Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

Season 24, Episode 1,   Jul 10, 04:07 AM

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Season 24 of Something Was Wrong shares the harrowing truths of institutional child abuse through powerful interviews with survivors of wilderness therapy programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and other institutions around the world.

These firsthand accounts expose an alarming pattern of abuse, neglect, and trauma disguised as treatment, alongside testimony from parents who entrusted these programs with their children. With expert insights from leading voices in the children’s rights advocacy space and adolescent mental health, Season 24 explores how programs have operated in the shadows for decades and why their harmful practices continue today.

*Content warning: distressing topics, death, child abuse, child sex abuse, psychological and physical violence, cultic abuse, torture, addiction, humiliation, systemic abuse, religious abuse. 

Maia Szalavitz’s website:  maiasz.com/

Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids here: maiasz.com/books/help-at-any-cost/ 

*Sources:
Asheville Academy faces $45,000 in fines after state investigation into child safety violations, Spectrum Local News spectrumlocalnews.com/charlotte/supreme-court/news/2025/06/18/asheville-academy-violations 

Asheville Academy Gives Up Its License Following Two Suicides in May, Asheville News asheville.com/news/2025/06/asheville-academy-gives-up-its-license-following-two-suicides-in-may/

Asheville Academy violated NC law, will face fines after child suicides report says, Yahoo News .yahoo.com/news/asheville-academy-violated-nc-law-184725552.html 

BHAD BHABIE - Breaking Code Silence - Turn About Ranch abuse Dr. Phil | Danielle Bregoli youtube.com/watch?v=GteqbsYGv1I 

Bhad Bhabie Says She Was Abused at Troubled-Teen Camp She Was Sent to by Dr. Phil: 'No Sympathy', People people.com/music/bhad-bhabie-says-she-was-abused-camp-she-was-sent-to-dr-phil 

Breaking Code Silence Takes On the Troubled Teen Industry, Treatment Magazine treatmentmagazine.com/breaking-code-silence-takes-on-the-troubled-teen-industry/ 

A Death in the Desert, Los Angeles Times latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-15-tm-20285-story.html 

Dr. Phil Has Responded To Bhad Bhabie's Allegations Of Abuse And Then She Replied With Another Video, BuzzFeed buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/dr-phil-responds-to-bhad-bhabie-allegations 

Dr. Phil responds to 'Bhad Bhabie' claims of abuse at troubled teen camp, News Nation facebook.com/watch/?v=2501186526842381 

Cults and the Law, ICSA articles3.icsahome.com/articles/cults-and-the-law

The Cult that Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry, Mother Jones motherjones.com/politics/2007/08/cult-spawned-tough-love-teen-industry/

Ex-Counselor Convicted of Neglect, Desert News deseret.com/1996/11/7/19275546/ex-counselor-convicted-of-neglect/

Father Sues Challenger Over Daughter's Death, Desert News deseret.com/1991/7/24/18932325/father-sues-challenger-over-daughter-s-death/ 

Five Facts About the Troubled Teen Industry, American Bar Association  americanbar.org/groups/litigation/resources/newsletters/childrens-rights/five-facts-about-troubled-teen-industry/ 

Former North Star Counselor Sentences to a Year in Jail, Desert News deseret.com/1996/12/21/19284306/former-north-star-counselor-sentenced-to-a-year-in-jail/ 

Here’s what Paris Hilton says about Utah in her new memoir, ‘Paris’, The Salt Lake Tribune sltrib.com/news/2023/03/14/heres-what-paris-hilton-says-about/ 

House passes bill backed by Paris Hilton to reform youth treatment facilities, AP News
apnews.com/article/paris-hilton-child-abuse-youth-facilities-congress-8729a53bbf17b25ae2726040ce3cc203 

Jury Acquits Cartisano of All Charges, Desert News deseret.com/1992/5/28/18986401/jury-acquits-cartisano-of-all-charges-br/ 

Keeping 'Cult' Out of the Case, Cult Education Institute  culteducation.com/group/1274-straight-inc/19713-keeping-cult-out-of-the-case.html 

KIDS Centers of America, Breaking Code Silence breakingcodesilence.org/kids-centers-of-america/

Lawsuit claims staff at former St. George youth center abused, impregnated teenage girls, KUTV kutv.com/news/local/lawsuit-claims-staff-at-former-st-george-youth-center-abused-impregnated-teenage-girls 

Nine charged after teen's camp death, Tampa Bay Times tampabay.com/archive/1994/10/20/nine-charged-after-teen-s-camp-death/ 

One school with an alarming death rate has its alumni fighting for answers, The Independent the-independent.com/news/long_reads/new-york-hancock-school-overdose-death-suicide-education-america-a8531006.html  

Paris Hilton’s Powerful Speech in DC: Ending Abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry, Paris Hilton youtube.com/watch?v=HcHXWc7N2xc   

Paris Hilton testifying today in Sacramento for bill aimed at ‘troubled teen industry’, Los Angeles Times latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-04/paris-hilton-sacramento-california-bill-troubled-teen-industry-residential-treatment 

The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping https://www.netflix.com/title/81579761

Rebecca Ehrlich vs. Kids of North Jersey, Inc., et al law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-published/2001/a4975-99-opn.html

Residential treatment school closes in NC after deaths of 2 girls, AP News
apnews.com/article/therapy-school-closes-north-carolina-asheville-academy-9854c3ca7cda11cc06f05d9fccef4112 

Romney Cans Golden Goose Over Abuse, Radar Online radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/10/mitt-romney-robert-lichfield-php  

Romney, Torture, and Teens, Reason Foundation reason.com/2007/06/27/romney-torture-and-teens 

Senate report says US taxpayers help fund residential treatment facilities that put vulnerable kids at risk, OPB opb.org/article/2024/06/12/senate-report-us-taxpayers-fund-residential-treatment-facilities-that-put-vulnerable-kids-at-risk/ 

State investigation finds licensing violations at Asheville Academy amid student suicides, ABC 13 News wlos.com/news/local/asheville-academy-state-licensing-violations-student-suicides-north-carolina-department-health-human-services-mental-health-certification-section-report-letter-buncombe-county-weaverville 

Survival program charged in death of Fla. teen-ager, Tampa Bay Times tampabay.com/archive/1990/08/15/survival-program-charged-in-death-of-fla-teen-ager

The Synanon Case, IRS.gov https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicb90.pdf   

Teen Torture Inc. Is the Latest Documentary to Explore Abuses at Youth Treatment Centers, Time time.com/6997172/teen-torture-max-abuse-documentary 

This 1970s Cult Inspired Abusive Teen Rehabilitation Methods Still Used Today, Teen Vogue teenvogue.com/story/this-1970s-cult-inspired-abusive-teen-rehabilitation-methods-still-used-today  

How the Brainwashing Label Threatened and Enabled the Troubled-Teen Industry, Journal of American Studies researchgate.net/publication/379883774_To_Use_This_Word_Would_Be_Absurd_How_the_Brainwashing_Label_Threatened_and_Enabled_the_Troubled-Teen_Industry 

Troubled-teen industry oversight bill sails through Congress, NBC News yahoo.com/news/troubled-teen-industry-oversight-bill-222536418.html  

The Troubled Teen Industry’s Troubling Lack of Oversight, Penn Carey Law
law.upenn.edu/live/news/15963-the-troubled-teen-industrys-troubling-lack-of 

The Troubled Teen Industry Timeline unsilenced.org/troubled-teen-industry-timeline/

Virgil Miller Newton, Surviving Straight Inc. survivingstraightinc.com/MillerNewton/MillerNewtonTimeline.pdf 

Unexpected Turn Of Events With Teen After Appearance On ‘Dr. Phil’ youtube.com/watch?v=L_kiav0p5Iw 

Utah Criminal Code le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter5/76-5-S206.html

What You Need to Know About the Troubled Teen Industry, The Law Offices of Lisa Kane Brown lisakanebrown.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-troubled-teen-industry 

WWASP, Unsilenced https://www.unsilenced.org/timeline/wwasp/ 

Why has the USA not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?, medRxiv medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.05.24312304v2.full 

Wyden Investigation Exposes Systemic Taxpayer-Funded Child Abuse and Neglect in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities, United States Senate Committee on Finance 
finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-investigation-exposes-systemic-taxpayer-funded-child-abuse-and-neglect-in-youth-residential-treatment-facilities 

3 Plead Guilty to Negligence in Teen's Death, Desert News deseret.com/1996/9/28/19268520/3-plead-guilty-to-negligence-in-teen-s-death/ 

*SWW S24 Theme Song - U Think U by Glad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ 

The S24 cover art is by the Amazing Sara Stewart