Still shackled in the land of liberty: denying children the right to be safe from abusive "treatment".

The troubled-teen industry has come under federal scrutiny after over a decade of reported abuses and the reported deaths of at least 10 children. This article provides a brief overview of the development of the troubled-teen industry, addresses the thorny issue of parents' right to send their children to these facilities vis-a-vis the rights of their children, and argues that nurses and other health professionals have a collective obligation to speak out against them in the strongest possible terms. Suggestions for action by nurses are proposed that could protect vulnerable children against this continuous cycle of institutionalized child abuse masquerading as therapy.