Wilderness Therapy Program Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Wilderness therapy is offered for both adults and minors, but there’s no denying that most of the programs are focused on teens. Specifically, these programs are offered as an alternative treatment options for addiction and mental health / behavior issues, which are very common in teenagers. The programs like to bill themselves as outdoor behavioral therapy, which gives them an air of legitimacy.

The appeal of wilderness therapy is understandable, especially for those who have sought multiple doctors, therapists, and rehab centers to help with whatever is causing them to suffer. While each program is different, they generally involve camping and other outdoor activities that are supposed to have therapeutic benefits.

However, most experts in the field of psychology and substance abuse do not recommend wilderness therapy to their patients. This is based on the fact that there is little to no credible studies that show how effective these programs are for the participants. Plus, there are dangerous accidents that can happen when people – particularly children – are placed in the wilderness with inadequate supervision or staff that lack the needed experience

Another problem is how these programs attract predatory individuals, like child molesters. It’s easier to groom and manipulate those with mental health issues into a sexual relationship, for one thing. And as we mentioned before, the lack of supervision at many of these programs makes it easy to sexually abuse camp participants, whether it’s in the form of sexual harassment or assault. Even worse, a lot of program administrators do virtually nothing when they are told of allegations or suspicious conduct among their employees. As a result, we are finding that more and more wilderness therapy patients are speaking out on the abuse they suffered.

Overall, therapeutic camping, nature camps, and other forms of wilderness therapy have a bad reputation when it comes to safety and security measures. There are plenty of incidents where children as young as 12 were severely injured or killed due to negligence by the adults who were supposed to look after them.

Negligence also plays a role in campers being physically and sexually abused, and the fact is, most of these incidents could have been prevented. Here are just some of the ways that wilderness therapy programs can protect their participants:

• Hiring workers with the right certifications or experience working with the population that’s being targeted by the program.
• Ensuring that workers are thoroughly screened (criminal background check, for example) before they are hired.
• Providing consistent supervision and making sure staff members that are found breaking the rules are held accountable (suspension, firing, etc.).
• Contacting law enforcement contacted immediately if there are allegations and/or signs of an inappropriate relationship between participants and staff members.

If those in charge of the program fail to take reasonable measures like the ones listed above, the program may be sued by a participant who was sexually abused.

 Sexual abuse cases in general have high settlement values, especially when the victim is underage. Those who were minors at the time they were assaulted at a wilderness therapy camp may recover anywhere from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000. In cases of extreme harm and suffering due to gross negligence by the program, the value of a wilderness therapy lawsuit may be $10,000,000 and above.

There are, of course, many cases where the abuse is not physical in nature. Rather, the perpetrator engages in sexual conversations, exchanges nude photos, sends porn links and other sexually inappropriate conduct. Such actions fall under the category of sexual exploitation and harassment, and case values for these lawsuits may be around $400,000 to $1,000,000.

Keep in mind that we can only provide estimates based on previous settlements and verdicts. The amount you are due to receive is a personal matter based on many factors, including the damages you are entitled to. These may include:

• Emotional distress
• Medical expenses (including cost of therapy)
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages / lost earning capacity
• Loss of consortium 
• Punitive damages 
• Attorney’s fees 

For those who were sexually abused as adults, meaning they were 18 years or older at the time, the statute of limitations for a lawsuit is 10 years. Please note that the 10-year window starts from the date of assault / abuse, or the date of the most recent incident.

There is a separate timeframe that applies to lawsuits for child sexual abuse, meaning you were abused before your 18^th birthday. In these situations, you normally have 22 years after you turn 18 to sue a wilderness therapy program for sexual misconduct by one of their employees.

For childhood sex abuse victims who are past the age of 40, they may be eligible for a lawsuit under the 5-year discovery rule. Under this legal provision, a compensation claim can be filed within 5 years of discovering an injury (physical or psychological) that was caused by sex abuse while you were a minor. One of our legal experts can explain this concept to you during a free case review, which you can schedule by contacting us at your earliest convenience.

Our legal team is ready to hear your story and educate you on your rights as a victim of wilderness therapy sexual abuse. Ultimately, the decision to file a lawsuit is completely up to you. Our job is to help you make an informed decision, which is why we invite you to meet with us for a free consultation.

We also charge $0 upfront if you wish to hire us, as we are a contingency-based law firm .That means all legal fees are deferred until your settlement is recovered. In the event we fail to bring about a successful resolution to your case, we charge you absolutely nothing, since we shouldn’t get paid unless you do.

To explore your rights and legal options with a wilderness therapy sexual abuse attorney, contact the offices of DTLA Law Group.

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