16
27
57
Preventable causes of death for children in Troubled Teen Industry programs include restraints by undertrained or untrained staff members, suicides where no precautions were taken for students known to be actively suicidal, neglect, both medically-related and not, escape attempts, and more.
74
97
0
25
50
75
100
Although most Troubled Teen Industry programs primarily hold youth aged 13-18, there have been numerous deaths in programs of children aged as young as six.
11
1
0
6
15
60
53
60
44
23
18
7
3
6
0
UNKNOWN
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
60
40
20
3
7
2
6
0
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