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RUN AWAY
I escaped a ‘troubled teen’ program – they deprived us of sleep & controlled our lives, 20 of my friends are dead now
People were labeled 'winners' if the leader liked them, she said
A TEXAS-BASED program for troubled teens has one woman speaking out about her experience there.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, she recounted the psychological and sexual abuse that took place at the so-called recovery center.
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, 29, is now a professional photographer and comedian — a far cry from where she once was as a teenager.
"I got in trouble at school with weed and I got sent to a rehab facility," she told The U.S. Sun.
"I was 15, about to turn 16, and while you're there, in treatment, different alternative peer groups come in to try to recruit teenagers to join their programs."
Alternative peer groups, or APGs, are programs that create environments that are free of mind-altering substances such as alcohol.
She ended up joining one program in particular, but her time there took a dark turn.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Celebrities like Paris Hilton have been vocal about their own experiences in the troubled teen industry.
Malpica said she is grateful for A-listers spreading awareness but keeps her own exposure to it to a minimum.
"I haven't listened to [celebrity testimonies] too much because I don't want to relive anything," she said.
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She recounted incidences that occurred during her stay.
"There was kids assaulting other kids, like 'guys and girls nights.' There was inappropriate touching, like counselors and kids.
"Everyone was always massaging each other. In my group, there was a counselor that got caught sleeping with one of the teenagers.
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"They got caught in one of our wilderness trips, which we were forced to go on every summer.
"They were really hard workouts and really hard physically. I don't think I slept more than six hours for, like, four years.
You do a newcomer meeting and the first sentence of it is literally, 'We are not a cult,' because they've been accused of it so much.
Dulce Malpica
"I would always cry because I was so sleep-deprived. I think it's designed that way."
After escaping, Malpica recounted times where she became aware of violations against members of the program.
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ADMISSION
Malpica said that the odd behavior among adults running the program began almost immediately, although it didn't hit her right away.
"First, you do a newcomer meeting and the first sentence of it is literally, 'We are not a cult,' because they've been accused of it so much," she said.
"Then they walk you through everything and you're supposed to hang out there all week."
They would break down your individuality, your personality, and your sense of comfort.
Dulce Malpica
She added that the meeting takes place to get teenagers to return, but she quickly found it odd.
"I thought that was kind of strange just to have certain people watching over me," she said.
"They say they love you right when you get there.
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"Everyone says they're an alcoholic, even if they haven't had a drink before. They all say, 'I'm an alcoholic.'"
She added that the teens were required to join Alcoholics Anonymous in addition to their program.
CLASSIC MANIPULATION
Malpica pointed out several telltale signs of an abusive environment that she witnessed whenever a member of the program deviated from their rules.
"If a girl liked to dress nice, wear dresses, she would be put on a 'no dress up' commitment for 30 or 90 days where she could only wear sweatpants [and no] makeup," she said.
"And so basically, if you were really into something they would break down your individuality, your personality, and your sense of comfort."
As Malpica got a bit older and spent more time in the program, she realized the behavior was seriously off.
You couldn't have outside friends because they weren't 'winners.'
Dulce Malpica
"At first I guess I was into it," she said.
"I didn't really notice there was something really wrong until like two or three years in. That's when I really realized I have to get out of [there].
Malpica said it came down to formulating an exit plan that went down peacefully.
"They would make your life really hard if you left on bad terms," she said.
According to Malpica, leaving on bad terms included exiting the program and ceasing contact with members.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Malpica said that friendships were heavily monitored and favored individuals were classified as "winners."
"You couldn't have outside friends because they weren't 'winners,'" she said.
"They had AA steps, but they would switch some of them.
I just needed more people to talk but everyone was too scared to speak up.
Dulce Malpica
"So, the second step was to hang out with the 'winners' in order to grow.
"There were these things called 'winners' lists,' where you could only hang out with those people or you were doing something wrong."
Ending up a "winner" entailed maintaining close relations with the main counselor of the group.
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"There were no 'loser lists' officially, but you would be seen that way," she said.
"Winners were basically people who, the main guy — the leader, the main counselor — liked.
"The people who got along with him, the people who were working the steps, the ones that would be there all the time, that's who the 'winners' were."
NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE
After being approached by a detective regarding the abuse she faced, Malpica found herself at a loss due to legal loopholes used by one of the leaders of the program.
"I just needed more people to talk but everyone was too scared to speak up," she said.
"So all [the detective] did was get them to change some stuff on the website and the wording of like how things operate.
"So they're still operating. They switch up so they can be legal and find loopholes."
If you talked to a therapist, they would tell everyone everything about you.
Dulce Malpica
Malpica recounted the aftermath of losing friends whose lives were cut short.
"I think a lot of the kids struggle when they first leave. A lot of my friends became prostitutes, strippers, [and] drug dealers.
"And there were a lot of deaths, I think I know, like, 20 people that were in [the program] that are dead now, and they all died similarly. And a lot of them didn't have these struggles beforehand.
"I think they were magnified and traumatized by them and weaponized."
When she finally escaped at age 19, she added that her own road to recovery wasn't an easy one.
"It was a lot of trial and error to get here. I definitely struggled with using drugs or other things to kind of cope," she said.
"It was really hard to go to therapy because I don't trust therapists now because there would be no privacy there. If you talked to a therapist, they would tell everyone everything about you.
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"So it took me a while, but, I think knowing that so many people died from it kind of gives me, strength to keep going. And I think that's how I got here."
The U.S. Sun reached out to the program for comment.
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