What is the long term strategy?

[Anonymous]

What is going to prevent the troubled teen industry from continuing to morph itself into various forms, and continue growing and gaining business into the future for decades? It seems like most anti program actions have been program specific, or they even just go after an individual. But no action has been taken against the industry as a system. What is the endgame in all of this, what exactly are you working toward?


I think the only long term solution is government regulation. They are the only people with the power to enforce a national ban on forced quakery. I notice some people here don't think that government is part of the solution, I wonder in their view what will end this industry. Or do they expect to battle it forever? Or do they hope, in vain, that parents will change for some reason?

[iamartsy]

There is nothing to prevent the cruelty from morphing. For instance, with nursing homes you have http://http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp. Even that is only as good as the person who knows how to read between the lines, and who knows of its existence. Most people don't know either, unfortunately.

[try another castle]

regulation = validating the existence of an industry that should never exist. Regulation will do nothing. CPS is a fine example of a government run and regulated industry that does nothing to protect the rights of a child, despite the fact that it is their fucking goddamn job to do so.

I'm for abolition. But in the meantime, I think that liam has a point about establishing transparency, which is done through investigative journalism. Malpractice lawsuits, IMO, are the way to go in terms of pushing the machine to discredit the industry and eventually make it irrelevant.

[Antigen]

Actually, there has been an ongoing federal investigation for a couple of years now. Here's an article about that with links to the initial report: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/505 ... mp_horrors

But I agree that yet more regulation will only further legitimize the industry.

There are a lot of different people involved in this issue, all doing various things with various objectives and strategies. My primary objective is to take away the fraudulent legal and moral authority that the industry has built and used over the years. My strategy is simply to raise a hew and cry and let the chips fly where they may.

[Che Gookin]

Personally, I like bring up regulation because it tends to kicks some programmies into some kind of psycotic tizzy. As if they really ought to be scared. Tsk.. tsk..

I've discussed my long term strategy before in another thread. I called, not very creatively either, the 'death by a thousand cuts' strategy. Though to be completely honest it really ought to be, 'death by 19 quadrillion cuts' because this god damn industry is like the mythical hydra. Doesn't matter how many damn heads you chop off they keep growing back.

The trick I guess is to use a bigger sword or buy a nuke.

[Oscar]

With permission - Spft's strategy:

1) Improve the wiki's, chart deaths and suicides. (On-going work)
2) Blog war (Started)
3) Tie connections with politicians around in various countries. (Started)

Our goal is also legislation but we acknowledge that money is involved and small steps are made.

In Denmark we started with none regulation, proceeded with poor regulation and while we are far from the goal the situation is better.

We are so lucky that scandals sells newspapers and parents are very protective of their youth. Lately even the police actions done in relationship with the demolition of Ungdomshuset have been critized by the courts. Not even our court system can resist pressure from media and parents.

Our largest TV-station went after drug treatment in Denmark based on the treatment strategy by Hazelden Foundation. In Denmark it is the tax-payers money who goes to treatment of alcohol and drugs. Almost in every case people can get treatment for free. So treatment has to work and it is the claim of the TV-station and government experts that 12 step treatment can cause more harm than good. It is not worth the price.

We must not forget that while Fornits contains very useful info, the work to stop the industry has to done outside Fornits. I urge survivors to tell their story in a blog. Name the program, write your story with the level maturity you have today but fell free to hide your identity if your life today have been rebuilt with your past on a need-to-know basis only. Put a link into the blog to either the Wiki-database or the future TTI database.

It doesn't matter if we are talking Roloff programs of the 70's or a program you left days ago. Some may know of a book coming up called "Google bomb". Lets bury made up success stories in stories about how it really was.

[FemanonFatal2.0]

Overall I think public awareness is the most powerful tool to bring down the industry. If it can be common knowledge that programs, RTC and TBS's have a history of child abuse and law breaking then parents will not be so quick to resort to the program as any kind of solution to their teenage problems.

What I don't understand is why parents are never willing to look at themselves as part of the problem, why is sending the child away always the solution. This is the mind-state we have to challenge, having someone else raise your child for you should NOT be an acceptable choice or a fad.

The best way to change the way that the public views these places is to slowly but surely give the whole industry a stigma, and I find the best way to do that is to filter our testimony into all areas of the media and over the internet. In short just get heard one way or another. I still dont understand why the media hasn't made a bigger deal about this, why is it that people are more up in arms about the "terrorists" in Gitmo being abused then they are about their own children???

I think its going to take a BIG public demonstration for the media to take notice... and that's what I plan to do.

[TheWho]

What I don't understand is why parents are never willing to look at themselves as part of the problem, why is sending the child away always the solution.

It may be more helpful to get out there and meet more parents.  In almost all the cases I have seen the parents are very open to ideas and scratching their heads looking for solutions and do not remove themselves as possible causes or at least part of the problem.  Most are very open minded and are willing to share the responsibility.  But I think you comment speaks to just human nature itself.  When there is a problem people naturally think it is caused by something external to them and that they are not the cause.  Look at all the survivor posts.  It is extremely rare to read about any of them taking responsibility for their actions or making statements like “I wish I had avoided all of this by listening to my parents more”... ‘I should have stayed in school”.... Most of the posts are about blaming the parents or program staff.  So I see the parents as being more receptive and open minded if you compared the two.

This is the mind-state we have to challenge, having someone else raise your child for you should NOT be an acceptable choice or a fad.

Parents are not looking to have someone else raise their child.  The raising has, for the most part, already been accomplished.  These kids (to many here at fornits acknowledgement) are almost ready to fly the coop.  So trying to challenge parents that they are handing off responsibility just isn’t accurate and will not be effective in my opinion.

The best way to change the way that the public views these places is to slowly but surely give the whole industry a stigma, and I find the best way to do that is to filter our testimony into all areas of the media and over the internet. In short just get heard one way or another. I still dont understand why the media hasn't made a bigger deal about this, why is it that people are more up in arms about the "terrorists" in Gitmo being abused then they are about their own children???

I think its going to take a BIG public demonstration for the media to take notice... and that's what I plan to do.

Agreed, but we also need to drop the black and white mentality that all programs are the same and are abusive.  Adjust the language to drop gulag and detainees etc, because the parents read this and automatically know it is a hoax or some kid with an agenda.  Try to remember the audience you are trying to convince and speak to them on their level.

[try another castle]

here's my other reason I dislike regulation:

It gives the industry the opportunity to get sneakier. Regulation doesn't curtail abuse, it just makes it harder to spot.

[FemanonFatal2.0]

I think you comment speaks to just human nature itself.  When there is a problem people naturally think it is caused by something external to them and that they are not the cause.  Look at all the survivor posts. Most of the posts are about blaming the parents or program staff.  So I see the parents as being more receptive and open minded if you compared the two.

Actually, that's not true, if you have read any survivor testimonies you will hear the FIRST thing that they say is what they were doing at home that got them sent to the program. I don't think you really grasp the whole concept of our message, posting here on Fornits is not entirely what this movement is about, this is just a place where we all have been coming to talk and rarely do we reiterate our life stories, or our teenage problems. If you want to hear what a survivor really has to say you should start reading our written testimonies.

So trying to challenge parents that they are handing off responsibility just isn’t accurate and will not be effective in my opinion.

So you are implying, by the time a kid reaches 14-16 years old it in no longer the responsibility of the parents to "parent" their teens through their adolescence? I honestly believe that the teen years are the time that the parents need to learn the most about what good parenting really is. The teen years is when you need to learn how to give them space and support at the same time, how to develop trust instead of punishment and alter your parenting style based on the individual needs of your child (ie if there is existence of a mental disorder or drug problem) and how to teach them about live without exasperating their normal teenage rebelliousness.

Adjust the language to drop gulag and detainees etc, because the parents read this and automatically know it is a hoax or some kid with an agenda.  Try to remember the audience you are trying to convince and speak to them on their level.

Im sorry but you have to get over the whole "language" issue here, we use these words for a reason. When I say I was tortured that is not a word used to exaggerate that I was forced to do something I didn't want to do, that actually means I was physically assaulted and forced to endure stress positions in dog cages in the hot desert sand in 105 degree heat. When I say i was brainwashed that doesn't mean I was resistant to "change" it means I was subjected to mind control techniques that included a doctrine that encouraged immorality and was enforced by the fear of physical assault and social isolation.

We are NOT going to sugar coat the truth so you parents can feel better about this, and we surely aren't going to advertise that there are "some" programs out there that aren't as bad as those that we went to. That just totally negates the concept of RAISE YOUR OWN KIDS FOR FUCKS SAKE!! Don't depend on ANY residental treatment, not even the government state regulated facilities, because abuse and oppression runs rampant in this entire industry. I'm not going to say that there are good programs out there unless I know without a shadow of a doubt that that specific program does not operate a "tough love" system and isn't reliant on a religion to "cure" kids of their adolescent behavior. Even with that being said, a program that adhered to a specific set of standards I would deem appropriate for a teen care center wouldn't even be considered in the same category as a RTC or TBS, so in my opinion the WHOLE TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY is to be avoided. Period.

[try another castle]

or some kid with an agenda

God forbid should someone have an agenda.

I understand what you are saying, however, and imo, its entirely contingent on your audience.

[Anonymous]

Overall I think public awareness is the most powerful tool to bring down the industry.

Agreed. This looks like a great film:

http://www.selfmedicated.com/trailer.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0341569/

It's based on true events - about a mother who hires a private company to forcibly kidnap her son and confine him in a locked-down and corrupt psychiatric hospital.
It seems like we're transitioning from propaganda (Not My Kid) to honest and factual portrayals of these places that promise to "fix your kid." (Self-medicated, Over the GW).
Hopefully things continue in this direction.

[Anonymous]

NO offense, but if these are the best ideas... the TTI is going to be around for a LONG time.

[Anonymous]

We need a celebrity spokesperson. and some powerful people with money behind the cause.

considering the current economic climate i would postpone your hopes for the above for at least another 3 years.

but, the economic climate is also doing us a favor by decreasing TTI business by default.

in my opinion, the TTI will loose popularity soon with or without our help. it's a fad, not an institution. people nationwide are smartening up. reaganism is dead. the war on drugs is at the brink of a climactic conclusion. just look at what's happening with marijuana and gay marriage across the country - bills are being passed left and right. intergenerational conflicts regarding those two issues alone make up at least a third of the TTI's business. parents are starting to change their mind on a lot of issues. there is an emerging liberal climate in the nation. the TTI flourished with the "institutionalized morality" propaganda that went along with the decades under neoconservativism, a movement that is shunned by the masses and basically on life support at this moment.

do not fear, the end is nieh!  :rasta:

[Anonymous]

We need a celebrity spokesperson. and some powerful people with money behind the cause.

considering the current economic climate i would postpone your hopes for the above for at least another 3 years.

i know some recent graduates of ASW and HLA who are potentially up and coming celebrities. if their fame lasts we have our spokespeople.  

for those of you in disbeleif, keep in mind that ASW and HLA were full of kids who belonged rich and/or famous families. there were a few very talented individuals in the mix too.