Kids Must Stand Up for Their Rights
Posted by Derrick D. Blassingame
2-13-2006
As many of you may know, I am very concerned about “Kids Helping Kids.” Last Friday while standing with protesters and interviewing many of them, I was moved by the level of concentration these survivors have placed on this issue. For some it has been twenty years since being part of Kids Helping Kids (formerly Straight Inc.) and for many it is as real today as it was twenty years ago.
Normally I try and explore both sides of the issue with the good and the bad. I have spoken with representatives of Kids Helping Kids and have made requests for interviews. This organization is linked with many other cults and they use the same marketing director.
Overall Kids Helping Kids is a dark cult-like organization with a long history of abusing children in the name of recovery! How about Phase One, where contact with the outside world is cut off to other clients in the program? You must leave home and stay at a “host home” where complete strangers act as your parent and guardian. I wonder if any type of sexual or physical abuse has taken place? Giving youth power can sometime lead to all sorts of stunts and explorations. Or how about the “belt loop” (since abandoned in 2004) where everywhere a client goes, another teenager have his hand balled into a fist and wrapped around the child’s belt? Or how about the fact that these children cannot even go to the restroom without another teenager watching them?
KHK Headquarters
The building is camouflaged with a storage facility and there were no windows except for the at the entrance. The place was dark and gloomy. A serious gas leak near the building almost knocked me dead! The facility has no windows, other than the main entrance. The entire property is controlled and secured by other teenagers. In the middle of no where, this facility houses many young people with various (alleged) problems. Many insurance companies pay anywhere from $10,000 - $20,000 for treatment! A list of contributers is posted in the lobby area of the facility where I was able to identify National City Bank and Provident Bank as sponsors and supporters of the organization. I could not imagine children being able to make a full recovery from addiction in this facility.
Police Reports
Milford Police Department has reported to Kids Helping Kids on numerous occasions. In one report a client states “If he was not taken from KHK he was going to commit suicide.” The officer then had the client transported to the hospital for a “psychiatric evaluation.” The report further states, “Contact with child’s parent left up to KHK.” I cannot believe this! It seems like KHK not only has connections with powerful public officials, but also the police department. If a child reports to police that they are going to commit suicide if they are not removed from an organization or facility for alleged abuse and mistreatment, and then is forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation what does this tell us? Sounds odd to me. And why didn’t MPD contact the child’s parent? Makes me wonder about children’s rights. Have we forgotten about our youth? Or is this such a small organization that has no meaning to YOUR everyday life.
Let's Imagine
If this were a black organization and the clients were white. Would you put your child in it? Or, how many white people would tolerate a black organization beating the living lights out of their children? Or even watching their children use the restroom? I wonder.
Take a Stand & Be Counted
This is why I believe kids (teenagers and young adults) must begin to take leadership roles, organize ourselves, and advocate for ourselves. Organizations like KHK reminds me of the old “Child Labor” days; when kids were seen as a way to support their family and another hand to pick cotton. These children had no rights then and as we continue to watch organizations like KHK evolve, they have no rights now. KHK represents the worse in our community. This organization and others like it, sends the wrong messages to our youth. KHK teaches children how to conform to one set of beliefs, practices, and behaviors and is essentially a cult. During an interview outside the facility one “new comer” parent stated that she only receives “one call per week” from her son and was completely alright with it. But I wonder about her son. I wonder if he is “alright” or happy. According to an eye witness Friday after The Dean and I left a “new comer” was leg locked with an “old comer” heading to their host home. This is an “activity” that is suppose to belittle and humiliate the client. During the “host home” the new comer is lead around the house with the old comers hands on both their shoulders. The young lady “held her head down as though she was ashamed and humiliated.” These types of “activities” are suppose to “build character” and “teach discipline” but yet they have so many long term traumatic affects on young people.
Kids have rights! To those who would dare say otherwise is part of the conspiracy to keep young people down and immobilize the great strengths in being a youth. I recall the Walnut Hills students last year who rallied to ban Military Recruiters from recruiting from their school. (source) When young people come together things gets done. But when there individuality and creativity is taken away. it hurts us all. This organization will continue to be under my radar and I hope if any young person have gone through this organization will have enough courage to stand up and fight this institution. We are behind you. Kid Helping Kids reminds me of and old establishment that represents the old way. I am pissed off and you should be to!
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