Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Straight, Inc. and Derivatives
Growing Together of Lake Worth, Florida
Blopa:
Re: Growing Together of Lake Worth, Florida Thank you all for your info, comments and concerns regarding the issue I brought up. I believe you and know that you have been traumatized and abused by those programs. Since I posted the initial message I did quite a bit of research into the specific program where my son is. There are many differences between what you honestly describe and GT and I think I made the mistake of 'guessing' early on that GT was a Straight or Straight-like program. I had the chance to talk to my son one on one and all his complaints where that he is not allowed to smoke cigarettes, that he does not like the food (he put 15 pounds and 2 pants sizes), that one night he was not allowed to bathe and wash his clothes because his oldcomer was tired and that he had no privacy while on the bathroom. He did not complaint of being sat on, being deprived of sleep, put on pbj diets, insulted and humiliated or any of the abuses I see reported on these postings. I spent time in one of the foster houses with 3 clients and their 'parents' and I saw first hand how they all related, I had time to play boardgames and chat at length with the clients. The kids had at all times the right to use the phone and call police if they wanted to, the program bedroom had an alarm but not a lock as they were not locked in. They had a very good second full meal (as the first dinner was served to them at GT before departing). I am not making this up, I have no affiliation or interest whatsoever in defending TG, this is the true observations that we (my wife and I) made. I avoid mentioning here that I actually 'like' a lot of the parents and staff as it is a very subjective and personal taste and I could be mislead by it. Again, maybe my mistake was to believe that this program was similar to what you all suffer through, but it does not look that way. If I ever get a different impression or experience I will post it as I can't possible condone abuse of any kind. Also GT has been open for over 15 years and presumably hundreds if not thousands of kids: we would see a lot more bad rap about 'them' in the net. I looked hard and all I saw was the opinion of one judge and one psychologist, nothing more. Compare that with all the postings here relating to these other places. At this point most everything I saw and heard about GT (not Straight) tells me that this is a good program and they do not torture or abuse kids in any way. I don't doubt that your experiences are real but they relate to other programs as far as I can tell, not GT. That is my believe at this point, if anything changes I will make sure I come back. Thank you all very much for your help and interest. Edited by: Blopa at: 10/21/01 7:15:52 am
ramprato:
Blinders still on I see......... "I believe you and know that you have been traumatized and abused by those programs", Those programs?, um those programs you refer to are the pre-GT:
(Look carefully, you will see "Growing Together" on this chart how it was formed from Straight Inc.)
www.ex-cult.org/General/s...conditions
"GT has been open for over 15 years and presumably hundreds if not thousands of kids: we would see a lot more bad rap about 'them' in the net. I looked hard and all I saw was the opinion of one judge and one psychologist, nothing more." My God, what do you need to get this?, an atom bomb to drop on your head, they have been to the courts for ABUSE, a leopard doesn't change its spots, it just pays off its accusers. They, like Straight settled out of court in order to stay open and continue RAPING MINDS for profit. 15 years ago, Straight started closing down their centers across the country, the process took about 5 years, they were close down for what? ABUSE. But there was money to be made so individuals formerly involved with Straight, reopened up with different names using the same MIND RAPIST tactics.
Do you think we are PAID to be here giving out to you like this? This is a place for us, that were abused to get together and finally be able to talk about it amongst ourselves, and during all this, we come to realize that these places still exist, and we want to save each and every kid out there from experiencing what we did so they can at least attempt to grow from their experiences without having their minds turned to JELLY.
Blinders still on I see. That's OK, become guiltless, walk on water, that makes it easier, let that poor kid take the blame for everything and see what you get out of a son in 15 or 20 years, So he isn't perfect, he yells back, he boozes with friends or whatever, did you ever think he was just trying to reach out in his own way??? You obviously have a couple of bucks, money can even buy your kid a drug problem, what a country! Too bad now that your kid is behind a kind of Berlin wall where you are unable to communicate when you and him need it most...
When you get a shell shocked son back, here is a note of encouragement, he will always have these websites to come to, thank you for helping to turn out a new generation of Stefford Zombies.....Think about it please.
LESTAT49203:
Re: Father knows best For your son's sake, I hope your right. Best of luck to both of you.
Antigen:
Fifteen year trigger Up until a couple of years ago, there wasn't anything permanent, indepth or well used on the net about Straight, Inc. This in spite of the many lawsuites, investigations, books and so forth.
Now, all of a sudden, there are sites springing up all over the place. And if you look into the material on the nature of thought reform, you'll find that it takes just about 15 years for most people to 'snap' out of it completely.
I'll tell ya'll a little secret. I called GT posing as a parent concerned about a troubled teen. They actually said 'we have a lot of experience dealing with teenagers. They can't manipulate us like they can their parents, we know just how they think.'
But just remember, only 4 years ago a young boy was gang raped by a group of other boys in a foster home during a hazing ritual called 'the Naked Crusader.' I have to wonder if that's still going on. And, not to put too fine a point on it, but under Florida law, if you have cause to suspect child abuse and fail to intervene, you can be charged as an accessory to the crime.
If you really believe that dog and pony show, I guess you'll fall for anything. Good luck and I pray for your son and all the other kids in Group.
Elle:
silent Some places are more calmed down than The Straights or Kids of America, so it really is harder for parents to see what their kid is going through. The place that I was in (Alberta Adolecent Recovery Centre) is a Straight spin off. We learned very quickly how to make the parents think that we are doing okay, because if we didn't we would be in quite a bit of trouble, and only kept there for one more week at least. Physical abuse and restraining didn't happen during open meetings where everyone could see. They didn't happen every day. The thing is, that even if they didn't happen at all, those things are the least harmful bit. It's the programming of your mind in order to become more pleasing to society that kills you. Having to make emotional or sexual confessions in order to see yourself as sick, in order to make you think you have to behave as the others in order to recover. Not allowing time alone is a form of abuse. It is one of the key ingredients for brain washing. Those group or "rap" sessions that all of us had gone through are extremely popular in cults. They look like modern day therapy, but in excess they become ways to achieve altered states.
No, there shouldn't be more reports just because it's been open for so long. One reason for that, because kids feel ashamed. They don't know if they really are bad kids for disagreeing, because in the center they weren't allowed to disagree.
Another reason is that usually these centres make friends with Judges, make friends with the police, make friends with social services, make friends with all the other resources available where kids could turn too. Trust me, I have been trying to get my story heard for years now. Some people don't want the centre taken away because it succesfully gets rid of kids who have been in and out of prison, and others won't help because they are afraid of the controversy. I know of many peopel with the authority to close the place down who are aware of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, but they won't do it.
There are plenty of treatment centres out there where you can sit down with yoru son and talk for a few hours a week, and where he can have intense positive therapy. Not all relaxed treatment centres aren't doing there job.
Elle.
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