From what I understand, about half the kids currently incarcerated do not need any kind of treatment at all...they are perfectly normal teenagers. I know of at least one such child, age 15, who I know for a fact committed no crime other than backtalking her parents. She did not do drugs, alcohol or run away, was not promiscuous,in trouble with the law or truant. This is not about the kids, it's about their egotistical and controlling parents, who find it more convenient to send their child away than to admit the entire family has a problem and seek professional help. I personally find the explosive growth of these teen "treatment" facilities to be the single most disgusting situation I have witnessed in my lifetime, and I am a granny many times over. I find it hard to believe that the majority of the parents are stupid enough to be duped by the glossy brochures and sales pitches. I would venture to say with certainty that all of them have access to a computer (that's how most of them found these places), and they are familiar with the internet and know how to use it. So why didn't they do their homework? Why was it so easy for me, a relatively computer illiterate granny and my even older sister, to dig up voluminous information on the pros and cons of residential treatment for teens, in a matter of weeks? How many of these parents actually visit the facility before having their child abducted and transported? How many of them are burying their heads in the sand once they suspect that their child is suffering? I am thankful that at least one mother, who posts on this site, had the guts to remove her daughter when things didn't seem right. I hope that other parents follow her example by opening their eyes to the truth and doing their job, which is to love and care for their children.
