Wilderness Quest in Monticello, Utah, was among a handful of teen-intervention programs in the 1970s that used such tactics.
Today there are hundreds, and new ones are springing up weekly.
Mother tells story of a child who went over the edge Kids are having sex and using drugs earlier, at ages 9 to 11, he says, and more kids, especially girls, express violent, angry behavior. Teenagers he counsels paint a picture of a very unfriendly teen world full of drugs, sex and violence, Wells says, unlike any generation before. They're fearful of school, and the harassment and scapegoating of the weaker kids. There just seems to be a lot more pressure. In their world, there's not much fun.