Note: I posted a shorter version of this diary yesterday, at a busy time when diaries were quickly scrolling away: Teens Abused, Dying, at "Boot Camps." Detroit Mark kindly suggested that because of the importance of this issue, I should update and repost the diary. I think that's good advice.
Horrifying stories of children and teens being abused and even killed in "boot camps" for troubled youth are surfacing during a GAO investigation of these camps. Many of these "camps" are run by fundamentalist Christians who believe the Bible commands strict physical discipline of kids with behavior problems.
Excerpts from a USA Today article, GAO study reveals boot camp 'nightmare':
The first federal inquiry into boot camps and wilderness programs for troubled teens cataloged 1,619 incidents of abuse in 33 states in 2005, a congressional investigation out Wednesday reveals.
The study, by the Government Accountability Office, also looked at a sample of 10 deaths since 1990 and found untrained staff, inadequate food or reckless operations were factors..........
The House Committee on Education and Labor is investigating these camps, which are not regulated by the states.
According to the article, here are some instances of abuse uncovered during the hearings:
Roberto Reyes, 15, died of complications from a spider bite in November 2004 at Thayer Learning Center in Missouri, which describes itself as "a military based, Christian boarding school."..... The staff tied a 20-pound sandbag around his neck when he was too sick to exercise, the GAO said..........
At the American Buffalo Soldiers boot camp in Arizona where Anthony Haynes, 14, died in 2001, children were fed an apple for breakfast, a carrot for lunch and a bowl of beans for dinner, the GAO said.
Haynes became dehydrated in 113-degree heat and vomited up dirt, according to witnesses..........
Another article, GAO: Boot camps neglected teens' fatal health problems, describes other instances of abuse/neglect leading to death:
The mortician told Bob Bacon he needed to see his 16-year-old son's body. When he looked, Bacon "buckled at the knees," he told Government Accountability Office investigators.
"What he saw was unrecognizable as his son, except for a childhood scar above the eye," says a draft GAO report planned to be released today. The body was "covered with cuts, bruises, abrasions, blisters and a full body rash.".............
A 15-year-old date-rape victim from California enrolled in a 9-week wilderness program in Utah in 1990 to build her self-confidence, her parents said..........The parents would later learn, however, that their daughter would be going on the program's first wilderness trek, a five-day hike on federal land. She collapsed and later died of dehydration.....
A month later in Utah, a 16-year-old Florida girl struggling with drug abuse died of heat stroke while hiking during a 9-week wilderness program. The program brochure described "days and nights of physical and mental stress with forced march, night hikes and limited food and water."..........
A 15-year-old Oregon boy died at an Oregon wilderness program in September 2000 of a severed neck artery. The boy had refused to return to the camp site after a group hike. Two staffers held him face down for almost 45 minutes in an attempt to bring him under control.....
In Florida, seven guards and a nurse from a now-closed boot camp are currently on trial for manslaughter:
Defense attorney: Florida boot camp beating 'a day at office'
An excerpt:
PANAMA CITY, Florida: Outsiders cannot understand the "paramilitary" environment required at a now-closed Florida boot camp where seven guards allegedly repeatedly hit a 14-year-old boy hours before his death, a defense attorney said Monday at their manslaughter trial.
The 2006 incident was part of "a day at the office" for the drill instructors and a nurse, Walter Smith told jurors.The videotaped altercation sparked national outrage and forced the closure of Florida's juvenile boot camp system. Martin died on Jan. 6, 2006, a day after the 30-minute videotaped incident at the Panama City boot camp run by the Bay County sheriff's office and overseen by the state.
Prosecutors say the guards suffocated Anderson by covering his mouth and forcing him to inhale ammonia fumes. He had collapsed after running laps.
Here's a news feature about an abusive Christian reform school based in Indiana. The school sends American teens to the Dominican Republic for "training", most likely to avoid scrutiny of U.S. officials.
I also found this list of dozens of shocking articles about Christian teen boot camps. The information was compiled by the Rick Ross Institute, which maintains a database of information about cults, destructive cults, controversial groups and movements.
Sample articles at the site:
The Cult That Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry
3 Men Jailed in Beating at Youth Camp
Certainly not all of these camps are run by fundamentalist Christians. However, it's important to note that Christian fundamentalists believe that because every human being is born sinful, it is necessary to use strict discipline, including physical force, to drive "rebellion" out of children. They quote the Bible to admonish parents to ignore a child's crying during discipline, and to condemn and shame parents who are reluctant to spank their children.
I'm including this link, Eight Misconceptions About Spanking, taken from a Christian site, to give you an idea of how Christian fundamentalists deal with their children.
Many of the parents seemed to have no idea of the methods used at these camps, but not all the parents were ignorant of the strict discipline used. Why would some parents knowingly send their children to these abusive camps? Because the parents believe the camps are run in a "Biblical" manner, and that physical force may be necessary to straighten out their teen's behavior. Most of us here are well aware that troubled children and teens are suffering from behavioral disorders; fundies believe troubled youth are being deliberately "sinful". Thus, the Christian boot camps are geared towards convincing the teens to "repent of their sins" as an alleged key to solving their behavior problems.
Obviously, that worldview opens the door to all manner of cruel and inhumane treatment, as the GAO is learning through this investigation. Since there are currently no state regulations governing these camps, it would be a good idea to educate ourselves about "boot camps" that may be operating in our own states, and blow the whistle on the abusers.
I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts. How can we help protect these children and teens?