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Name: | Jonathan
([email protected])
| | Date: | 11/28/2007 12:25:46 AM | | Subject: | Elan School | | | I am a former resident of the Elan school. All of the exits are guarded at all times by students. Being screamed at by four different people at once and let's estimate about an average of three times a day for two years is not just not healthy but is clearly insane.
The first day I arrived at Elan I walked into a room where a "three house ring" and "general meeting" was being held. A boy's nose was the receiving end of a boxing glove and blood streaming down his face was the result from being in the "Ring". Then about one hundred and fifty students in rows of about five all "got their feelings off", which involves screaming and swearing in a persons face who is deemed to have done something "wrong" in the eyes of the so called "Directors" of the school that is a "General Meeting". The "Directors" keep the momentum of these unbelievable events going. I always wished my parents would make a surprise visit and stumble in on a "General Meeting". What would they think?
("General Meetings" could happen as often as two or more times a day. "Rings" happened occasionally, which consist of a circle of students surrounding the "offender" and the other student who are both wearing boxing gloves. The outside circle is taunting the offender while the two box. When the student gets tired another takes his or her place to be in the ring with the "offender")
The "Directors" are the ones who tightly control each of the students lives. Reading students mail, having phone calls listened to so that nothing could breach their operation of making $50,000 a head a year per student.
At night a student stays awake to guard the dorms of his or her gender. Every ten minutes for eight hours a night a "bed check" is conducted. Each student has their sheets lifted up and a flashlight is shone on the students body to make sure they don't have any hidden clothing to take with them in the event that they try to run away. Could you imagine having your sheets pulled up every ten minutes for eight hours every night for years? Can you imagine that students are expected, who are in positions of responsibility, to stay up all night and be a "night guard"? And if you fall asleep you will be punished and be made to scrub the floors for a couple of days and have your shoe laces taken away.
"The Corner", which is really a term dubbed for being put into isolation, is used to take a child who is not conforming with Elan out of the population. Another student is then placed with them as a "support person". This support person could be subject to the other student acting out, which could involve attempts at self mutilation, being spat on, sworn at, screamed at, exposed to the students genitals, exposed to them masturbating for shock effect but Elan has a no kick out policy. The "support person" may be expected to physically restrain the acting out student. Sometimes the support person had to hold them down on the floor and have plastic restraints put on the student so his or her hands are behind his or her back. Sometimes this student who is acting out could be in the corner for over a month. Spending his or her days facing the corner of a wall and sleeping on a dingy mattress on the floor. This student could spend a month acting crazy like this and then stop and come out of "the corner" only to be put right back in because he or she starts acting out again. Usually there was at least one student in "the corner" for the two year period I was there. Also if the "support person" may take their eyes off this other student in "the corner" and he or she decides to self mutilate and succeeds then the "support person" will be stripped of his or her position of responsibility and made to scrub floors for a time of maybe two to three days. Can you believe that this is allowed to go on? A fifteen year old child being forced into this responsibility if he or she wants to succeed in Elan? Also that child who is"acting out" does so because he or she is standing up for themselves albeit it is in a damaging fashion but that is how a person may cope when being forced to stay in a place like Elan.
The school curriculum, is fabulous for an unmotivated child, with no test, exams, or projects it couldn't be better. When parents receive news that their child, who was once possibly failing in school, is now getting great marks they could only think that Elan is doing something right. That is one of the tactics Elan uses to decept parents and school boards but ultimately rob that child of a real education.
Could you imagine not being allowed to go outside when you want? When I was in Elan you pretty much got outside once a week for a gym class. If you were lucky you got to go out for special outings maybe once every month or two but that only happens after about six months, which I would say is about the average length of time it takes for the "brainwashing effect" to be fully active in a student. After that constant fear and guilt consumes a student and everything from brushing up against the opposite sex to taking a minute longer in the shower than is allowed is written down on a piece of paper(referred to in Elan as "copping to your guilt") and given to the powers at be so they know your every move. So basically everything that Elan deems as "wrong" is instilled through feeling immense guilt and usually eventually you fess up. When I was in Elan for about a month I spat in a staff member's coffee but nobody knew except me. A year later I told on myself. By the way Elan is co-ed but no physical or flirty behaviour is allowed. Can you imagine a house full of hormonal teens being watched over so severely that you're scared to look someone of the opposite sex in the eye for too long? I received a " general meeting" for being flirty. I had people scream and swear in my face for ten minutes because I am human. This is where the ultimate control happens and the "Directors" or staff were ruthless. They would scream and swear in your face and make you feel absolutely hopeless. They controlled the level of fear among the students.
Can being around all of these things and many other detrimental things for years be conducive to grow up healthy? Because you really are growing up in Elan. Two or sometimes three years during your teens is crucial and Elan tears those pages right out of your life. THEY CAN NEVER BE REPLACED. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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| 21 | |
Name: | Anthony Connelly
(@ [email protected])
| | Date: | 11/14/2007 12:45:24 AM | | Subject: | Kids Helping Kids | | | I was in this behavior modification program from 86-88. It is a sick, deceptive program that uses identical tactics used by cults. If you would like to read more about my experience, you can visit this link which has my Federal Declaration Form:
http://www.heal-online.org/kids.htm
Tony | | | Post Reply | | |
| 20 | |
Name: | Anthony Connelly
(@[email protected])
| | Date: | 11/14/2007 12:44:28 AM | | Subject: | Kids Helping Kids | | | I was in this behavior modification program from 86-88. It is a sick, deceptive program that uses identical tactics used by cults. If you would like to read more about my experience, you can visit this link which has my Federal Declaration Form:
http://www.heal-online.org/kids.htm
Tony | | | Post Reply | | |
| 19 | |
Name: | Lorri Spickelmire
([email protected])
| | Date: | 11/6/2007 3:34:42 PM | | Subject: | Roloff Homes | | | I am a Roloff Home survivor and have been away from the homes for 21 years now, but the wounds are still raw and the nightmares still frequent. I run a support and healing group on yahoo groups called Healing From Abusive Programs. Anyone interested in healing from their time in these programs is welcome. If you go to the group home page and request to join we would be happy to have you. | | | Post Reply | Display replies to this message
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| 18 | |
Name: | gabriella
([email protected])
| | Date: | 11/4/2007 9:49:34 PM | | Subject: | hephzibah house | | | i was a student at hephzibah house in indiana. although it was 18 years ago, there is still a lot of hurt and resentment that i carry because of those experiences. i had no idea that this site existed....i have to say that i was not at all surprised to see hephzibah house listed as an institution that was a confirmed abuser!!!! if any of you have questions about this place or if you know someone who is there or a parent who is considering sending a daughter there...please feel free to e mail me. i have definitely moved on in my life, but i am more than willing to talk about this and to hopefully keep someone else from experiencing some of the abuse that goes on there. it's crazy that these things are done in the name of god! | | | Post Reply | | |
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