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His very particular set of skills includes paranoia and child endangerment.

The escorts drove me to an airport where the three of us got on a plane to Boise, Idaho. I didn't try to run, and running wouldn't have done me much good: Kids who resist have been pepper-sprayed and hog-tied. The actual snatching and transporting of kids destined for programs like the one I was headed to is handled by companies like Center for Safe Youth, which emphasizes the element of surprise on their FAQ page:

Should I tell my child in advance (even the night before)?

No. Prior knowledge will only serve to increase the child's anxiety, heighten defenses, and force the child into a bad decision, such as running away.

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Running away is bad. Children could wind up with strangers somewhere unfamiliar and scary.

So what kind of crime does a kid have to commit to wind up subjected to this? Anything -- kids can be sent away for drug use, depression, eating disorders, really any behavioral issue you can dream up. Some were sent away for bad grades, or for not following the family religion, or for being gay. It is an industry that survives on parents' fear that their kid is "at risk."