Advocating for the humane and just treatment of children and teenagers accused of violating sex laws

IMPORTANT NEWS


Help for parents

Legislative Update

News

Understanding the issue

Personal stories

Media coverage

Criticism from experts

Juvenile sex law

Get involved

Discussion board

Reading list

Organizations and links

Research on youth sexuality

Site map

Ethical Treatment for All Youth
www.ethicaltreatment.org
Email:
etay@ethicaltreatment.org

Please note: Unfortunately, we do not have the expertise to advise you in your particular situation. However, we do have generic information that may help you here: Help for parents

About the author

See a TV news report on abusive treatment in New York in 1993.
Read how this treatment continues today.

For engaging in oral sex with their peers, the boys were arrested and charged with rape, aggravated sodomy and aggravated child molestation. Four decided to accept a plea bargain, avoiding 10-year sentences, but forever being labeled sex offenders.

He is looking at being put on the public registry when he turns 18, along with his picture...Because of the registry and the stigma which accompanies it, we have had suicides, attempted suicides and youths who are ready to give up.

We have encountered young teenagers (13 to 15) who, as part of their treatment, have been compelled to recite daily creeds including phrases such as 'I am a pedophile and am not fit to live in human society'...these incidents cannot be dismissed as isolated examples of overly zealous practice but are directly derived from an uncritical application of prevailing treatment models.
--Juvenile sex offender treatment experts Mark Chaffin and Barbara Bonner

As part of his treatment, the 15 year old was forced to place a round, mercury-filled plastic device around his penis, and further forced to wear earphones and listen to pornographic tapes. Afterward the youth was encouraged to masturbate.

“...her therapists persisted until one day she tried to kill herself, the mother said...critics point to the boy's case as an example of a child put into the program without cause, who was treated with inappropriate and potentially dangerous methods, and who may have become violent as a result...”
What others have to say about ETAY

“Thanks so much for your work pulling together all of this research! I'm sure my colleagues here will be very interested to look at it, too."
-- Joseph Truong, Resource Coordinator,
National Youth Advocacy Coalition

"Thanks as well for your website. It appears to have much good information and I hope to read it through more thoroughly and refer to it again.”
-- Jennifer L. Bass, Head of Information Services,
Kinsey Institute

"We find your web site informative in its own right and are considering linking to it in our selection of direct links.”
-- Erwin Haeberle,
Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexuality