Teen & Children's Legal Rights

HEAL is putting together a list of youth rights by state. We have listed what your rights are in your home state and what can be done to improve the laws for your protection. It is our position that the "teen help" industry is in direct violation of most state and many federal laws relating to children and US citizens in general. We believe that by knowing your rights and/or the rights of youth, you will be a more effective advocate for yourself and others. We have included legal arguments and legal help resources to aid you in fighting for your rights and preventing your parents' or friends from illegally incarcerating, falsely imprisoning, and excessively violating your or your loved one's constitutional and international human rights. See below for more information:

FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS

(Print Your Federal Rights!)

The behavior modification industry is violative of the constitutional, civil, and human rights of American citizens, including children and teens. Below, you will find a list of violations, applicable federal law and court rulings, and cause for taking immediate and deliberate action to regulate and/or close down this un-American industry.

1. The Fourteenth Amendment: Equal Protection of the Laws

According to U.S. Supreme Court rulings a teenager is protected under the 14^th amendment(1) and due process is necessary before extreme punishments and removal of liberties is imposed(2).

The results of the Milgram Experiment(3) and Stanford Prison Experiment(4) exemplify the absolute danger children and teens are in when put in absolute captivity under the control of unqualified staff under illegal and immoral conditions.

Placing children and teens in a lockdown facility without benefit of due process is a violation of the 14^th Amendment

2. The First Amendment: Freedom of Expression

According to U.S. Supreme Court rulings, a teenager is protected under the 14^th amendment. The court stated that school officials must have “more than a mere desire to avoid discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint…Undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough to overcome the right to freedom of expression.”(5)

Since the First Amendment applies to children and teens, programs that deny self-expression, freedom of association (i.e. talking with other students), or freedom of religion ought to be immediately closed down for constitutional violations. Many behavior modification programs have received and continue to receive state and federal funds to operate. Some school children are shipped out of state or even abroad under an Independent Education Plan through their school district.

Denying children and teenagers freedom of association and self-expression is a direct violation of their first amendment rights.

3. The Eighth Amendment: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

It is understood that the bar of cruel and unusual punishment applies strictly to government acts. However, as stated in number 2, these programs do receive federal assistance in many cases. And, acting under the color of authority for school districts, juvenile courts, and family courts throughout the nation these programs are torturing and killing Americans never found guilty of any crime. These programs violate Habeas Corpus.

The average age for legal consent to sexual intercourse within the United States is 16. The average age for legal right to file for emancipation from parents is 16. Teenagers are afforded more control over their bodies and futures from the age of 16 throughout the United States. A person who is fit to drive, have sexual intercourse, have an abortion, and become emancipated by law is certainly protected by Habeas Corpus and Due Process (supra).

The U.S. District Court, District of Utah, in Milonas v. Williams (Nos. 80-1569, 81-1407., 1982) found Provo Canyon School guilty of cruel and inhumane treatment of children at a time when Provo Canyon School was receiving state and federal money and the program is still in operation abusing children and defrauding families today.

Children and teenagers are protected from these practices under the 8th Amendment. Programs and parents who violate children's rights are in direct violation of federal law.

4. The Ninth Amendment: Unenumerated Rights

It was certainly not the intention of the founders of the United States to allow for the systematic torture, brainwashing, and other gross civil and human rights violations to be allowed against the young citizens of our great nation. Children are denied their privacy, being forced to urinate, defecate, bathe, change menstrual pads, and more in front of peers and staff. This is done purely to humiliate, psychologically torture and break the child.

In addition, the incoming and outgoing mail is censored and/or monitored/read by staff and children are forced to re-write letters that do not conform to the rules, mainly, letters that expose abuse and wrongdoing by the program and its staff. This is a 14^th amendment violation according to the Federal District Court findings in Milonas v. Williams (Nos. 80-1569, 81-1407., 1982): “In former students' action against private school for youths with behavioral problems for its use of "behavioral-modification" program allegedly violating section 1983, record supported finding that the school's use of polygraph machine, its monitoring and censoring of student mail, its use of isolation rooms, and its use of excessive physical force violated students' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. U.S.C.A. Const.Amends. 1, 14; 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983.”

Certainly our Constitution can and should be read as to demand the protection of our most vulnerable, our children, from such atrocious crimes as torture and death under the guise of treatment.

5. The Thirteenth Amendment: Abolishing Slavery

Slavery is illegal in the United States except for those convicted of a crime and considered a part of their repayment to society. Many children are being used as slave labor in behavior modification programs.

Children are being forced to labor without compensation and under duress for the financial benefit of these programs.(6)

These programs violate the Thirteenth Amendment and Federal Child Labor laws.

Citations

1. Bellotti v. Baird (1979) U.S. Supreme Court

2. Ingraham v. Wright (1977) U.S. Supreme Court

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Prison_Experiment

5. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969) U.S. Supreme Court

6. http://www.heal-online.org/bethelsuits.htm

MENU BY STATE: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW MEXICO, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING,

ALABAMA

Legal Age of Majority: 19 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 18 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/26-13-1.htm)

Abortion Requirements: Parental Consent Required unless emancipated. (for more info, visit: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/26-21-1.htm)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old (some restrictions--must have learner's permit and lessons for 6-month minimum)

Improvement Needed: Emancipation law revision, child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Alabama Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Endangering welfare of child. ( http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/13A-13-6.htm )

(a) A man or woman commits the crime of endangering the welfare of a child when:

(1) He or she knowingly directs or authorizes a child less than 16 years of age to engage in an occupation involving a substantial risk of danger to his life or health; or

(2) He or she, as a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a child less than 18 years of age, fails to exercise reasonable diligence in the control of such child to prevent him or her from becoming a "dependent child" or a "delinquent child," as defined in Section 12-15-1.

(b) A person does not commit an offense under Section 13A-13-4 or this section for the sole reason he provides a child under the age of 19 years or a dependent spouse with remedial treatment by spiritual means alone in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner thereof in lieu of medical treatment.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Alabama. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

The youngest child to be recognized as an adult in recent years by Alabama courts was Christopher Pittman. Pittman was tried as an adult at age 12 for the murder of his grandparents.

It is our understanding that trying a 12 year old as an adult is a court's recognition that children 12 years old and older can be competent and mature enough to handle adult rights, responsibilities, and consequences. A state cannot have it both ways. And, a constitutional and legal objection should be raised based on the lack of uniformity in laws applying to minors.

Legal Help in Alabama:

Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org)

Phone
(334)956-8200

Mail
400 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a civil rights law firm in Alabama. They have taken on behavior modification programs where children are being tortured and abused. See: http://www.splcenter.org/legal/docket/files.jsp?cdrID=45&sortID=3.

American Civil Liberties Union--Alabama

http://www.aclualabama.org/

Get Help: http://www.aclualabama.org/GetHelp/RequestLegalHelp_English.pdf

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds. At this point, your federal rights have been violated. And, the ACLU or Southern Poverty Law Center should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

If you are a survivor of a program, you can successfully sue your parents as well as the institution (David Taylor vs. Charter Medical Corporation, ( United States Court of Appeals-- 162 F.3d 827 et. al.). You may also wish to consider pressing criminal charges against the program staff, owners, and/or your parents for false imprisonment, child endangerment, physical and psychological abuse, and homicide/wrongful death if applicable.

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void). If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping. Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable. Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

Unlawful "laws" do find their way on to the books in many states. It is up to us (this means you too) to challenge unlawful "laws" and get the state codes revised to not be in violation of federally protected rights.

For additional free legal resources, visit: http://www.lawhelp.org/AL/

ALASKA

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.aypf.ak.org/Emancipation_Handbook.doc)

Abortion Requirements: Parental Consent Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.law.state.ak.us/pdf/press/parental_consent_release.pdf )

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old (some restrictions--must have learner's permit and lessons for 6-month minimum)

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Alaska Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Alaska Legal Definitions (see: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/forms/dv-150.pdf)

Assault and reckless endangerment (physical injury, threats of injury, or acting in a way to create the risk of harm)
Kidnapping (taking/holding a person against his/her will)

Custodial interference (taking or holding a child or incompetent person without legal right)

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Alaska. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Alaska:

American Civil Liberties Union--Alaska

http://www.akclu.org/

Get Help: http://www.akclu.org/ContactUs/onlineform.php

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

If so, the financing of your incarceration is through or to be through state and/or federal funds. At this point, your federal rights have been violated. And, the ACLU or other civil rights attorney or firm should be contacted.

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

The contracts parents sign with behavior modification programs are often unconscionable (thereby void or voidable) and often illegal (void). If a program is holding a teenager or child based on an unconscionable or illegal contract, they are committing unlawful imprisonment and possibly kidnapping. Parents have the right to void unconscionable contracts and unlawful contracts are unenforceable. Holding a US citizen (including minors) against their will in an abusive and torturous environment is illegal and all of those party to this illegal act can be held accountable civilly and criminally.

For additional free legal services, see: http://www.alsc-law.org/

TOP

ARIZONA

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/12/02451.htm&Title=12&DocType=ARS )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.supreme.state.az.us/selfserv/abortion_forms.htm)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, etc.)

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Arizona Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Arizona Legal Definitions (see: )

A parent has neglected or willfully abused a child if either:

The parent has inflicted serious physical or emotional injury on a child; OR

The parent knew or reasonably should have known that a person was abusing or neglecting a child.

Source: A.R.S. §8-533(B)(2).

Parents who knowingly (or reasonably should have known) place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Arizona. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Arizona:

American Civil Liberties Union--Arizona

Get Help: www.acluaz.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

Currently, you may contact the ACLU of Arizona for help. You may visit there website and click on “intake” to submit a description of your case or contact them at:

American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona
Executive Director: Eleanor Eisenberg
P.O. Box 17148
Phoenix, AZ 85011-0148
Phone: 602-650-1967

Karen Kothe--Phoenix, AZ

She is a great attorney!!

Call her at: 1-602-358-2060

Sara Powell has experience representing families and victims of the teen "help" industry. Give her a call!

Law Office of Sara J. Powell

550 W. Portland St.

Phoenix, AZ 85003

602-996-4447

For additional and free legal help, visit: http://www.azlawhelp.org/

TOP

ARKANSAS

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6433/ )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Consent Required (for more info, visit: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/20850.php)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 14 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, 6-months learner's permit,etc.)

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Arkansas Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Arkansas Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Severe maltreatment means sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, acts or omissions that may or do result in death, abuse involving the use of a deadly weapon, bone fracture, internal injuries, burns, immersions, suffocation, abandonment, medical diagnosis of failure to thrive, or causing a substantial and observable change in the behavior or demeanor of the child. Ann. Code § 12-12-503

Parents who knowingly (or reasonably should have known) place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Arkansas. The very purpose of behavior modification is to create a substantial and observable change in the behavior or demeanor of a child. This equates to severe maltreatment. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Arkansas:

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

Currently, you may contact the ACLU of Arkansas for help. They do not have a website at this time. However, you may contact them directly at:

ACLU of Arkansas

Executive Director: Rita Sklar
904 W. Second Street, Suite 1
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-374-2660

For additional and free legal help, visit: http://www.arlegalservices.org/Home/PublicWeb

TOP

CALIFORNIA

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 14 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/648/)

Abortion Requirements: Parental Consent Not Required (for more info, visit: http://www.ppgg.org/site/c.esJMKZPKJtH/b.1104813/)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 18 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 15 1/2 years old (some restrictions--parental permission, 6-months learner's permit,etc.)

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

California Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

California Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Penal Code § 11166.05

Serious emotional damage is evidenced by states of being or behavior including, but not limited to, severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or untoward aggressive behavior toward self or others.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of California. Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage. This equates to emotional abuse. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in California:

American Civil Liberties Union--California

Get Help: www.aclunc.org (Northern California) or www.aclu-sc.org (Southern California)

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

Tom Burton, Attorney at Law

thomasburtonlaw@aol.com

Ph. 801-918-1656

Contact the ACLU of California for assistance. The information for “intake procedures” is:

How to file a complaint with the ACLU of Northern California:

Intake Procedure

1. You can call our complaint line. Callers can reach the complaint line Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at (415) 621-2488. Volunteer counselors staff the ACLU complaint desk. They are not lawyers but are trained to pre-screen intakes. They cannot give legal advice to you, nor can they refer you to an individual private attorney. They can, however, bring your complaint to the attention of an attorney for review, or give you an appropriate referral to another agency.

2. You can write to us. The ACLU also accepts written letters as intakes. Please do not send documents, and try to limit letters to one page. If we need more information, we will contact you. The address is:

Intake
ACLU of Northern California
1663 Mission Street, Suite #406
San Francisco, CA 94103

Walk-ins are not seen; they are asked to call the complaint line or write to us. If you do not live in Northern California, you may contact the office above and ask for referral information for an office closer to you. If you are an attorney practicing in California who would be interested in representing victims of the “teen help” industry, please e-mail us and we will list you here.

For free legal aid in California, visit: www.lawhelpcalifornia.org

TOP

COLORADO

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 15 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6445/ )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/mandatory-parental-involvement/reports/laws-requiring-mandatory-parental-involvement-minors-abortion-6132.htm)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 15 years old or 17 years old (see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/colorado.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Colorado Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Colorado Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 19-1-103

Abuse or child abuse or neglect means any case in which a child is subjected to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse means an identifiable and substantial impairment or a substantial risk of impairment of the child's intellectual or psychological functioning or development.

Abandonment
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 19-3-102

A child is neglected or dependent if a parent, guardian, or legal custodian has abandoned the child.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Colorado. Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage. This equates to emotional abuse. Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Colorado:

American Civil Liberties Union--Colorado

Get Help: http://www.aclu-co.org/aboutaclu/intake2.htm

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

You may contact the ACLU of Colorado for legal assistance. Visit: http://www.aclu-co.org/aboutaclu/intake2.htm for directions on submitting your case for help.

CONNECTICUT

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 16 years old (for more info, visit: http://www.larcc.org/pamphlets/children_family/teen_emancipation.htm )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2225814)

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Connecticut Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Connecticut Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

[Effective October 1, 2007]

A child or youth may be found neglected who:

Has been abandoned
Is being denied proper care and attention, physically, educationally, emotionally, or morally
Is being permitted to live under conditions, circumstances, or associations injurious to the well-being of the child or youth
Has been abused

A child or youth may be found uncared for who is homeless or whose home cannot provide the specialized care that the physical, emotional, or mental condition of the child requires.

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

Abuse includes emotional maltreatment.

Abandonment
Citation: Gen. Stat. § 46b-120

A child or youth may be found neglected who has been abandoned.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Connecticut. Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage. This equates to emotional abuse. Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Connecticut:

American Civil Liberties Union--Connecticut

Get Help: http://www.acluct.org/

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

For free legal help in Connecticut, visit: http://www.slsct.org/Home/PublicWeb

TOP

DELAWARE

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 15 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/6463/ )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Notification Required if under 16 (for more info, visit: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_PIMA.pdf )

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old or 18 years old (for more info, see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/delaware.htm)

Eligibility to Drive Unsupervised: 16 years old

Improvement Needed: Child welfare laws revision, protections added to mirror states such as New Jersey!

Delaware Teens and Advocates, Click Here for Printable Legal Information and Form(s) for Yourself and Your Friends!

Delaware Legal Definitions (see: http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.processSearch )

Neglect
Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 16, § 902

Neglect shall mean the failure to provide, by those responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child, the proper or necessary education, nutrition, or medical, surgical, or any other care necessary for the child's well-being.

Emotional Abuse
Citation: Ann. Code Tit. 16, § 902

Abuse includes emotional abuse.

Parents who knowingly place their children in an unregulated, unmonitored, behavior modification facility are in direct violation of the child welfare laws of Delaware. Behavior modification programs are known to engage in practices that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, depression, and rage. This equates to emotional abuse. Abandoning a child to the care of known or highly suspected child abusers is illegal and amounts to conspiracy to commit child abuse. The information is prevalent that these programs are systemically dangerous, torturous, abusive, and deadly (i.e. create an unreasonable risk of harm to the child).

Legal Help in Delaware:

American Civil Liberties Union--Delaware

Get Help: www.aclu-de.org

HEAL recommends you prepare your statement with the following questions in mind:

Have you or someone you love been threatened with or escorted to a private, lockdown facility?

If so, was this a court-ordered placement?

If not, was the placement or prospective placement a result of an Independent Education Plan through the public school system?

What program are you or your loved one incarcerated or to be incarcerated in?

What is the history of abuse, legal action, etc. of that facility or its sister facilities?

For free legal help in Delaware, visit: http://www.lscd.com/Home/PublicWeb

You may contact the ACLU of Delaware for legal assistance. Visit: http://www.aclu-de.org/intake.htm to submit your case for assistance.

FLORIDA

Legal Age of Majority: 18 years old

Emancipation Eligibility: 16 years old (for more info, visit: http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/minors/emancipation-of-minor/1264/ )

Abortion Requirements: Parental Notification Required (for more info, visit: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_PIMA.pdf )

Age of Consent to Sexual Intercourse: 16 years old or 18 years old (for more info, see: http://www.ageofconsent.com/florida.htm