Chinese death beaten to death at addiction camp

[zen]

This is supposed to be in the Internet addiction forum, but I can't find it.

The world was shocked by the death of a Chinese teenager who was allegedly beaten to death by rehabilitation camp supervisors. The 16 year old inmate Deng Senshan was sent to Guangxi Qihuang Survival Training Camp by his own parents to cure him of his Internet addiction. In the process his parents shelled out $1000 for the "treatment"

[AmitaLaSalle]

That is horrible news. Addicts should be treated with more leeway and respect. They are sick. This is tantamount to beating up cancer patients! Only worse!

[LiaAtha]

I feel for the kid and his parents. Here they are hoping that a treatment facility would do its best to cure their kid, and not only do they find out that their kid was not treated humanely, they have to take him home to bury him!

[Peruvian]

The thing is, the kid didn't even have grave offenses! He was punished by being put in solitary confinement just because he arrived early at the establishment... and he was beaten because he ran slowly!

[Blender]

I have been to China in the past year, and you should understand that Internet addiction there is handled very delicately. They are literally afraid that their kids would become addicted to the Internet. Like it's some kind of AH1N1 virus or something.

[cafeamelie]

And not only that. Most of the treatment and rehab centers are run by quacks. Their practices are not only bizarre, they are cruel. This is proof that China should do something about these people. Before they kill again!

[tequila]

Just last month, I remember coming across a news article that the government banned electric shock treatment in these centers. I remember thinking then that it was horrible that addicts are being punished that way, and they call it as treatment!

[lemon]

I read that too. That's about Yang Yongxin who charged more than $800 a month to treat internet addiction with electroshock treatment and psychotropic drugs and boot camp exercises!

[MarissaS]

And so far the Chinese government has not done anything about all these???

[DocMon]

Originally Posted by lotus

That is so cruel and inhuman. Behavioral problems are much more different from drug related problems and could be treated with patience and guidance, but nor corporal punishment. This is shocking.

Shocking is actually the last word I have in mind. But in China, the press and the government has banded together to create a culture of paranoia that would scare off people from the Internet. Remember that China puts a very high degree of control on media and other ways of communication.

The Internet is one that they find rather difficult to control, hence the spread of misinformation.