West Ridge Academy Missionaries Tutor With Love

[_marg]

Hi Danna,

The article I cited by Maia Szalavitz didn't mention the term "behavior modification" she used "boot camp" but I don't think that adequately conveys what goes on. I don't know where I've picked up the term being referred to with these teen programs. By the way, did you read the article by Maia? The term which best fits in my opinion is "thought reform".

Kids are assigned to a beginning level and as long as they comply they can move up and get more priviliges. Initially just about all rights are taken away, they are humiliated in front of others and eventually they either learn to adapt or they suffer consequences. And it appears that is what goes on at Westridge. Abuse is essentially sanctioned and can become quite extreme.

Thought Reform Exists: Organized, Programmatic Influence

The Process of Brainwashing, Psychological Coercion, and Thought Reform

Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China

[_Inconceivable]

Just a wee gripe from me - these boot camp programs may call themselves 'behavior modification', but they have absolutely nothing to do with empirical behavior modification as practised by behavior analysts...

Yes Danna. I wholeheartedly agree with you. Spot on.

- even if 1/3 of the hosts of heaven (and a few fence sitters that somehow squeezed into human suits) emphatically disagree.

[_Danna]

once again, I didn't mean to lecture, I do run mad on the keyboard sometimes. Marg - your link did have the original term:

In 1974 Sen. Sam Ervin, the North Carolina Democrat best known for heading the congressional committee that investigated Watergate, presented a report to Congress entitled “Individual Rights and the Federal Role in Behavior Modification.” Ervin and other members of Congress were concerned about federal funding for efforts to change people’s behavior against their will, seeing a fundamental threat to liberty if such efforts were successful. The report cited The Seed as an example of programs that “begin by subjecting the individual to isolation and humiliation in a conscious effort to break down his psychological defenses.” It concluded that such programs are “similar to the highly refined brainwashing techniques employed by the North Koreans in the early 1950’s.”

It is almost certainly taken from self description by the programs. Any program that uses punishment seems to claim that it is based on behavior analytic research, or even based on the work of Skinner (cue Skinner rolling in his grave). Identifying that punishment has an impact on behavior is not actually the same as endorsing it as an effective or safe method.

In the report it seems to refer to changing a person's behavior against their will. Crickey. On the other hand, that is a government role - administering social consequences of criminal behavior. Like prisons. But look at what has to happen before a person gets sent to prison! I agree that sending a child to an institution to change their behavior against their will, on the sole approval of the parents who were supposed to raise the child properly in the first place, is just wrong.

Anyway, a look at the Westridge website does indicate that they take children in order to change their behavior against their will. This is spelled out here. what I find very concerning is this:

" Triangulation/Splitting. Example: Your child gets you alone and tells you about the mean things staff members are saying to him/her.

" This is where your child will try to split one parent against the therapist or the other parent to get his/her way. The child's goal is to dismantle those who are holding him/her accountable for his/her actions. Your child may even say, "Don't tell the therapist because I will get into trouble." The more united we are, the more effective the treatment and program will be.

" Fear Factor. Example: "All my roommates are drug addicts or gay." "I am not as bad as everyone else here." "The staff beats up the students." "The food isn't nutritious." "The school isn't very good."

" This is probably the most subtle and commonly used tool. If your child uses this technique, his/her goal is to split us. Your child is playing upon your fears to attempt to change the outcome. Your child wants West Ridge Academy to become the bad guy. If you have concerns, please check them out with your therapist in a way that continues to support the therapy we are doing. Fears are normal but usually based on false evidence.

And this on top of stopping all parent-child communication for 2-4 weeks.

This is just laying the groundwork for abuse. I am not a clinical psych by any means, but counselling parents to disbelieve a child's report of abuse is just crazy (note, I am not saying kids don't lie, just that they should be taken seriously until there is good reason to act otherwise). I am sure that most counsellors I know of, if their client were actually telling lies to their parents claiming abuse, would withdraw from the case and arrange for assignment of a counsellor who could retain the respect and trust of the client. Actually, I am pretty sure most therapists would not kidnap their clients in the first place.

The list of admission criteria includes: Bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD and bereavement (!) adoption and attachment disorders, and even personality disorders such as BPD. The full list reads like the DSM-IVR with standard teenage rebellion thrown in for good measure. If these kids have these diagnoses, they need personalised therapy (and possibly medication) within a secure family environment. Frankly, I would have expected a DSM-IVR diagnosis would actually be listed in the exclusion criteria, not the admission criteria.

Based on the website information alone, I would not be comfortable seeing any child with a diagnosis, or dealing with bereavement/attachment/adoption issues being admitted or retained against their will. I did look around the website to try and check out the credentials of the therapists, and maybe some of their published case-studies, but no such luck. Just testimonials.

[_Danna]

One thing that does amaze me is that Utah is the both home of bootcamp/adventure camp/handcart camp type change programs for wayward youth and the home of one of our behavioral science heroes, Professor Glenn I. Latham of USU. Sadly, I have heard that Prof Latham died recently. He was the originator of the original positive parenting program.

How did Mormonism produce such an amazing parent educator, and then, apparently, keep his light hidden under a bushel. OK, I just found out that Deseret book carries his 'Christlike Parenting' but he seems to be ignored by his own, and feted by the pagans.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out he was probably Mormon (I am only 99% sure of my source) a few years ago. But such is his stature in the behavioral science world, that I found my normal knee-jerk prejudice did not kick in at all. I only disagree with him on the role of evolved behaviors, a standard point of difference between modern and traditional behavior analysts. (the main area of difference is in modern rejection of 'baby training' in favor of attachment parenting or baby-led infant care, in recognition that baby behavior has strong evolved components that will not respond to behavioral change at the whim of an adult).

Anyway, if the parents sending their kids to Westridge academy had consulted or read Prof Latham, they could have avoided their problems in the first place.

[_marg]

Hi Danna, Eric posted this link http://0daynews.org/resources/media/wwasps-french-docu.html on his Mormon Gulag site, I hope you have some time to look at it. The videos are very interested. As far as these programs breaking a person's will down, you can see an example of this in the final 4 minutes of the first video, where a young girl has an opportunity to leave because she's old enough and her aunt is there offering to take her, but a phone call from the father saying he will disown her makes her change her mind. The young girl is operating out of fear.

I doubt that Westridge is quite as extreme such as use of pepper spray or dog cages however I'm convinced that the essence of the program, the humiliation, deprivation, the disrespect, treating the kids as if guilty and criminals, poor education, poor living conditions, isolation from rest of world, family and friends, restriction of what can be read, forcing of religion, etc. those things which Westridge does, pretty much follows the model that these thought reform schools use.

On that site it says Tranquility Bay program "is affiliated with WWASP, a discrete financial conglomerate, directed by businessmen of Utah attached to the patriarchal and authoritative values of the Mormon ultrafondamentalism."

I do believe that at the core of the abuse Eric has endured and in the particular case of Eric, is the "patriarchal and authoritative values of the Mormon ultrafundamentalism."

I don't think there was ever nor currently anything wrong with Eric's behavior other than he refused to accept and toe the line with regards to Mormonism as understood by the step dad. And for that he has suffered. And DCP and Bob have attempted to continue to perpetuate the abuse to some extent by ignoring Eric's complaint with regards to the school and instead focussing on undermining Eric's credibility and attacking him personally.

[_harmony]

On that site it says Tranquility Bay program "is affiliated with WWASP, a discrete financial conglomerate, directed by businessmen of Utah attached to the patriarchal and authoritative values of the Mormon ultrafondamentalism."

At the heart of every communication is the opportunity to laugh. "Ultrafondamentalism"?

I do believe that at the core of the abuse Eric has endured and in the particular case of Eric, is the "patriarchal and authoritative values of the Mormon ultrafundamentalism."

For once, please let us be clear: we have allegations of abuse. We still have no proof of abuse. We have no indictment, no arrest, no warrent. Until we have all of that, we don't have abuse. We have allegations only.

[_Trevor]

At the heart of every communication is the opportunity to laugh. "Ultrafondamentalism"?

Yeah, it would have been even better as "ultrafondlementalism."

[_marg]

For once, please let us be clear: we have allegations of abuse. We still have no proof of abuse. We have no indictment, no arrest, no warrent. Until we have all of that, we don't have abuse. We have allegations only.

We do have factual knowledge of abuse. Eric was sent away at the age of 15 until he turned 18 and walked out. We know he was unable to maintain a close relationship with his mother and sister and friends as a result, that is abuse.

If one looks into the program itself, in which individuals start out with no rights, are treated as convicted criminals yet no trial, no professional assessment was ever done, we know that alone is abusive.

[_rcrocket]

For once, please let us be clear: we have allegations of abuse. We still have no proof of abuse. We have no indictment, no arrest, no warrent. Until we have all of that, we don't have abuse. We have allegations only.

We do have factual knowledge of abuse. Eric was sent away at the age of 15 until he turned 18 and walked out. We know he was unable to maintain a close relationship with his mother and sister and friends as a result, that is abuse.

If one looks into the program itself, in which individuals start out with no rights, are treated as convicted criminals yet no trial, no professional assessment was ever done, we know that alone is abusive.

You certainly jump to conclusions easily without a lot of discrimination.

You only have Goodk's own word for what happened in his family and to him. There have been several demands on this board for more enlightening information; can you imagine what might happen to a poster who offered inside information or a rebuttal to Goodk's facts? You -- in particular -- would jump down that person's throat. I would be crazy to offer personal information about Eric and his life, good or bad.

But, GoodK's family itself is well-known in some parts. You're just trashing them. Eric's dad and mom are wonderful people. His dad is no church leader and never has been. They don't live ostentatiously. The kids at home are active in school matters, good students and just great. Eric's dad perhaps likes spending too much time thinking about and writing about Mormon topics, but it is a hobby that others share as well Eric's dad isn't absent from the family; he doesn't drink; he doesn't lose his temper. To trash them as often as you have, and to characterize them as dysfunctional, is really unfair. Eric's dad and mom are far better parents than I am.

Let me suggest that for the privacy of the family, you Marg just leave your speculations to yourself about them and their failures. They aren't public figures and didn't ask their personal lives to be dragged before mockers.

[_harmony]

For once, please let us be clear: we have allegations of abuse. We still have no proof of abuse. We have no indictment, no arrest, no warrent. Until we have all of that, we don't have abuse. We have allegations only.

We do have factual knowledge of abuse. Eric was sent away at the age of 15 until he turned 18 and walked out.

We have no factual knowledge of abuse. We have allegations of abuse, nothing more.

Sending a teenager away from home in and of itself is not abuse. Perhaps you should acquaint yourself with what abuse means, in legal terms. Under your definition, a teen who attends boarding school would qualify as abused. A teenager who goes to study abroad would qualify as abused. Me sending my son to live with his aunt would qualify as abused. None of those situations is by definition abuse, and, by definition, neither is GoodK's. That's why some of us here at least have been asking for some sort of documentation that legal action is proceeding. Until there is legal action, and UBR gets its day in court, there is no abuse; there are only allegations.

We know he was unable to maintain a close relationship with his mother and sister and friends as a result, that is abuse.

Again, not abuse.

If one looks into the program itself, in which individuals start out with no rights, are treated as convicted criminals yet no trial, no professional assessment was ever done, we know that alone is abusive.

In the USA, minors have very few "rights". You might want to do a little more research before you start talking about "rights". You have no idea what assessment was done, there have been no arrests, no searches, no hearings. We only have GoodK's word, and in a court of law, that's not good enough. Courts require proof; those making the accusation carry the burden of proof. GoodK has obviously not met that standard yet, as we see no action in the justice system around this.