Searching for Survivors

[Ace17]

I am currently working on a series of news features and possibly a book about the troubled teen industry(for my school's mandatory Senior Project), and would like to be able to include first-hand experience.  If anyone who has experienced one of these programs, I would really appreciate it if you shared your experience.  I realize that this is difficult for many people and if you do not want to post it, you can always pm me.  Also, none of your personal information has to be published (but I would appreciate at least being able to say the name of the program), and you can always stay anonymous.  Thank you.

[Anonymous]

what type of school?  "mandatory senior project" sounds like high school, but could be college.  the difference could affect the nature of response you get and of responder you get responses from.

also of interest - to help put response possibilities in perspective -  would be what it is that makes this a topic (a) of interest to you and (b) acceptable for the project requirements.

and -- there are any number of experiences reported on this board/forum, with reports including school names.  why aren't those acceptable for you/your project???

finally -- where else are you making inquiries?

[Ace17]

My senior project is for high school, however I am fully aware of what can happen at these programs and I hope that it does not affect my responses.

Although I would prefer not to reveal my identity, I have many ties to this industry.  My mother was at Straight when she was a teenager, shortly before she had me (however she does not want to be mentioned).  My grandfather was the drug czar of Massachusetts at the time, and last year, my aunt was a counselor at Sagewalk, and my mouther was unable to convince her before she went there that she was getting involved in a bad business.  The only project requirements that I have been given are that it should be something of interest to me, and I am hoping to pursue journalism as a career, as well as the reasons already mentioned.

I do intend to ask those who have posted their experiences for their permission to use them, however I wanted people to be giving experiences fully knowing that they might be printed.

I am also making inquiries at the National Youth Rights Association as soon as I can get my account to work, And I have also asked Wes Fager to put me into contact with survivors of Straight.

[Anonymous]

I think you would do well to discuss your project with your teacher responsible for the grading, etc.  It is clear that you intend to present one perspective - negatives experienced by some students enrolled in some programs.  {Simply the list of places you are turning to for "research" proves as much.}  Given that, it is easy to see your project as an unbalanced attack on a service "industry" about which I doubt you have an adequate understanding.  Doing so would prove a disservice to you and to the credibility of legitimate efforts to get problems corrected.

There have been many kids physically and/or psychologically mistreated by a number of operations purporting to help kids.  Sometimes it results from operators getting a sick kind of payback for their own earlier mistreatment.  Sometimes it results from inattention or lack of caring for anything but the buck that can be made.  Occasionally it is an accident - a consequence of human fallibility.

The fact is that there are many ethically-run "programs" that do provide a lot of help for a lot of teens and their families, and do so without the kids getting hurt in any way.  People don't tend to go around "bragging" that their kid needed a serious intervention because of X and Y, but that Z program helped improve things (or "saved" their kid).  But if things don't work out for the better, the student and their parent (who is out "big bucks") are more likely to complain.  The students especially, as they likely had anger and/or rebellion characteristics to start with.

So sure, you can get authentic or authentic-sounding strories of abuse and more at several programs.  Not all will be complete and true, but most probably will have a decent basis for belief.  But I don't think you can get a representative sample about even the least-desirable places, and certainly won't get one from "good" places (which I assert do exist, despite different views of some posters here).

Frankly, given the money, time and travel limitations you surely face, it seems virtually impossible that you could conduct a reasonably-sound survey of "programs" and student plus their experiences within the remaining school year.  Even the term "program" is bandied around to encompass all manner of things.  Multi-day (at least) away-from-home programs could be in-patient de-tox at a rehab facility, roughly the same at a psych hospital, a wilderness program of from 21 -80 or so days, locked psych-based residential treatment center, open-boundaries (but remote) boarding school with therapeutic/counselling services, and among residential schools, behavior-mod, emotional growth, and conventional psych-based "treatment" approaches -- to illustrate the diversity of "programs".

Teens have suffered emotional harm from things in "regular" public schools, sometimes the result of peer conduct, sometimes the result of some staff not caring enough, sometimes for other reasons.  Ditto for physical harm.  Do we damn all schools?  

Even if you were to pick one "bad" place (and I can think of some), you'd still need to get balance in the facts -- not just one or two kids suffering, but hwo many out of how many.  Recently, under current ownership and management, or ten years ago when everything was different?

So, if you intend to do something other than sensationalize second-hand allegations and present a biased perspective, you ought to reconsider your topic -- not because it is a bad one, but because it can't realistically be done well (or even half-well) in the time available.

[Anonymous]

:wstupid:

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if we didn't have a turkey.

I suppose other people's bullshit detectors aren't as finely tuned as mine, so let's pick this thing apart a bit. It's almost PT9K-bait, but robots don't eat...

Given that, it is easy to see your project as an unbalanced attack on a service "industry" about which I doubt you have an adequate understanding. Doing so would prove a disservice to you and to the credibility of legitimate efforts to get problems corrected.

Let the thinly-veiled attacks begin! Here the turkey immediately starts disparaging the poster, and suggests that if he dared to publish a researched narrative, he'd be hurting the side of reality. This is, of course, complete bullshit.

There have been many kids physically and/or psychologically mistreated by a number of operations purporting to help kids.

Such as the one you work for?

The "well it happens in some places..." gambit is worthless- we've already thoroughly destroyed its main users (Sue/Izzy). Don't bother using it anymore.

The fact is that there are many ethically-run "programs" that do provide a lot of help for a lot of teens and their families

Here we have the other side of this gambit. Which is, again, complete bullshit. Name one.

So sure, you can get authentic or authentic-sounding strories of abuse and more at several programs. Not all will be complete and true,

How dare these interviewees tell the truth! HOW DARE THEY! They're just "authentic-sounding"!

The fact is that there are many ethically-run "programs" that do provide a lot of help for a lot of teens and their families, and do so without the kids getting hurt in any way.

No, that's a fiction. There are a tiny handful of places that will take care of the kid without seriously hurting him; and as I posted elsewhere, it doesn't matter if those exist because it's almost impossible to pick them out.

The students especially, as they likely had anger and/or rebellion characteristics to start with.

This turkey seriously can't resist attacking them, can it?

Then the flightless avian goes on to try to muddy the issue by comparing what we discuss on Fornits with real psychiatry. The term "emotional growth" school is obviously a twisted term in itself. Any place that bills itself as that is probably going to accomplish the exact opposite.

Recently, under current ownership and management, or ten years ago when everything was different?

No, nothing was different ten years ago. The only difference is the rise of the Internet and the number of people taking these places out. The techniques they use are all exactly the same. Ask Ginger or any other Straight vet who has contact with the victims coming out of these hellholes. It's the same old shit.

And the allegations will all be first-hand, that's the point of contacting survivors.

Turkey, you might want to consider posting your bullshit somewhere where people won't see through it. Maybe ST is more your speed.

Ace, you might want to post your email address to get more and better replies. And pay no mind to the turkeys.

[Anonymous]

When you have a white liquid where brain cells should be, you need allowances made, so perhaps that explains it.  Of course, you are so full of rage yourself that seeing straight is difficult to start.

"Here the turkey immediately starts disparaging the poster, and suggests that if he dared to publish a researched narrative, he'd be hurting the side of reality."
That, of course, is complete bullshit, to use the phrase.  That is not an attack on the poster, doofus.  The point is that the OP hardly has the time or resources to properly research anything more than one-sided stories.  If you think that aids a "cause", hold fast to your unrealism.
 
Also, naming an ethical program has already been done on this forum, though not by me.  I see no reason to set up something good for mindless attacks, any more than I see a whole lot of point in your pseudoeducated drivel.  (Please note, that was not a personal attack, merely a commentary on certain postings.)  

Quote:The students especially, as they likely had anger and/or rebellion characteristics to start with.
Again, genius, not an attack, but here a recognition that someone angry and rebellious who is only given more reason for anger and rebellion is much more likely to express that anger/rebellion than one not angry.  Or is that too hard a concept for you to grasp?

Quote:Recently, under current ownership and management, or ten years ago when everything was different?  ...  "No, nothing was different ten years ago."  
Wrong again.  Maybe a lot of places are under the same ownership and management, but not all.

"Turkey, you might want to consider posting your bullshit somewhere where people won't see through it."  
Actually, your problem is the evident inability to fathom the idea that the whole world doesn't conform to your dated slant.  And, if you think more of the same one-sided, dated repetition of the same old stuff will accomplish more than an effort to get quality help accessable in another way to those needing it, the shame is yours, and the loss is all of society's for the misspent energy.

[Anonymous]

And again you just have to assume- not even argue, but assume- that the teens protesting against these places are angry and rebellious. No they're not- not appreciably more than normal teens, at any rate- at least not before they went in. The only additions they have to those qualities are those that naturally come when deprived of little things like.. oh, freedom and independent thought, maybe?

your pseudoeducated drivel. (Please note, that was not a personal attack,

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Rule 1 of flamewar: If you can't admit you're partaking in one, you lose.

Quote:Recently, under current ownership and management, or ten years ago when everything was different? ... "No, nothing was different ten years ago."
Wrong again. Maybe a lot of places are under the same ownership and management, but not all.

You can't even actually quote what I said. That is pathetic! Is there something you don't want to admit?

Ace, this might be a major addition to your report: Compare the techniques used by Straight in the 70's to those used in the 90's to those used today. Ask the various interviewees questions and see what all has remained the same.

Oh, and I forgot to mention:

*announcer voice*

Puh-puh-puh-puh-parents! The above puh-puh-puh-puh-poster... wants cuh-cuh-cuh-cuh-control... of your ch-ch-ch-ch-CHILDREN!

[survivor122770]

ace,
pay no attention to the "turkey". i, as a survivor of bethel boys academy, admire and resect you for the courage you show in taking this topic on. it is a topic that needs as much attention as possible. most people want to turn their heads and act like this torment doesnt exist. i really wish it didnt. i was abused mentally, physically, emotionally, and verbally 24 hrs a day for 4 yrs. i suffer from ptsd. i have multiple panic, anxiety, and paranoia attacks daily.i manage to lead a seemingly normal life to people who do not know me, although below the surface looms a very disturbed person. i am socially withdrawn, have no friends other than survivors, and trust no one. the part that is worst of all is that it is still happening to children every day. to give you a testimony of my ordeal would be to write a book myself. it would be much simpler if i were able to answer specific questions, however i want to assist you in anyway i can, because i appreciate your effort in exposing one of the greatest injustices in american history.
in peace and harmony,

[Antigen]

Given that, it is easy to see your project as an unbalanced attack on a service "industry" about which I doubt you have an adequate understanding.  

Anon, I don't think you're giving yourself nearly enough credit. It actually takes considerable effort to unsee the obvious when you're immersed in it. That's probably the #1 cause of the kind and level of ongoing stress that has left so many of us with PTSD.

What do ya'll think, though? After reading this:

My mother was at Straight when she was a teenager, shortly before she had me (however she does not want to be mentioned). My grandfather was the drug czar of Massachusetts at the time, and last year, my aunt was a counselor at Sagewalk...

I have a very hard time seeing how anyone could entertain the notion that this kid lacks perspective on the industry.

[survivor122770]

Given that, it is easy to see your project as an unbalanced attack on a service "industry" about which I doubt you have an adequate understanding.  

Anon, I don't think you're giving yourself nearly enough credit. It actually takes considerable effort to unsee the obvious when you're immersed in it. That's probably the #1 cause of the kind and level of ongoing stress that has left so many of us with PTSD.

What do ya'll think, though? After reading this:

My mother was at Straight when she was a teenager, shortly before she had me (however she does not want to be mentioned). My grandfather was the drug czar of Massachusetts at the time, and last year, my aunt was a counselor at Sagewalk...

I have a very hard time seeing how anyone could entertain the notion that this kid lacks perspective on the industry.

i agree with you 1oo%. it sounds like she has plenty of perspective on the industry to me.  she is a senior high school student. if she had no perspective she wouldn't have picked this topic. most high school students dont even know what the troubled teen industry is, or that behavior modification programs exist. you will also notice that she said her teacher said it had to be a topic that was of interest to her. i bet it will be the most interesting report in her class. she handled the "turkey" pretty well too. i like her, and i hope she does well.

[Godzilla]

check out this website for my experience....
http://www.benchmarkeducationsucks.com/
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