THE EXPLOITED TEEN INDUSTRY :
An Avoidable National Nightmare
The death of a child is a tragedy . We would like to believe that even one death would trigger action and meaningful oversight . Unfortunately , however , that is rarely the case . The Exploited Teen Industry is a mélange of for-profit and nonprofit organizations that promise miraculous fixes to perceived behavioral issues in children ; but they often deliver only heartache , trauma , abuse , and even death .
The industry is a breeding ground for the same type of abuses we commonly find in programs hiding behind principles of trinity , reform , or rehabilitation . A perfect environment has been created of nonregulation , money , and vulnerable adolescents . Indeed , the problems are worse in this industry than other systematic abuse cases , because abusers and negligent officials often blame the child and point to previous acts of defiance , waywardness , or instability as excuses to discredit a child ’ s account of his / her abuse .
The Dozier School For Boys
The Exploited Teen Industry ’ s roots date back over 100 years in the United States . While it is impossible to place an exact number , hundreds of children are confirmed to have died or been killed while in the care of the many programs or facilities . One example of these facilities gone terribly wrong can be seen in the Arthur G . Dozier School for Boys in Marianna , Florida .
The Arthur G . Dozier School was a “ reformatory ” school operating from 1900 to 2011 . More than 80 children are known to have been killed or died in the facility . Several of these children are still buried in unmarked graves at the nowdefunct facility . Children were sent to Dozier for anything from smoking at school to juvenile criminal activity .
Many of Dozier ’ s survivors are now grown . Some call themselves “ The White House Boys ”. The White House was an infamous building on the Dozier campus . In this building , savage beatings and sexual assaults were carried out on countless children . Survivors recount “ blood on the walls , bits of lip or tongue on the pillow , the smell of urine and whiskey , the way the bed springs sang with each blow . The way they cried out for Jesus or mama .” The State of Florida issued a formal apology to survivors in 2017 and dedicated a memorial in early 2023 .
The pursuit of justice for the atrocities of Dozier has been hard fought , and victory remains elusive . None of the children deserved the abhorrent conditions they endured and the brutality that was inflicted upon them . Disturbingly , Dozier is not a one-off case of bad actors or an antiquated relic — it is but one participant in the Exploited Teen Industry .
Government Studies Document Abuse And Neglect
In 2008 , the Government Accountability Office released a case study on the Exploited Teen industry . The study “ Residential
50 x The Trial Lawyer
Programs : Selected Cases of Death , Abuse , and Deceptive Marketing ” detailed the deaths of children , as young as 14 , who died of dehydration , heat stroke , acute infections , severed arteries , and suicide within the institutions that were meant to protect and assist them .
A 2021 report by National Disability Rights Network gave an overview of the harm typically caused in the industry including those caused by restraint and seclusion , overuse and misuse of psychiatric medication , chemical restraint , and behavior management . The report went on to discuss the disadvantages in education faced by children in these facilities , the chronic staff shortages of employees paid minimum wage , and the abhorrent facility conditions . Some of the children lacked access to clean water and proper sanitation , were inadequately fed , faced insect and vermin infestations , and were in residence halls with blood and feces on the walls and floor .
Industry Profits Persist
Despite the documented atrocities , there has been no meaningful change or federal legislation . In fact , since the release of the 2008 study , profitability of the industry has soared . In 2017 , Sequel , one of the largest for-profit companies in this industry , boasted that its presence extended into 19 states , covering approximately 9,000 children , with an estimated company value of $ 423.3 million . According to a 2021 article published by the American Bar Association , it is estimated between 120,000 – 200,000 young people reside in some type of “ troubled teen ” facility and an estimated $ 23 billion of public funds are spent in this area .
Pain And Suffering Run Rampant
Unfortunately , the only thing as pervasive as the profits made by Sequel is the scope of harm suffered by children held at Sequel facilities . An investigation into Sequel by the investigative journalism unit of American Public Media , APM Reports , found 20 documented cases since 2010 wherein staff engaged in sexual or romantic relationships with residents . Further , APM journalists compiled more than 8,600 emergency calls from Sequel facilities in 18 states — more than 1000 of which reported runaways . There were also at least seven riots at Sequel facilities .
St . Johns Youth Academy Riots One such riot occurred at St . Johns Youth Academy in St . Augustine , Florida in October 2022 . The riot was caused when two staffers began a verbal altercation about the level of juvenile allowed into a hallway and each staffer released her juveniles . Allegations of staff allowing fights and sexual relationships between staff and the children were also reported .
The contract with the private provider was ended following the riot and a statement from the Florida Department of