Unethical and Ineffective Practices of many Therapists

Journalist writing a piece on the unethical and ineffective practices that many therapists are using on juvenile sex offenders in the name of "treatment," and how far removed many of these treatments are from best practices that have been thoroughly researched by experts like Drs. Chaffin, Silovsky, Letorneau, and others. Seeking described practices such as:

-- Aversion therapy: kids made to smell ammonia or snap their wrists with a rubberband every time they have a "deviant" thought.

-- Keeping kids in treatment for far longer than is necessary, thus prolonging their involvement in the criminal justice system (since many must "successfully complete treatment" to be released from parole)

-- Forcing kids to disclose their entire sexual history and then reporting kids for revelations they make (even ones that happened long ago and do not put anyone else in imminent danger), so at the completion of treatment they're re-arrested and charged with new sex crimes. Also using invasive tools like plethysmographs and polygraphs to force disclosures.

Question: have you heard of such practices happening anywhere? Do you know any teenagers or young adults who have been through such experiences as juveniles and might be willing to talk? If not, would you be willing to post a call to your local listserv and asking for families who have experienced this and might be willing to share their stories?

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