Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Who Am I Discovery/Whitmore
Whitmore Academy in Utah?
Anonymous:
Ooops - I missed one of your questions, sorry.
"So then your daughter went voluntarily? Do they take involuntary placements?"
Yes, she was voluntary. My wife was all hot on
the school, and I was very against it, before
we went to see the school.
After we visited, she decided that she wanted to
go there, we gave her the choice of whatever
school she wanted to go to that we could
afford. She was going to be put back a grade
in her current school, which is why she was
willing to change, and Whitmore was her first
choice of schools to change to.
Visiting the school changed my mind. I don't
think much of religions, but I was won over by
the people (students and adults both). The
Waldorf school is also Christian, and it
hasn't seemed to hurt my kids.
They do take involentary placements, I would
guess about 25% of the students are involentary.
Cheers,
Eric
Antigen:
--- Quote ---On 2004-10-19 18:09:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
You have to trust others with your kids at
some point, if only when they go to college.
Cheers,
Eric
"
--- End quote ---
No, when your kids go off to college, they're grown and responsible for themselves. You trust them, not someone else who has control over them.
What is the purpose of preventing communication w/ your daughter at first? Is that always for a set amount of time, or is communication w/ the outside world an earned priviledge?
--- Quote ---"Would you prefer that they *don't* actively
look for kids that run away? That sounds
like crazy talk."
--- End quote ---
Normally, when a kid runs away, you either report them to the cops or you try and contact them yourself. But what I was asking is how they get the kid to go back.
Here are the things that worry me about Whittmore:
--- Quote ---Im a former resident of the Whitmore Academy. too make a long story short this place needs to be closed down. there is a lot of abuse that goes on there... and even after being home for almost a year i still get nightmares about that place. the webiste is fake, when u call up to talk to the people abou the program they will tell some of the kids exactly what to say and if they dont say it the right way they will go in OP, that is when u lye face on the floor without moving a muscle or speaking for as long as they keep you there which can be up to a few days. if you move they will beat you. you get brainwashed and verbally abused all day long. Im trying to get cps to check this place out. Tthis is a very private and DISCRETE program that no one really knows anything about. The program is based on the mormon religion and you are forced to practice that and only that, every other religion and belief is forbidden. if you don't, there will be serious consequences. Everything is sugarcoated and kept very discrete... no one really knows anything about this place. but please do not send your child here..
--- End quote ---
This post:
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=20#55500
If you read the various messages coming in quick succession from the same location, you'll see that they claim to be a parent and a student and, I think, a former student, all claiming to be in different places. They're obviously not in different places. So, if Whitmore is so kind and gentle and pleasant, why would they have to use deception to make the point? Why not get actual happy students and former students who actually are in different parts of the country to post?
This anon post:
--- Quote ---"YOU KNOCKED ME DOWN AND SPIT ON ME WHEN I WAS THERE BUT OH BABY AM I STRONGER NOW "
--- End quote ---
I have no more reason to believe you than this other stranger. I understand your motivations pretty well. Not casting any disparagement on you here. Everyone has motives for everything we do or we wouldn't do anything. Just that it's very easy to explain away all kinds of things, no matter what your gut tells you, if you really need to believe.
But the enforced non-communication is the big red flag. Why in the world would they prevent your kid from calling home? What do they say to them during the time that they're not allowed to talk to you?
--- Quote --- (this just in)
They do take involentary placements, I would
guess about 25% of the students are involentary.
--- End quote ---
So, how do they keep involuntary kids there and get them to go along w/ the program? I'm not suggesting that they shackle them to the wall physically. It's so hard to articulate what I am trying to ask about here. Bear in mind that, after first phase (which could be anywhere from a month or two to many months) we were never physically restrained from leaving Straight. From third phase on, we even went to school or work and had physical access to phones and whatever. Even given all the true horror stories about what went on there, they didn't need to physically prevent us from leaving or from telling about what went one once they'd broken us down. We outnumbered staff onsite by roughly 20/1 most of the time, yet I can count the instances riots and walk-outs that occured over 16 years in over 20 locations on just one hand.
The thing that concerns me about these places is the psychological and emotional abuse that can and does occur under the right circumstances. Placing kids under the authority of other kids who, in turn, are under the authority of charismatic newage gurus and isolated even from their own families seems to set up just the right conditions for this kind of psyche abuse.
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
--- End quote ---
_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Anonymous:
I'm Eric's wife. I'm very sorry for your experience, but the Whitmore is not like what you describe or like what the "close it down" person implies. We went there and had a fabulous time. So much so that my middle daughter who is 9 really wants to go there when she comes of age, even though she has no problems, goes to a fantastic school, and is virtually perfect from a parental point of view. I asked the Whitmore if that would be possible and was given the answer that they do also accept students who have no struggles or problems - I was told that there are about 3 students like that currently. I see this experience as a brilliant rite of passage that suits the teenage transition well. Even though it costs so much money - about $45,000 for 1 year, we will seriously look at trying to afford it for my middle daughter. It is absolutely brilliant - my eldest daughter is amazingly redeemed. We are so impressed with their program. It seems so human yet stretches and heals these teenagers. We have not heard of anything that we would count as abuse. They have limits, not abuse.
It sounds as if you have had a terrible experience that would take some recovery. I hope that you get the good attention that you need to do that.
Antigen:
Look, Eric's wife, don't assume that my interest in the industry is nothing more than a personal grudge. It's not.
I'm interested to know how this school, or any other, goes about retaining students who are placed involuntarily. Do you know the answer? If not, then you should find out because, along with whatever else she's experiencing, your daughter is also wittnessing and/or participating in that.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The people who ran straight had the best of intentions. I hope they reached their destination.
James Lloyd
--- End quote ---
Anonymous:
Who is this eric ? is it the same child abuser that was given free reign at cedu to do whatever his feelings tell him to do ? any melzer stories
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