In February of 2001, when I was 17 years old, my parents – upon recommendation of a private social worker – sent me to Tranquility Bay, a WWASP run school in rural Jamaica.
This was but one in a series of efforts to “save” their troubled teen.
Previous plans threatened included being kicked out, sent to inpatient psychiatric wards, military schools, the threat of going on Montel or Maury, and being given up as a ward of the state.
This is my story, told at 17.
I was a kid. I wasn’t crazy, I wasn’t helpless, however I had faced trauma both in my life and with my parents that none of us were prepared to deal with.
My hope with this site is not only to share my story with the world, but also to discourage even one parent from ruining the happiness and life of their child by signing over custody to someone who does not love your child, but rather promises – for a hefty fee – to return them as compliant as you desire.
The WWASP Diaries 
keep your head up girl. im right there with you.
Tell me what we could have done instead of this or what we didn’t try before this. I believe we did the best we could with the problems we were facing. We never wanted you to be crazy or to be sent away. Some of the things posted here I remember differently as I am sure you do as well. I’m still searching for what we could have done that we didn’t or hadn’t already tried prior to this. Would I do this again….NO.
Mr Kapela,
It’s not your child’s job to help you sort out your problems with her upbringing. If you have children, the obligations you have taken on are a one-way street. You owe it to them to bring them to a point in life where you can safely let go and they’ll be OK, with the world around them and with themselves. They owe you precisely nothing, not now, not ever.
I see that you have reconsidered the wisdom of your decision, but your question in the first sentence leads me to suspect that you have still not fully understood the extent of your responsibilities.
For the record:
1) I am the father of 3 daughters, 2 at university, 1 still in grammar school. All 3 are feisty ladies and my wife and I have had (and still are having) an “interesting” time bringing them up.
2) I spent most of my youth in boarding school, due to my father’s career which required him to move regularly. Whilst this was just a school and in no way intended as penal, or behaviour-modifying institution, I hated every single bloody minute of it and the negative consequences have propagated themselves throughout my entire life right up to today. The Spartans used to send their children away at an early age to be educated. You should try reading up on that. If it ever got a lot better than that, I haven’t heard reports of it.
you and your mom are in a very similar situation my mother and i are in. She sent me to Casa by the Sea. She doesn’t even like to talk about it. I know she feels guilty, and when I try to talk about it she doesn’t want to discuss it. I was mad at her at the time, and for a few years after I got pulled. Now i’ve realized that she was just as lost and desperate as I was. People are the most vulnerable when they’re desperate. I’m not mad at her, but it helps me to talk to other kids about my experiences. I posted my journal entries too. I hope it helps somebody. http://www.therealcasa.blogspot.com
Hi, thank you for telling your story. Can I please use your story for a website I’m making about wwasps? I ‘attended’ Casa, and want to get our stories out there in as many ways as possible. Please let me know, you can email me on aylasita7@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Jasmine
Of course 🙂
I was abused at Dundee Ranch Academy in Costa ricca when in was 16 and totally support this site. I am still traumatized by the abuse. I went back to costaricca when i was 17 and ended up in Panama for six years, just lost and looking for a home. I met a panamanian woman and got married,had a son and eventually came back to Oregon when i was 22. Now i am 25, divorced, my six year old lives with me and i am happy to have found these sites.