Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS)

Majestic Ranch info please

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Anonymous:
Amen, Buzz.  I won't hold my breath for them to answer your questions though.

Oz girl:
hi. What is bbs? is it the internal email system? I am curious to know if there is some kind of charity set up to genuinely help families (particularly the kids) who have been harmed by these places. Something about the stories I have read on these sites has really hit a nerve. I am waiting for my copy of help @ any cost to arrive but has there been any long term studies on what happens to the kids when they get out? This is an issue that people outside of the us know NOTHING about.That book is not even available in international bookshopsit needs to be ordered through Amazon. I am aware that the US is one of the few countries to not sign the un declaration on the rights of the child but a widespread education campaign is needed to uncover this. Would anyone be interested in speaking with Amnesty Internatioanl and broadening the campaign against these places? I only stumbled across all of this info by mistake afterall.

BuzzKill:
The BBS is a forum; something like this one. It is only for Program Parents and is very closely moderated. Anyone who posts comments that raise disturbing questions about the program are soon blocked from access. It is all about "support" for the Program parents. Support being defined as keeping them validated in their decision to send their child into the program; and building firmly in their minds the idea that the child Must graduate.

When I was on it, there was a general board, that any program parent had access to. And then each "school" had its own forum, dealing strictly with that "school's" families.

On occasion, parents would notice that people from all the schools were hearing very similar complaints from their kids about what goes on. Keep in mind, the parents are told from the very first phone call that the child will lie and manipulate - and the outlandish stories they write home can not be believed. This does make since, when your talking about a population of kids who have been abusing drugs, as they tend to have a history of just that kind of thing. Some mental illness can also having lying and constant manipulation as a behavioral symptom. So, people accept that as a reasonable explanation when the letters begin to arrive.

But when you have parents from the various schools all saying Little Johnny, or Patty Jo, wrote and said they are always hungry; or the school is bogus; or the place is seriously overcrowded; that kids are hurt physically, and mentally - you begin to wonder why and how all these kids come up with the same stories - over and over.

The explanation? They conspire. They sit and night and plan together what lies to tell to best frighten and manipulate the parents. This too, can be believed - except when it is coming from schools hundreds or thousands of miles apart!

So, I speculate, that is why they took down the BBS General Board. Something along those lines.

As for Amnesty International and so on - they have certainly been approached about all this. There are some Human Rights organizations that have taken a slight interest. Nothing much as of yet. One of the problems is, it is the parents who put the kids there. It is the Program Parents, who in their great (and brainwashed) numbers, insist the program saved them and their kid. And facing that, its hard to get such groups to understand what is really going on. Frankly, it is hard to believe. Hopefully the international exposure will have an effect, and there will be a rising outcry that can not be ignored.

Oz girl:
I can certainly see how with older kids who are troubled the "manipulation" story would go down because im sure for a lot of these kids it is a nightmare version of the boy who cried wolf. I know the marketing people for MR seem to be strongly pushing the line to my brother & particularly his wife that a lot of younger  kids exaggerate because they are homesick. So I am beginning to see how they convince parents how this can happen before the kid sets foot in the door of the place. Once thing that struck me about the tranquility bay kids was that the boys particularly all looked so thin and pale. It was reminicent of the pictures of ww2 concentration camp victims. The girls in the pictures usually look quite plump and healthy though. Are they a little kinder to the girls physically? From the sound of the post I have read on the sites you guys have provided they sure arent emotionally.

One thing that staggers me is the fact that they really seem to push honesty & trust with the kids ( I read the newsletters on the MR site)but many of the kids seem to think they are only going for a short time or seem to get sent by escort. It is such a shocking example to set. I know that my niece seemed to think that this is going to be like a summer camp with sports and outdoor activities with a minor emphasis on academics. i note that she loves anything physical and hates schoolwork. I am concerned that in the event she goes, her response will be to get angry at the outrageous lies she has been told and try to rebel, which will obviously keep her trapped there for longer. Obviously this is why i am spending the time & money to do what it takes to keep her out, but in the worse case scenario what would your advice be. Should I give her a more honest picture? It hurts me to think that her last monents with loved ones would be traumatic but by the same token she at least has the chance to go in  and be co operative with a goal of getting out.

AtomicAnt:
The way the system handles the 'rescue letters' and BBS are indicative of how sophisticated these programs have become over the years. They have had their legal brushes with lawsuits and closed facilities and they have learned from these experiences. They know what they can get away with. They have been at this for a long time. They have an answer for every criticism. It is very cult-like and quite refined.

Still, it amazes me that parents fall for it. The most basic research will expose the most horrible stories; not just disgruntled kids, but parents who have admitted being fooled and news articles from reputable sources describing the closings and horrible treatments.

I cannot imagine why anyone would send a child as young as 10 away from home like that. If you think about it, the way the program dismisses 'just homesickness' is a good indication of their callousness towards kids.

I cannot fathom how this man can allow his new wife to manipulate him into giving up his child.

It tears at my heart to know there are thousands of children trapped in these facilities.

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