Another "straight camp" horror story has surfaced on the Internet (as if the first one I read about weren't enough). Very rarely do things I read about make me feel physically ill. This however, is one of the exceptions. It also isn't exactly what I like posting about, but I can't not post it.
Here are a few snippets from the account (all emphasis mine):
On May 10th of 2007 at around 2:30 in the morning two strangers barged into my bedroom. [...] I was sure that these two strangers had broken into my house and were going to abduct me, rape me, kill me, or in some way harm me. They immediately told me that if I did not shut up that they would handcuff me. [...] The two strangers were from Teen Escort Service, a for-profit company that transports teenagers, usually by force, to WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs) facilities.
[...] “God” and bible references were used on a regular basis, along with religious videos, praying, etc. even though Cross Creek claimed that they were not in any way religious. [...] The program reprimanded children for telling their parents about this religious influence and regularly tried to hide it from parents.
The queer shaming was present in nearly every aspect of the program, including the language used. We were not allowed to use curse words such as “shit”, or “bitch”, but I never saw anyone reprimanded for saying “fag” or “faggot.” [...] I even remember a facilitator in a seminar trying to trigger a girl by calling her a “dyke.”
I vividly remember a facilitator yelling at a girl while kicking her out of a seminar for not participating or being “real” enough. She told her in an extremely vivid and foul language (the f-bomb included) that if she continued the behavior that got her to the program she would be raped again. She had the student write an essay on this.
I will forever be haunted by the day that I was in group and the program director barged in and started saying that it’s as if I have “ABUSE ME” written on my forehead, insinuating that I was just asking to be abused in some way by the way that I carried and presented myself.
Shortly after I left the program I was raped. I shared what happened with my mother, who then told me, like Cross Creek did, that it was my fault, I asked for it, and that I should have known it would happen. She then proceeded to share her own twisted version of the story with my Cross Creek therapist, who shared it with my group. I was mortified and my self-esteem was completely destroyed by this utter lack of confidentiality and complete betrayal of trust.
Here’s a bit about the history of WWASP and Cross Creek. WWASP was founded by Robert Browning Lichfeild.[...] His field of study was in business (he attained absolutely no credentials or education in psychology, therapy, or education) [...] and within several years he had become a very rich individual and had added many more schools to his chain of “behavior modification”/”tough love” schools [...] He is also a major contributor to the Republican party, donating thousands of dollars each year [...] From what I’ve read his massive sum of money and big political influence have gotten him and his colleagues out of the situations in which he and his criminal organization have been questioned. But please, do not take my word for it. Do your own research. This information is readily available to those who are willing to look.
I think I hit the biggest highlights, but there's plenty more where that came from—what I've posted is not even half of it. If I touched base on everything, I would have pasted the whole thing and boldfaced half of it.
I don't even know what to say to this right now, but later I may post a few reflections and observations about it. I'd also like to take her up on her offer to do my own research—not because I don't believe her, but because I want to do a well-sourced write up on this sick gentleman, his "school," and its "transport service," if for nothing but its own sake.
I need a nap now. My head hurts (probably not because of this, but it certainly didn't help).
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