S24 Ep1: Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

*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