[Fenris]

I've written a novel called Record Producer from Dimension X. I'm posting it for free on my website. It's a satire of the music business. It's about a female metal band that poses as a crappy pop group in order to get a record deal. They become famous and cause worldwide chaos.

During a blackout in New York City, the main characters have an evening to kill, so they play a little one-upmanship game, seeing who can tell the most frightening true story. Jasmine, leader of the band, tells about how she was locked up at age 16, in a place called "Oakton Bible Academy." Some of it is based on my own experiences, and some of it is based on the stories of other psychiatric survivors.

This story might make you uncomfortable ... you may call me a liar ... but places like Oakton really exist, and they are TYPICAL of the psych hospital industry. Thanks to a Supreme Court decision in 1979 (Parham vs. J.R.), minors can be incarcerated for NO reason, for YEARS at a time. This opened the door to legalized child abuse. The industry caters to abusive parents, and takes the abuse to new extremes.

Thousands of kids are getting locked up for "crimes" like skipping class, smoking cigarettes, refusing to go to church, swearing, et cetera. You can't instill character in a child by terrorizing, abusing, and humiliating him. All of this "tough love," "scared straight," "boot camp" garbage DOESN'T WORK. Raising good kids is a lifelong task, and there are no quick fixes.

[lucyjoy]

While crummy facilities do exist-some kids have to be in other settings for various reasons. My son went to a facility after his fourth attempt to kill me and his attempt to kill another child. Guess I should have held off until he succeeded? I know many families who had to remove children for safety and none of them were abusive parents and no facilities I know of cater to the parents at all. Sorry you had a bad experience.

[Fenris]

Gee ... if he's guilty of two attempted murders, shouldn't he be charged with a crime?

My mother claimed I "tried to kill her" ... later she admitted that she made it up in order to get me committed.

>>none of them were abusive parents and no facilities I know of cater to the parents at all.

Two flat-out lies. It's a money-making business, and they have to please the parents because the parents control the purse strings. In the facility I was in, ALL the parents had serious mental problems and ALL the children there had been seriously abused by someone or other.

[lucyjoy]

My child was seriously abused by someone. Yes, attempted murder is a crime but rehabilitation is the goal with juveniles. And my son was horribly abused by someone but it wasn't me. I have no money and can assure you the facility could have cared less what I thought. MY son did receive some treatment there that was useful though he still has serious issues to deal with which he is doing here at home.

You can think I'm a liar if you want. I do have records or the crimes my son attempted to commit-and he has admitted to attempting to murder among other things.

[michellemartin]

Fenris, I was in a mental hospital for children/teens.

I was there because my mom said I attacked her. Truth was that she tried to strangle me, I grabbed her wrists and held her against the wall till I thought she wasnt going to come after me anymore. Basically it was the first time I stood up to my mom and she got scared that she couldnt physically control me anymore. Police came, I was taken from the house. My little sis was left with my mom.

However, even though I was being sent there for all the wrong reasons, I was not treated poorly and I never saw anyone being treated poorly by the staff. I never heard of anyone being treated poorly by the staff either.

Also, thought the police were called, there is nothing in my record stating that I tried to kill or attack my mom. (maybe they felt she was lying) and though my mom said I attacked her, I never went to court for this. Just because there is no record of someone attempting a crime doesnt mean it wasnt attempted. Typically the victim (like lucyjoy) can decide to not press charges and to go with another option (like a treatment center).

Sorry your experience in a place like that was so terrible.

[hotspice58]

My 15 yo fs is going to one. He doesn't do well with freedom and he can't handle his anger constructively. I hate to see him go there, but he's a danger to himself otherwise.