Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy
Methods and Techniques
Troll Control:
--- Quote ---On 2005-04-22 16:35:00, Libra wrote:
"Any positive reinforcement or reward system is so insignificant as to be inconsequential. I don't think it takes B.F.Skinner to see that. "
--- End quote ---
This statement is pretty well divorced from reality.
Time and time again, it has been shown that positive reinforcement is the best way to achieve lasting change in behavior.
In fact, B.F. Skinner himself HAS documented this phenomenon. Rats that were trained to press a lever (behavior) to recieve food (positive reinforcement) learned the behavior rapidly and continued to exercise the conditioned response (lever press) for long after the reinforcement ceased.
In addition, Skinner also showed the poor conditioning effects of negative reinforcement (i.e. the REMOVAL of an UNPLEASANT STIMULUS upon the performing of the desired behavior). Rats were trained to press a lever to alleviate an electic shock delivered to them in the "Skinner Box." When the electric stimulus was halted by the examiner, so was the conditioned response (lever-pressing).
Now, in the context of BM "schools" like HLA: Children are berated and abused until the desired behavior emerges (i.e. indefinite "restrictions" were lifted upon "conformance.") This is the same as "negative reinforcement" (the removal of an unpleasant stimulus when the desired response is generated). This model is proven ineffective in rats and humans.
Positive reinforcement systems such as a "Token Economy," in which the subject earns "credits" (tokens) for desired behaviors and can later redeem those credits for privileges that they enjoy (a new book, tv time, a game of billiards, etc) are some of the MOST EFFECTIVE forms of shaping behavior. The token economy, coupled with strong "modeling" by adults works best for these kids.
Also, it has been proven incontrovertibly that IGNORING an undesired behavior is the fastest route to EXTINGUISHING it.
So, any intelligent person can see that strong modeling, positive reinforcement and ignoring undesired behaviors is the MOST EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE treatment modality.
HLA, in contrast, has WEAK MODELING (counselors yelling, screaming, calling names, changing rules to suit their ends, giving drugs/cigs/dip to favored kids, etc.), NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT("punishment" until desired behavior results, which is NOT LASTING, as referenced above), and ATTENDANCE to undesired behavior (confrontation and punishment) which actually REINFORCES the undesired behavior by rewarding the subject with attention.
THEREFORE, it is ineffective at best, DAMAGING at worst.
It doesn't take B.F. Skinner to see that, now does it...?
Deborah:
Libra will have to confirm this, but I interpreted that comment to say "Any positive reinforcement or reward system [at HLA] is so insignificant as to be inconsequential. I don't think it takes B.F.Skinner to see that."
I think s/he concurs with your opinion/ observation DJ.
Troll Control:
--- Quote ---On 2005-04-22 14:17:00, Anonymous wrote:
"If a child runs off campus, what would you suggest would be the best policy? Let them walk and then call the parents? Let them walk and then call the law? What if they are 14 or 15. What would you suggest the safest way to handle that situation would be? As a parent, I would want to be notified immediately, and the law notified immediately as well to try to find my child.This is clearly not just a "dropping out of school" issue if they live on the campus of a boarding school. I would like some opinion on this subject as to the best scenario for this sort of situation."
--- End quote ---
I can't comment on what the cuurent "policy" is at HLA regarding runaways.
I can say, however, that when I worked there, we NEVER called the parents. I was told directly by the headmaster NEVER to call the parents unless an injury occurred or the police were involved (we were also instructed not to call police), in which case the "incident" couldn't be hidden.
Basically, there were to be no "outsiders" involved in HLA's business. That's the way they liked it and that's the way they intended it to transpire.
For me, the best way was to just walk with the kid, try to talk to them, and most of all, let them know that I, personally, did not believe in restraint and would never initiate a "physical" with any kid, ever.
In the dozen or so cases of "walk-off's" that I personally dealt with, I was able to get the kid calmed down, opened up and talking and we would simply reverse course and have a "walk-and-talk" back to the campus. I always had the trust of my kids and was able to get them to "do the right thing" through reason, not coercion.
In regard to what SHH said in another post, yes there WERE restraints used to keep kids on campus. I did see that happen a few times with "control freak" staff who were just not going to be defied, even if it meant a "physical." I saw students who were bruised and hurt and completely "shut down" for days afterword. That DID happen, despite the fact that a part-time clerical assistant might not have "seen" it.
A few incidents like the one described above, the fake dgrees, the obvious ignoring of written policies, the lying to parents and students alike, the inappropriateness of staff, the nearly non-existant education provided, and the closed "don't ask, don't tell" demeanor of the executive staff led me to the realization that I could never, in good conscience, stay involved with that place.
That belief has been well reinforced by the absolute horror stories I have heard from kids on this board as well as "my" kids from when I worked there that still write me today to share problems that linger from their HLA experiences.
The best bet is simply not to incarcerate your kid there...
Troll Control:
--- Quote ---On 2005-04-24 08:13:00, Deborah wrote:
"
Libra will have to confirm this, but I interpreted that comment to say "Any positive reinforcement or reward system [at HLA] is so insignificant as to be inconsequential. I don't think it takes B.F.Skinner to see that."
I think s/he concurs with your opinion/ observation DJ."
--- End quote ---
Ohhhhhhh...Ok. Sorry. My fault. I did not mean to "attack" the person (who may actually agree with me), just the (perceived) erroneous behavioral science.
Deborah:
To elaborate on this topic, I have seen no long term 'independent' studies that prove the efficacy of aggragating 'distressed' children, thousands of miles from home and in isolation from the real world.
I have found numerous professional opinions, research, and anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Why Programs Don?t Work
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=20#52579
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=903&forum=9
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#61374
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#53071
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... =300#32242
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... &forum=9&0
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#61854
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#86158
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#84826
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#63964
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#56606
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#53849
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#79171
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2745&forum=9
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... &forum=9&1
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=20#49825
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=10#63727
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#46691
http://www.wpic.pitt.edu/aacp/Vol-15-3/Youth.html
And one of the most revealing from the industry!
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#56579
What a parent might do instead:
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=40#22188
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... um=9#23852
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=50#75535
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=10#21702
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0#23855
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