Before you ENJOY the next episode of "Brat Camp", go to askjeeves.com and type in: deaths and wilderness survival camps. READ CAREFULLY!
ABC should be ashamed of themselves for promoting these multimillion-dollar death camps. Even if the program (that is making ABC billions of dollars - ratings) is a model program, research has revealed that no amount of monitoring can prevent abuses and "accidental" deaths. In other words -parents can send their children, the government just can't guarantee they will return unharmed or even alive. Success ratings are also discussed in numerous articles. There have been no scientifically rigorous, long-term studies conducted on wilderness-therapy programs. Also please read what has happened to wilderness program owners who have appeared on TV talk shows. They even brought along their "beloved troubled kids" to help convince audiences that they do indeed deserve their mansions and millions. CHA-CHING! Needless to say, they have fallen from grace. Even the government admits that their programs are not easily and appropriately regulated. But they are working on correcting all of that. God bless the children who fall through the cracks. That is the government's motto after all!
"Brat Camp"is sickening just in the fact that unwilling children are being forced to deal with their problems in front of the nation. These children are not actors! They are kids who,at the very least,deserve privacy. If their parents aren't able to respect their privacy, then child advocacy laws should. I don't care if the show is paying for the children's involvement in this program. Their lack of privacy comes at a high price, and I don't mean for the producers. The precious child who was molested is being RAPED again...this time by ABC. I realize that raising children is tough, but CHILD ABUSE should not be tolorated or promoted (ABC) in any case. Until ABC cancels this show, I will NOT watch any of their programming. However, I am all too sadly aware that as long as ratings rule - child abuse and exploitation of children is cool.
This is my opinion after reading the articles on these sites. I'm sure other people will list sites that support these programs or profess how their kid was "saved" by one. However, after reading about the deaths, abuse, and greedy people preying on the desperation of parents - I doubt I will ever be able to forget the horrors over the so-called successes. All I can ask is that before you contribute to making this show a billion dollar hit, read about the pain from the journals of children who have been silenced forever. We owe them that much.
