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ksn.com
Congress investigates teen boot camp
abuse
October 10, 2007
Watch the Video
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 10, 2007
(NBC) -- Desperate to help their troubled children, many parents
have turned to so-called wilderness boot camps.
But a new study out Wednesday by
the federal government warns that thousands of kids are being abused
in the mostly unregulated programs and at least ten have died. Some
lawmakers want the federal government to step in and stop what they
call institutionalized child abuse.
The problem goes back at least to
the 1990's, when Aaron Bacon died at a boot camp in Utah. Concerned
about his pot smoking, Aaron's parents sent him for what they
thought would be wilderness self-awareness. In fact, his father
testified Wednesday, Aaron was force marched and starved to death.
Aaron's father, Bob Bacon said he
suffered "twenty one days of ruthless and relentless physical and
psychological abuse and neglect."
The government study released
Wednesday found ten boot camp deaths.
Gregory Kutz of the General
Accountability Office said, "Many of these kids died slowly while
program management and staff continued to believe that they were
faking it."
Erica Harvey collapsed and died at
her Nevada camp in 2002.
Security video shows 14 year old
Martin Anderson after being beaten in a Florida program last year.
He died after the beating. Eight employees are on trial for
manslaughter in that case.
The new study says parents of
troubled teens are desperate.
The websites of camps like
Alldredge Academy are reassuring. The programs look safe. But
Alldredge was ordered closed after the suicide of 14-year-old, Ryan
Lewis, who earlier slashed his arm.
Ryan's dad Paul Lewis said, "Ryan
was ignored and consequently at 730 on a cold rainy night,
desperate, alone and abandoned our son hung himself."
Alldredge has reopened.
An association of residential
programs says it's cracking down. Jan Moss, executive director of
the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs said,
"Clearly we still have a very long way to go."
Right now it is the states that
regulate, or don't regulate, these tough love programs. Some
lawmakers want to change that so that all boot camps are regulated.
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