Gooning is a form of legal

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...

in which parents hire rehabilitation organizations to seize children they perceive as troubled and transport them against their will to boot camps, behavior modification facilities,

residential treatment center A residential treatment center (RTC), sometimes called a rehab, is a live-in health care facility providing therapy for substance use disorders, mental illness, or other behavioral problems. Residential treatment may be considered the "last-ditch ...

s, substance abuse treatment facilities,

wilderness therapy Wilderness therapy, also known as outdoor behavioral healthcare, is a treatment option for behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and mental health issues in adolescents. Patients spend time living outdoors with peers. Reports of abuse, deaths ...

, or

therapeutic boarding school A therapeutic boarding school is a residential school offering therapy for students with emotional or behavioral issues. Description The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs listed 140 schools and programs as of 2005. Therapeut ...

. In most cases, the organizations send a group of large, intimidating men to show up by surprise and force the teenager into a vehicle, often under cover of darkness. Though not illegal, the practice is traumatic for the child. Children who resist are frequently threatened, restrained with handcuffs or zip ties, blindfolded, or hooded. Children who are gooned frequently report

post traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

, problems sleeping at night, and recurring nightmares into adulthood.

Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conr ...

's documentary '' This Is Paris'' details her experience at age 17 with gooning, culminating in her transport to Provo Canyon School where she was abused. The practice is regulated in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, where restraints, hoods, and blindfolds are disallowed. Lawmakers in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

have criticized the practice of gooning and begun attempts to regulate the industry in those states as well.

References

{{reflist Human rights abuses Kidnapping Punishments

See also

References