OP-ED: Shocks inefficient and immoral
by Nathan Robinson
Op-Ed | 10/9/07
Posted online at 9:47 PM EST on 10/8/07
/ Last updated at 3:57 AM EST on 10/8/07
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Are we rushing to judgment?
The issues surrounding the JRC and its tactics for disciplining its mentally disabled students are complex. We wanted to make sure we understood all the facts before we in any way took action against the Center. While the allegations we had read in the Mother Jones article ("School of Shock," Aug. 20 issue) were extremely disturbing, we knew that it was essential to understand the other side of the issue before proceeding.
And so the members of our club did research. We read all of the news articles from the past 20 years that concerned the Center. We read an online response to Mother Jones by Matthew Israel, the founder of the Center. We poured over the Center's Web site. We read the New York State Department of Education's damning report about the JRC. We got in touch with The Arc, a major disability rights group, to learn more. We contacted psychologists to get further opinions. We discussed and debated as a group what we thought of the Center and its techniques.
Our verdict was clear: Even after hearing the Center's defense, the JRC stood out as a despicable institution. In fact, the JRC's Web site itself told us all the facts we needed to know.
The important part of this issue lies not in the Center's petty disputes with the Mother Jones reporter, or their quibbles with the Department of Education's disturbing report. The issue that needs to be discussed-the issue that the Center's representatives avoid confronting-is whether it's morally acceptable to administer painful electric shocks to handicapped children; children with mental retardation, autism and depression.
In this day and age, there shouldn't even be a debate. Modern psychological science has long since moved past the idea that corporal punishment is ever necessary or acceptable. Every major disability rights group strongly opposes the use of aversive therapy-including such groups as the Disability Law Center, the Mass. Developmental Disabilities Council, Advocates for Autism of Mass., the Disability Policy Consortium, and 16 others who have signed a joint statement condemning the use of pain to modify behavior.
Israel has a tendency to attack his critics for failing to understand the seriousness of the behavior problems in the Center's children, and for condemning him without a
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 60
Matthew Israel
posted 10/09/07 @ 3:51 PM EST
[For an easier-to-read, fully-formatted version of this reply, in which you will be able to use the links included there to go immediatetly to full text versions of each reference that is given in the below document, please go to http://www. (Continued…)
Matthew L. Israel, Ph.D.
posted 10/09/07 @ 6:07 PM EST
I note that Mr. Robinson accuses JRC of avoiding the issue of ?whether it's morally acceptable to administer painful electric shocks to handicapped children; children with mental retardation, autism and depression. (Continued…)
Matthew L. Israel, Ph.D.
posted 10/09/07 @ 7:55 PM EST
A further point. Mr. Robinson says the issue is "whether it's morally acceptable to administer painful electric shocks to handicapped children; children with mental retardation, autism and depression. (Continued…)
Liza Behrendt
posted 10/09/07 @ 11:07 PM EST
Dear Mr. Israel,
I would first like to thank you for taking interest in our group. It is encouraging to know that word is getting out about our cause!
Let me get to the point: no matter how much evidence I am presented with regarding the legitimacy of aversive therapy, whether psychological or legal, I still cannot- from a purely moral/ethical standpoint-support the use of aversive treatments. (Continued…)
Nathan J. Robinson
posted 10/09/07 @ 11:27 PM EST
I had a feeling Matthew Israel would issue a long, point-by-point response to my article. He tends to do this whenever anybody dares to question the JRC or its methods. (Continued…)
Nathan J. Robinson
posted 10/10/07 @ 12:45 AM EST
Oh, by the way, you can view a properly-formatted version (with all Israel's quotes in italics, to alleviate confusion) on my website, located here:
http://www. (Continued…)
Marissa Linzi
posted 10/10/07 @ 8:48 AM EST
I'd just like to show my support for Nathan and Liza and the Students Against the JRC by adding my own two cents:
Dr. Israel,
One of the major issues brought up in our meetings was that of the faculty at the Center. (Continued…)
Lev Hirschhorn
posted 10/10/07 @ 3:59 PM EST
While it is very clear that Mr. Israel and the JRC have good intentions, I believe that Israel fails to see the great moral dilemma presented by the shocking of children. (Continued…)
Matthew Israel
posted 10/10/07 @ 7:09 PM EST
In many of the comments I have seen about this topic, there seems to be a kind of horror factor at the thought of skin-shock being administered to someone. (Continued…)
Rachel Goldfarb
posted 10/10/07 @ 9:09 PM EST
Mr. Israel makes a good point regarding the more traditional treatments used in place of his shock treatments. It is true that there are children for whom positive-only procedures will not work. (Continued…)
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