An American GULAG : Secret P.O.W. Camps for Teens

By Alexia Parks

Book Overview

Desperate Parents, Troubled Teens. Tragic stories of desperate parents, the choices they made, and how you can avoid making their same mistakes. In America, it's open season on children. Children have... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1930418019
• ISBN13: 9781930418011
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Education Exchange
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Parents who can't be called parents

I read the book and, contrary to what irresponsible parents and brainwashed students say, its content mirrors many other tales by people who survived these ominous facilities. The book may not be perfectly structured and well-written, but it tells the truth that everybody, including troubled teens' parents, shoulf accept. These boarding schools she describes in the book, mostly faith-based, are far from being exceptions. Their methods are the expression of their owners' fanatism and greed of money. Because even a fool could see that all they want is money. Parents have no excuse in sending their children to such places. They may have tried everything, but it's not enough. No parent can do such a horrible thing to his child saying it's for his good. Brainwashing, abusing and violating a person, destroying his identity, his personality, his self-esteem: however good the result might be, what's good in this practices? Forcing a person to change is not the way. And any parent who thinks this is the way to do things is just a superficial, irresponsible and ignorant person. Parents are responsible for their kids and their well-being. They should take responsibility. Signing some papers, paying a huge sum of money and putting their kids in the hands of people they don't even know in order for them to solve the problem IS NOT taking responsibility. It's dismissing a problem and having somebody else do what you the parent MUST DO YOURSELF, even if you think you're not capable. If you think you've tried everything, think twice. Or even a million times. A kid should never be put into the hands of such people. However, if a parents feels that somebody else should solve HIS problem, at least he should choose a school that is credited by the State and, more importantly, is NOT faith-based. Evidence shows that the problems described by "survivors" of these schools come up mainly in schools run by fundamentalists. Why not choose a school that has credentials? just because of money? In Europe there is no such place as a bible boot camp like the one described in the book. European teenagers face the same problems American teenagers do, there are some troubled teens here, too, but nobody sees the need for such a horrible facility. Are European parents better than American parents? I don't think so. They're just more reasonable and wise. Thank God MPBBA was shut down, and some others here and there have been closed, too. Too bad there are still hundreds operating in the US. I just hope that parents are seeing the light.

Well rounded, informative, and entertaining all at the same

I myself was sent to three different "Boarding Schools" or "Behavior Modification" programs. This book did a great job in showing the readers what these places are really like. I Just hope it makes a parent think twice before they decide to send their teen away to a "behavior modification" program. Thanks Alexia.

The silence must end

Alexia Parks tells the truth about what happened at some of these coercive mind-control for-profit mills. It is a growing business that preys on adolescents for money. There may be some good programs out there, but as a survivor of a horrible one, I can attest personally that parents cannot be too careful about where they send their troubled teen. Lawmakers should read this and write legislation to regulate all such programs thoroughly. Many "troubled teens" in these places, such as myself, were troubled by abusive parents. I and others I've connected with in the many years since I "graduated" remain anonymous out of fear of retribution by people still involved in the cult-like group, as well as out of shame for ever having been there, even though it was not my fault. I'm a professional and a good citizen, but got here later than I would have and I'm scarred by all the abuse I endured. Bravo, Alexia, for telling this story.

Another View

While reading this book, I took a tough emotional ride. I was sent to one of these schools at the age of 16. In fact, I was at the same school as "Katie" during the same time she was there...Anyway, this book may not be the most professionally put together expose on these schools, but since no one else has bothered to stand up against them, this book shines. Every parent who is considering sending their child to a school like this should a) read this book and various other information online; b) realize that your child WILL be brainwashed (or converted - your choice of terms); and c) visit the school and stay awhile. Don't just dump off your child to whatever convinent program offers to re-program for you...

Two Sides to the Stories

I have just read this book and must say there there are as many positive, healing and successful stories, if not more, from children whose lives have been turned around in teen-help residential programs. When a parent is considering a residential program for thier teen, they usually have tried everything else. Sometimes it is no fault of their own and sometimes it is mostly their fault that their teen is out of control. There are good schools out there and there are poor schools. Personally we visited and experienced both types. Our criteria boiled down to this: 1. there is no quick fix to our teen's problems, dispite the advertized results; 2. the program must have been successful and parents and family lives must have improved after and through the process of helping our teen; and 3. we wanted our teen safe and away from distructive influences. Our solution was the WWASP programs and they worked.