Although David had no criminal record, was not violent and hadn't been abusing drugs or alcohol, a Brightway psychiatrist determined that the boy required prolonged treatment. That is David's account of how he ended up at Tranquility Bay, and it's at the heart of a lawsuit asking a court to order him returned to California over his parents' objections. David's case, on which a superior-court judge in Oakland is expected to rule this week, pits the civil liberties of a teenager against the right of a parent to decide how to raise a child. Some parents who have resorted to such programs say their intensive boot camp-style approach has been the crucial factor in turning around their troubled children's lives. Life in many attitude-adjustment schools is closer to prison than prep school.
Facilities are spartan, discipline strict.
And parents sign a contract allowing the school to use handcuffs, mace and stun guns on their children. But we take them seriously, and we train for them. The love is even tougher at attitude-adjustment wilderness camps. Teens are enrolled for one to three months of rigorous camping and treks through the wild. To establish discipline, food and water are often withheld.