TeenScreen: Gateway to Labeling and Drugging Your Children in the Name of Education

TeenScreen uses craftily designed questionnaires to label normal children with mental illnesses, and then prescribe them dangerous psychiatric medications. TeenScreen personnel only refer children to psychiatrists or mental hospitals for treatment, but a 2002 survey found that child psychiatrists treat 9 out of 10 children by drugging them (Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry).

TeenScreen is promoted as a suicide prevention tool, but in reality it allows drug companies, psychiatrists, and big brother government to use taxpayer money to further grow the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries.

Here are some of the questions used to label children with mental disorders:

1) Has there been a time when nothing was fun for you and you just weren’t interested in anything?

2) Has there been a time when you had less energy than you usually do?

3) Has there been a time when you felt you couldn’t do anything well or that you weren’t as good-looking or as smart as other people?

4) How often did your parents get annoyed or upset with you because of the way you were feeling or acting?

5) Have you often felt nervous or uncomfortable when you have been with a group of children or young people – say, like in the lunchroom at school or at a party?

6) Have you often felt very nervous when you’ve had to do things in front of people?

7) Have you often worried a lot before you were going to play a sport or game or do some other activity?

No, we are not kidding.

Here is a comprehensive, accurate overview of the TeenScreen program and agenda: http://www.oldamericancentury.org/teen_screen.htm

Despite the research showing screening tools like TeenScreen do NOT prevent suicide, schools are falling for TeenScreen’s slick marketing and sales pitches all across the country. One school district in Arizona, under the direction of the Tempe Arizona Compadre High School Board, decided to implement TeenScreen. The year of fall 2001 to spring 2002, before the TeenScreen program began, there were 0 incidents of violence severe enough to require the presence of an officer. The first year the TeenScreen program was in place, the rate went from 0 to 3 incidents. The following year, the rate jumped from 3 to 9. Antidepressants and stimulants can cause violent behavior—the FDA now admits this.

Although TeenScreen is not mandatory (yet), schools use a “passive consent” method of obtaining parental permission. This is an “opt-out” program where, unless parents sign a form requesting exclusion from the screening, the child is automatically screened. Per TeenScreen, this results in an 86% consent rate, as opposed to a 57% consent rate if the parents actually have a choice (how convenient). Here is an explanation of your rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) (aka Hatch Amendment): http://www.religiousfreedoms.org/articles/article_hatch_ammendment.htm

And a letter that you can print out, complete, and send to your school to request your child be excluded from any future screenings that may occur: http://www.religiousfreedoms.org/documents/doc_hatch_letter.htm

Some schools are administering the TeenScreen tests without parent consent. Teresa Rhoades of Indiana is suing her daughter’s school and the affiliated psychiatric facility for screening her daughter without her permission, and labeling her with multiple psychiatric disorders. Read her story here: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050616/COLUMNISTS02/506160429/1006/NEWS01

Ms. Rhoades has also started an Internet newsgroup called PARENTS AGAINST TEENSCREEN, where you can comment upon the subject and be kept up to date. You can join the newsgroup here: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Parents-Against-TeenScreen