The GEM Debate: Do Scare Tactics Work On Kids?
When I was in high school, I saw a movie that had a profound effect on me – and kept me on the straight and narrow! Not that I was headed for a life of crime of course – and when I detoured once into that territory, my mother was quick to step in and straighten me out.
The film was the award-winning documentary Scared Straight about a group of juvenile delinquents who spent a couple of hours with hardened criminals at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey. It ended with the kids literally being scared onto the straight and narrow.
Now, more than three decades later, A&E is airing Beyond Scared Straight, a series by the same producing team but with the same premise. The show premiered last night and here’s a little look…
Shocking stuff! But does it work – and is it fair to subject teenagers to this kind of treatment? So the GEM debate today is:
Do you agree with Scared Straight tactics? Do the ends justify the means? Or do you think it’s harsh and cruel to treat kids this way? If your kid was in trouble would you enroll them in a program like this…
Start commenting everyone – this is gonna be a good one!
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When I worked at the expulsion school, I found a program with Folsom Prison that was simular to scared straight–we took the kids in for an 8 hour day. They went through booking and one of the first thing they said was—This is not “scared straight; the prison does all the yelling.” (they were right) The boys (and yes myself) took an inside tour of the prison, including walking the yard while all the prisoners were out there, We were escorted by other prisoners. They were shown a book of some horrific pictures of men who died in prison for various reasons. They ate the same food. At the end there was a session where some real talk happened. Sometimes tears, and sometimes yelling. But no Bullying–
It was fascinating..It has been 5 years since I have done the program and being as I live in a small town I have kept up with most of the kids who did the program. Some still have some drug and alcohol issues, but not one has ended up in prison. -
My kids and I was watching that show yesterday. And I didn’t have to tell my babies that those women could not touch those kids. My son figured that out himself. And then I told him your right they cannot touch those kids now. Because they aren’t apart of the system. But when you become apart of the system yes they can touch you in more ways than you know. I teach my children to be LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. And they ask how to you do that mom? And I told them you have to go by the LAW OF THE LAND. Which if you don’t do the crime you don’t have to pay no time!
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I went there when I was a kid. (I wasn’t in too much trouble, but I guess it was enough.) Back then the guys could touch us and used to run their fingers in our hair to tell us “how pretty” we were and it was a little scary for a 13-14 year old, I admit. They took one of my wise-ass friends into a separate room and really gave himthe treatment because he was laughing during the “presentation”. But we were laughing about it the next day. So I don’t know that it had too long term of an effect on me. The bottom line is it was my parents and the environment I grew up in that made the difference. there was simply an expectation in my home, and it was often without a father, especially during high school, when Mom had to carry the ball alone, that we were expected to be good and decent people. So we lived up to the expectation set and exampled for us. I just don’t think one day or 1/2 a day of anything will change anyone’s life trajectory too much. sure it might change one or two kids lives and open their eyes and thats why its there and thats great. But we all lived through it just fine. parent’s today , or so I feel, DO tend to coddle their kids a bit much. Part of me is all for humanity moving forward to become on a higher moral plane where this is not needed. But is that what you see going on out there? The thing is, it seemed they sent us just to kind of keep the program going. I jut don’t know that we were bad enough!, to actually gain too much from it other than it felt like an amusement park ride. And kids hear alot more of what goes on in jail today than we did when I was a kid. so their job is tougher now than it was even then.
If it helps a kid, I’m all for it. But until a kid can spend the night in there, I don’t know that it will truly scare anyone off a path of ill repute if thats their destiny. At least not with the show I was subjected to. And I know I’m all over the place in my comments, but these are all true feelings from someone who went there. I AM of more than one mind about it. -
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The ends definitely justify the means. A 12 year old doing weed? Shoplifting? Having sex? All these kids were doing things that typically, ADULTS do. Since they want to act like adults, then they need to be aware of the adult consequences. Did you see how most of them were smiling and joking around in the beginning? They probably thought that since they’re kids, the prison visit would be watered down…boy were they wrong. Some kids just need to be grounded, others need to be scared out of their minds in order for their behavior to truly change and these are those kinds of kids. Heck, I was scared too. I think the show is great!