Author Topic: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC  (Read 3309 times)

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Offline nicpal

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Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« on: December 12, 2011, 10:44:14 PM »
Can anyone provide me with information on this school?  A former student of mine has recently been enrolled.

Thanks.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline cmack

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2011, 11:56:06 PM »
Quote from: "nicpal"
Can anyone provide me with information on this school?  A former student of mine has recently been enrolled.

Thanks.

Check the below links:

http://www.fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.ph ... e+mountain

http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title ... ain_School

http://www.heal-online.org/childtortureusa.htm#stonemtn

http://www.heal-online.org/stonemtn.htm

The below link is from an Educational Consultant who is pro programs. Even he now has severe reservations about sending any kid to an Aspen program.
http://www.familylight.com/link3/3.03/3.032/RS/SMS.htm

Do you know why your former student was sent away?

Do you know what local interventions were tried before that decision was made?

Here are some links you might want to share with the parents:

http://www.helpatanycost.com/questions.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 62_pf.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-szal ... 15023.html

Research shows that such programs don't work:
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=38312

Surgeon General Report:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/m ... /sec7.html

Good Luck and keep us posted.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Ursus

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2011, 12:48:52 AM »
From a post made in one of the links cmack posted above:

Quote from: "Dosia"
Much of the school's program is based upon William Glasser's (he's written a couple books, check them out) reality therapy of individual choice and responsibility.
Glasser's "Reality Therapy" was one of the components alleged to have contributed to the methodology used by Straight, Inc. It is said to be a form of or offshoot of Guided Group Interaction, the direct predecessor to Positive Peer Culture, which is anything but.

That said, Stone Mountain has undergone some changes in personnel and focus in the past few years due to its having been acquired by Aspen Ed Group in 2000, and then probably having its market target somewhat reassigned in the aftermath of some program shuffling when Aspen downsized.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline nicpal

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2011, 01:00:24 PM »
Can anyone provide insight into the policy of requiring the child to write a series of letters to his parents before he is allowed to communicate with them directly?  What happens with a child who not completed this requirement, but get sick, lonely, etc.?
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Offline Ursus

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2011, 01:07:24 PM »
Quote from: "nicpal"
Can anyone provide insight into the policy of requiring the child to write a series of letters to his parents before he is allowed to communicate with them directly?  What happens with a child who not completed this requirement, but get sick, lonely, etc.?
That initial series of letters sounds like a coerced confession or forced apology routine.
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Offline nicpal

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2011, 02:14:45 PM »
If the child does not comply, then what?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline cmack

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Re: Stone Mountain School for Boys in NC
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2011, 06:33:15 PM »
Quote from: "nicpal"
If the child does not comply, then what?

Then they don't move up the level system. You can't graduate without working the program. Compliance is rewarded. Resistance is punished; typically by denial of certain creature comforts like: food, shelter, social interaction, etc. Noncompliance may also result in physical labor of some sort. I don't know much about Stn Mtn, but it's standard program fare.

It's part of the level system. See this link: http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title ... ain_School

Quote
Write Home About Your Progress.
You must write letters home describing your school life and progress. You must write and submit at least 2 letters in 2 separate weeks to earn this requirement. These letters are to be reviewed by your staff before they are sealed and mailed.

This is part of the coercive persuasion/thought reform used by most programs. The student/detainee must buy-in to/cooperate with the program in order to progress. I believe it is an insidious process. The program controls the student's total environment. A series of seemingly innocuous demands are made which condition the student to make increasingly greater concessions and leads him down a path of indoctrination and compliance.

The young people in these programs are not aware of the thought reform/mind control tactics being used on them and therefore lack the knowledge and power to effectively resist. Some kids through sheer stubbornness refuse to comply, but usually they are worn down by the relentless pressure and deprivation. Compliance means you move up the level system where you get better food, living conditions, communication, etc.

Some kids realize the program is BS early on and attempt to manipulate the program by telling them what they want to hear, but not really buying-in. Programs are good at recognizing this and I believe even the most resilient and resistant kids end up with some level of harm.

Aspen programs have long been a concern, but I'm not sure where Stone Mtn. school falls on the continuum of abusive programs. Some programs are clearly more abusive than others, however, I believe all such programs are inherently abusive. Read the info at the links I provided above. Perhaps you can convince the parents to pull him out.

At some point he will likely be given an impact letter written by his parents outlining everything bad he's done and why he was sent away. He will be required to read this letter to his group. He can try to defend himself against the various charges his parents make but no one will believe him. The other students know that the only way they can progress in the program is to attack him. It's the same way they were treated when they were new.

Also he'll have to write a come-clean letter or dirt list detailing all of his misdeeds. He'll probably have to do this over and over. The more confessions he makes the more the program will demand. I don't know about Stone Mtn., but it's not uncommon for kids to make up stuff to confess to. The program will then share this information with parents to convince them that their kid is much worse off than they believed.

The program's main job is to keep the parents from pulling the kid out. No kid, no money. Programs are master manipulators and the thing they are best at is separating parents from their money.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »