I just want to say that because of the great work that you are all doing in fighting for the children, some survivors might now feel that someone has their backs and may come forward with their stories. I think it's already happening and slowly victims and their parents are coming forward.
I just want to remind everyone that the victims may be suffering from PTSD.. Please be sensitive to their needs. This guy has done a fabulous interview with this mother: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkYoMWcH8Ok He let her speak, tell her story and followed her lead. I thought David Seaman could have been a bit more sensitive to Becki Percy. If anyone interviews a victim, just be mindful that these people have been living in a hostile environment where they haven't been believed. Be a soft place for them to fall and not a triggering factor for them.
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bkush ago
All this talk of ritual abuse makes me think of the "therapeutical youth programs" that I am sure are still around today, but were very prominent in the 90's and early 2000's (up until around '07 when more light was shed).
Long story short, there were tons of youth programs (residential units) modeled off of the CEDU platform. CEDU (Charles E. Dederich University) was a therapeuitcal program started in Southern California. It is alleged to have been developed out of Synanon. For those of you that don't know about Synanon and Charles Dederich, a google search is all you need to learn about the behavior mod cult.
The program I was held in was located in Montana, and I know they were prevalent in Montana, Idaho, and Utah, maybe more. From personal experience I can tell you there was serious ritual abuse. The abuses were on a scale from "minor" things like food and sleep deprivation (I only say minor because of the extremity of other abuses) to extreme things such as sexual and physical abuse. Kids disappeared, never to be seen again. It was rumored they were killed for saving information and trying to get it out (all communication was monitored and mostly prevented), or abducted for far more sinister purposes.
Most staff had SERIOUS interest in the sexual experiences of students (with an emphasis on wanting to hear about stories of rape, etc.), and crossed boundaries of physical contact BLATANTLY IN THE OPEN. This stuff wasn't even hidden behind closed doors. They used psychology and behavior modification to make kids think it was normal and okay.
For me, this nightmare lasted two entire years until I turned 16. And the after effects continue to this day. Even as I write this I shake. I have dealt with constant PTSD (I had already experienced ritual abuse when I was forced into the program, but it got far worse), insomnia, and a seeming impossibility to trust anyone or anything. I have even been called a sociopath by a doctor who did not understand that when you experience something like this, you no longer experience things like emotions in the way a "normal" person does.
If anyone wants more information, I am happy to share. There were very well documented efforts by wealthy people (including the man who owned the program I was held at) who spent millions lobbying against the creation of a Montana state board to monitor youth programs. Some time around 2007 legislation finally passed, and it seems things have gotten better. I am not sure how this all relates, but just wanted to share.
21yearsofdigging ago
Good post!!!!!!!!!!!!