So because people had negative experiences in programs that existed 20-30 years ago, it makes it impossible that newer contemporary programs might offer something those people unfortunately did not receive? For me it's amusing that people who went to programs decades ago telling me that it's impossible I went to a program, or that I was abused but am programmed to say otherwise. As if time stands still in programs, and the experience of those in long shuttered programs of lore, somehow represents the average experience today. Contemporary programs, and wilderness programs exist because parents wants them.
It's not a scam, the parents pay a lot of money because they feel it's needed. To call it a marketing scam, simplifies an entire industry, and ignores so much of the reality of issues facing families dealing with troubled teens. Parents pay good money for programs because they are needed, and for the most part effective. Sure, some bad things happen in programs. It seems fairly rare that these negative events happen, and judging by the population here on fornits, was more common in programs that existed decades ago. It's time to accept the fact that programs have evolved into an effective and safe option for parents dealing with a troubled teen.