Caught on Tape: Using Electric Shock to Control Students -- The Controversial School / Suzanne Somers
With video cameras a permanent fixture in everyone’s daily lives, shocking moments are frequently caught on tape and spread around the internet -- fast. Go inside a controversial school giving electric shock to their students. Meet a mother on a crusade for justice after teachers are caught on tape giving electric shocks to her son. The school defends their actions.
Plus, a drag racer who survived a car crash at 170 mph, to an 8-year-old colliding with a building while parasailing, Anderson reveals the most outrageous, death-defying moments ever caught on tape.
Meet a brave bystander whose heroic action of breaking up a fight on a NYC subway was caught on tape -- and he became a viral video star known as "Snack Man."
Then, actress, ThighMaster maven and New York Times Best-Selling author Suzanne Somers will share medical secrets she says can redefine aging -- from her new book, "Bombshell." She tells Anderson why she believes we can all live past 100 -- and how to do it. Plus, Suzanne reveals a medical breakthrough she calls a game-changer.
Comments
The lawyer representing the school that used electric shock should have it used on him on TV live and afterwards give his comments on the shock treatments! They should also have some of the school personel receiving the shock also giving their comments.
it is not right to do this to teenagers since even though they may look like a adult , they are not
It is completely barbaric! My 20 year old niece passed away in Jan. this year, 2012. She has always been special needs and wanted to feel normal so badly. She lived in Brainard MN where she was receiving SEVERAL shock treatments to her head. Never kept in the hospital to monitor after one. She was just getting home from one and had a MASSIVE HEART ATTACK from having to many treatments! They used her as a guinnea pig, knowing full well she should not have been making decisions like this, and there are limits on how many treatments one can have, and how often. Mayo limits them to 12 in a lifetime! Thats what these kids are to these teachers, guinnea pigs! Its SICK!
I was very disturbed watching the episode on the children being tortured by electricution. Nazi's did that. It's scary that the human rights of children are being so badly violated. No one in a democratic society would vote in favor of this. The lawmakers of that state and the schoolboard need to be removed and put on trial for torture, child abuse, and vilation of the Constitution of the United States of America. The world needs to be aware of what is going on and the sadistic people responsible need to go to prison. Someone has to protect the children and teach them to be compasionate beings, instead of sadistic power insaine inquisitors. Thank you for protecting children and exposing monsters.
I am SO disturbed to see this! I am a high school student and watching this broke my heart. This is inhumane. I feel like a school is supposed to be a place where the students can have a relationship with their teachers and be able to trust them. By shocking a student 31 times putting them in a catatonic state, excuse or not, is no way to treat a student or to try to develop a student-teacher relationship. This hit me so hard I was almost crying in front of my dad. If someone can't control another human being, using a device which could permanently damage them isn't going to make them want to listen to them any more. The only thing this is accomplishing is making these children with disabilities more scared of the world they live in, and less likely to stand up for themselves. So saddening. The show today made me realize my passion for standing up for people who can't stand up for themselves. Thank you Anderson for opening my eyes to the things that need to be changed in the world.
Whew. The children weren't the only ones shocked. I'm still shaking. I've heard about this school, but seeing the video made it all more horrid. I'm the parent of a young man with Intellectual Disabilities and I have seen some families go through hell with children with self-destructive behaviors, but I don't think I know anyone who would resort to this.
And hasn't it ever occurred to the father who has had his daughter there for thirty years, that maybe it's not working?
And they should try something else?
First of all, outsiders always have a comment standing on the outside looking in. I compare that to the sport of football. Guys/Gals are always commenting on what the quarterback did not do. Okay, since you know so much, why don't you try out and play ball. Until, you are actually in the situation, you should probably reserve comments. I did not view the entire footage, I am speaking generically as a teacher of students. We have some very violent and disrespectful students sitting in classrooms around the globe. I understand from research more so in the United States. These students bully, tease, fight students on a regular basis. We have absolutely no control any more in the classroom. I have studied all types of behavioral interventions. You will not have total support from everyone regardless of what you do. You will have naysayers. Sometimes, we try things by trial and error, just like parenting. I am a very sensitive person and will cry about most things. However, it is just about finding the right solution for the right person. Maybe, it should not be a one-size-fit-all. But, you play the hand you're dealt. People make comments all day about something they know very little about just because It has not affected you in any manner. Let your child come home beaten, bloody, and tooth knocked out by one of these disorderly students and then see what you have to say about that. You would want that person to be imprisoned for life. Come on people.Stop the meddling when you are not in it. For the record, I do LOVE children, especially, mine.
I just want to say that it is so wrong for them to shock kids with bad behavior. What I mean is we get are kids taken away from us when we spank them when they act up, so why do they get to shock them. This really upsets me!!! Everybody say'es that if we spank or even pop are kids in the mouth that's abuse. So why on earth do they get to do this abuse to the kids? My oldest son is in a school for his behavior and they don't do that, and he is doing just fine now!!! Who ever thought that this would work needs to be in jail! What makes them have the right to do this? I'm on the mothers side on this! IT'S WRONG TO SHOCK THE KIDS PERIOD!!!!!!!!! IT'S ABUSE NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, and THE PARENTS THAT ARE ALLOWING THEM TO DO IT NEED TO HAVE IT DONE TO THEM TO SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT,THEN THE KIDS NEED TO BE TAKEN AWAY!!! I have never wrote in to a talk show in tell now!!! It is so wrong on what they are doing to the kids, I feel that the teachers and staff need to go to jail and the school needs to shut down!!! NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S ABUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regarding electrical shocks to control "out of control" students: If any of these "jerks" were to touch any of my children, grandchildren or great grandchildren with this type of punichment there would definitely be consequences. This is the most barberic kind of treatment one could ever imagine. Every parent who has a child in this "school" (concentration camp) should have the school (camp) investigated. The founder of the school should be extradited back to MA and face the music. He/she should not have a choice. Any other criminal would have to face the consequences. What makes this person exempt? The students are being tortured. Since when do we torture children or adults in this country? I will agree there are children who are out of control but i believe there must be a humane way of dealing with it. I believe you get more flies with honey than vinegar!!!!!!!!!!
anderson i just think that this is appalling. i am about to turn 30 on the 17th of july and i have had seizures since the age of 13 so this so called "debate" hits close to home. as i am sure you have heard, having a seizure is like having a thunderstorm going off in your brain. so when people talk about this subject, whether good or bad, it gets me really heated up. cause that's how i see electroshock therapy.
I work in the field of mental health and all I can say is that this is reprehensible! Shock treatment is torture pure and simple. Medications, if given in the right combinations, can help an individual with developmental disabilities live a relatively normal life. The staff in the home I work in would never subject our clients to such abuse, because in Michigan shock therapy is considered just that, abuse. What those students need is natural supports and consistency when it comes to behaviors. I work in a home that specializing in violent behaviors and the techniques we have been trained in have worked wonders with our clients. They need to feel safe and cared for not terrified and abused. I hope that Maine will take a hard look at their laws and make this form of torture illegal as well. Everybody who participated should be convicted to prison terms.
I am a teacher and work with general ed and special ed students. While I can say that it looks tough to accept seeing a child being shocked, if studies show that in the long run the end result is beneficial for this child who will one day be an adult and have to live in society; I have to say let it be done. People believe children shouldn't receive pain because it would do more mental damage than good, I beg people to re-evaluate that belief. The generations that have survived the real serious beatings from parents to even nuns in schools, where is the damage today?
Everyone in this school who really thinks it is appropiate to use this kind of treatment on children SHOULD HAVE IT TIED TO THEIR GENTIALS AND SHOCKED AS MANY TIME AS NEEDED TILL THEY FALL OFF. AND THE LAWYER THAT IS DEFENDING THIS CRAP HAS ALREADY SOLD HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOES THE NAME HITLER MEAN ANYTHING? SHAME ON THEM. WHY WAS THAT ASS ALLOWED TO RESIGN HE NEEDS TO BE IN PRISON AND TREATED THE WAY HE ALLOWED THE CHILDREN TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Anderson,
On 7/10/12 I watched your show about this behavioral client and the people you had on stage represent the perfect formula for what is wrong with behavioral treatment today. I am someone who is considered an expert in the field of behavioral treatment of dually diagnosed clients and I can tell you there is a percentage of this population that is need of this very behavioral modification treatment. In most cases the parent is a participant in the child's behavioral escalaltion, teaching the child that he or she is untouchable. Then you have the disgruntled employee who after they are fired cries about the inhumane treatment followed by the attorney, which on top of the multiple felonies these individuals have tied up the courts with, adds an additional burden of consuming our judicial resources because they cannot be punished because they are incompetent. In Florida, if you have a mental health diagnosis and commit a felony but are deemed incompetent to stand trial not only do you not suffer a consequence, your charges are dropped anywhere in between 2-5 years depending on the person's DSM IV diagnosis. This parent that was on stage represents many parents who want someone to develop a miracle treatment without drugs, without aversive treatment, without anything but behavioral services which any behavioral analyst will tell you is impossible when a client is suffering from severe mental health issues. These individuals are becoming more violent often attacking family members, memebers of society, and as we all read politicians- did we forget what happened to congresswoman Gifford?! In my opinion, if an individual has gone to residential treatment centers, used psychotropic medications, had behavioral services, and all have failed these individuals must undergo electro-shock therapy a.k.a. aversive therapy, or be locked up where they cannot hurt anyone again, which of these two scenarios do you feel is more humane?
thanks for letting me know the newsletter, sorry what happened in the cat accident and suzanne somers. and telling who is on your show for the week. well take care and god bless you too. have a great day.