School To Continue Electric Shock

WCVB/TV Boston ^ | 12/23/2007 | (no author given)

[tajgirvan]

the teens, ages 16 and 19, were awakened in the middle of the night and given the shock treatments, at times while their legs and arms were bound. One teen received 77 shocks and the other received 29. One boy was treated for two first-degree burns.
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Pretty sick people to do that to anyone! The state does this and complains if Christian parents spank their children!

[Larry Lucido]

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Apparently, this practice actually has its supporters. Check out the pro and con comments on this Mother Jones article.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/school_of_shock.html

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I’ve personally seen shock therapy have very beneficial effects on a severely depressed person. She was almost catatonic - non responsive and it brought her back. She had some confusion for a week or so, but was back to pretty normal soon. Yes, it can work and I was glad it was available when it was needed.

[ken21]

they ought to use the electric shock on the school authorities

and then decide upon continuing the practice.

[darkangel82]

These people should be locked up for life, and have the same done to them.

[dighton]

The practice in question isn’t ECT, but shocks administered as punishment.

[Larry Lucido]

Yes, but I think you’re talking about electroconvulsive therapy, a recognized (if still controversial) psychiatric treament administered under anesthesia (if I’m not mistaken).

What is being described here is punishment shock as an adversion therapy.

[Larry Lucido]

Beat me by six seconds.

[pandoraou812]

I don’t see how stupid they could be that they wouldn’t check with a principal or wait until morning. This is horrible & the parents & the teachers or whoever they were need to be shocked for a long time. How could a parent place a child into a school that shocks children/teens? What could these teens have done that they deserved to be shocked?

[ReignOfError]

I can't think of a justification for this sort of "treatment", that staffers wouldn't question scores of electric shocks for "misbehavior".

There is evidence that ECT can be effective in reducing the most self-destructive behaviors. Were talking about severely-disturbed people who slam their heads into the wall until they knock themselves unconscious or bite themselves until they bleed profusely.

It is an extreme measure, and should only be used when other methods have failed. Only under close medical supervision -- not carried out by school staffers because they received a phone call.

[Route66]

You are right. We can’t spank our kids when they are at an age when it may do some good, but after they become a problem in their teens we can deliver shocks for punishment in the middle of the night? These teens no doubt need discipline, but have we gone so far off the deep end we don’t know what normal discipline is anymore? Most of the people engaging in this practice would probably fight to keep terrorists from being treated like this.

[freekitty]

OMG, this is absolutely insane.

[freekitty]

These people are nothing more than sadists.

[dayglored]

> There is evidence that ECT can be effective in reducing the most self-destructive behaviors. Were talking about severely-disturbed people who slam their heads into the wall until they knock themselves unconscious or bite themselves until they bleed profusely. It is an extreme measure, and should only be used when other methods have failed. Only under close medical supervision -- not carried out by school staffers because they received a phone call.

This wasn't ECT... as mentioned in other comments above, this was -- even if it had not been a "prank" -- solely as retribution for misbehavior. There's no evidence this was intended to be therapeutic at all. And of course the actual result was FAR from helpful.

BTW, I probably wouldn't have posted this article if I thought it was a legit use of electroshock. I'm not of the opinion it's bogus. But it has to be prescribed and applied with great care. We have very little idea of what it actually does to the patient, except symptomatically.

[dayglored]

> OMG, this is absolutely insane

Yep, pretty much sums it up.

[secretagent]

It is an extreme measure, and should only be used when other methods have failed. Only under close medical supervision -- not carried out by school staffers because they received a phone call.

Yes. I thought that proper ECT requires monitoring brain waves and heart signals. Can school staffers do that?

Also, the article could lead one to believe that the shocks resulted in burns:

One boy was treated for two first-degree burns.

!!!

I thought that modern ECT had amperages way, way, way below burn levels.

[dighton]

Beat me by six seconds.

The dude with the electrodes said I’d better, or else.

[Still Thinking]

I think I saw a movie like this once.

[Stonewall Jackson]

[wardaddy]

You can shock kids but can’t spank them.

Nuts