School Pranked into Administering Electric Shocks to Students

1. Tim
   January 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pm

   Duped or not, they should be prosecuted.

2. Henry
   January 14th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

   what could have possibly been in that call to make school officials shock students?

3. Thomas
   January 14th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

   Seventy-seven?!? What could the kids have done to deserve that, even if they had done it? Hell, they stop at one shock for murder.

4. Steohawk
   January 14th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

   That "school" is nothing more than government-sanctioned child abuse. I'd love to see the students revolt, but I'd be afraid that those sick "teachers" would murder them.

5. Rose
   January 14th, 2008 at 11:00 pm

   I think the few parents who love this program should pay full tuition themselves and stop what appears to be a fully taxpayer supported program from being funded with tax dollars from tax payers who do not support what appears to be child torture.
   This is appalling!

6. VonSkippy
   January 15th, 2008 at 1:42 am

   Before you get too weepy, don't forget...

   It's not like these are your normal snowflakes, they're in there for a reason ya know.

7. Lasse
   January 15th, 2008 at 2:43 am

   I don't know what special care this kids need, but electrical shocks shouldn't be a part of "care" for anyone.

   The should call it the Mengele Educational Center.

8. Jitterbuggery
   January 15th, 2008 at 3:59 am

   While I can certainly understand the horrified reactions of most people to the mere existence of this school, it is by all appearances a neccessary evil. The students who are placed in the care of the school are only the most severe cases of self-harming mentally handicapped individuals. Using the well established techniques of behavior modification the officials at the school intend to allow these kids to live a normal life in which they will no longer beat their faces bloody against walls and swallow glass shards (a disorder known as Pica). It is far from perfect, but in most cases admitted to the school (which has a lengthly admissions process) almost every alternative has been tried. Now I ask you: would you rather have your child subjected to a painful and in some cases cruel seeming behavior modification technique, or continue to inflict life-threatening injuries on themselves? This is not a rhetorical question, I know which side of the fence I stand on, but I would not condemn those who disagree with me.

   As far as the prank goes, that is a question of effective administration (which is clearly lacking) not the viability of this school as a place for treatment.

9. ruby
   January 15th, 2008 at 8:37 am

   My mom was administered shock treatments in the 60's three times a week for 3 months in an institution. I know the long term effects of the treatments. My dad visited her after one and will hardly talk about it.

   I don't care if you treat with drugs to modify behavior...this is sick torture. Disgusting!

10. Matthew L. Israel
    January 15th, 2008 at 9:34 am

    For an accurate summary of what the Judge Rotenberg Center is really about, please go to http://www.judgerc.org/responsetoblogs.pdf

11. SW
    January 15th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    i guess there are pros and cons to the use of electric shock, but under what circumstances would you use them and put someone into 4 point restraints in an unsolicited phone call?! and did they shock while the guy was in 4 points? that's beyond cruelty

12. SW
    January 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    ruby, there is a big difference between the shock therapy you describe and the surface shocks these students are being given. i'm not saying that either is effective, necessary, or humane, i just felt the need to clarify.

13. Persephone
    January 15th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    Some of this children are self-harming, but most of these children are not. They are placed in this school because they are autistic, or have other issues, and the parents just do not want them around. The idea is that they can be forced by abusive treatment to behave "normally" and made to fit in.

    Not one single child has ever been cured. Not one. The school is evil. It should be shut down, but only after every parent and employee has undergone treatment there. Then every one of those parents and employees should go to jail.

    If a parent did that kind of thing directly to their child they would go to jail. However, society seems to believe that it is okay to abuse or kill a child that isn't normal. Parents who abuse and/or kill their disabled children are often given light sentences or even not prosecuted. This is often the same treatment given to care givers of the disabled.

    In other words, if you're different, you're not only worthless, but you're also less than an animal.

14. ¿Z?
    January 15th, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    thats just sick I would say what i think about that but then it would get really ugly...

15. ¿Z?
    January 15th, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    double post sorry hit the submit on accident.

    This is almost as bad as what happened to my friend.
    she basicly was almost raped infront of a couple of her (sarcasm)"friends"(sarcasm over. and the principal didnt even report it. her mom told her that the principal (whom im considering giving the name i will if somebody asks)isnt to be taken seriously and shouldnt handle any of her school stuff. she said to me that after that she didnt think she would be friends with any guys until she met me.

16. Alex
    January 16th, 2008 at 3:00 am

    @Matthew L. Israel:

    Thank you for taking the time to comment on this issue. I read your Response to Blog summary and found this passage:

    The skin shock procedure involves administering a two-second shock(15mA or 45mA) to the surface of the skin of, typically, an arm or leg.The shock feels like a hard pinch. It has no side effects other than a very occasional reddening or discoloration of the skin that clears up in a few minutes or at most a few days. It is administered, in the average case, only once per week. With the help of this treatment, the behaviors of many students improve to a point where they no longer need the treatment. There are no negative side effects and many positive ones as has been found in a paper that has recently been accepted for publication, written by Wietske van Oorsouw incollaboration with JRC clinicians entitled, “Side Effects of Contingent
    Shock Treatment.” [See
    http://www.judgerc.org/SideEffectsContingent.pdf.

    So how did it go from 1 shock a week to 77 shocks in a three hour period?

    The investigation by Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care found there was first degree burn due to the shock device. When the two students complained of pain from the shocks and requested medical help, they weren't seen by the nurse until the following day.

    The investigation was pretty damning:

    The investigation has found sufficient evidence to conclude that staff ... was physically abusive towards two residents placed in the program. ... allegation of physical abuse of the residents ... and ... by staff .... It is the judgment of the Department that staff ... had engaged in conduct which bears adversely upon his ability to provide for the safety and well being of a child.

    The investigation found sufficient evidence to conclude that the Stoughton House staff were neglectful in the care of residents ... and .... The program staff failed to protect the health and safety of the identified residents. ... the allegation of neglect of the residents by all staff. It is the judgment of the Department that the staff had engaged in conduct which bears adversely upon their inability to provide for the safety and well being of a child.

17. Mr. Kilowatt your invisible friend
    January 18th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    Very simple. Nerves are like small wires. You dump voltage down them they aren't designed to carry and you do damage period. Any electrical component that receives shocks has a shorter life. Is the body not bio-electrical-mechanical system?

    By the way "Pica" as reason to torture? Anyone who eats ice can be diagnosed with that lame duck disordered.

    No one should receive electrical shocks unless they can give informed consent. Unable to explain how it works what happens to the body, then you aren't informed sufficiently. No one truly moral and ethical would decide to inflict pain on another for their own good. Any person who believes torture is acceptable need to be inflicted with their cure until they learn.

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