Research Caution
BlackElkk, from my childhood experience I think that what you are referring to was Berg's policy for "normal" Family kids. When it came to kids that did not fit the mold so well, he was brutal. Have you seen letters like "Teen Terrors"?

I also would caution that one needs to look at the dates of letters. Not only may Berg have gotten more out of control as a function of his age, but even more I think it had to do with the fact that as the first wave of children grew into adolescence, there were new problems associated with young persons starting to think for themselves and question things that as a dependent younger child there was no alternative to.

Context is everything
Yes, I have read Teen Terrors. I just took another look at it. This would be another ML that would be good to have available to read in its unpurged form.

If the young people described in Teen Terrors were Systemites in the U.S., they would have been reported to law enforcement authorities and handled through the Juvi Court system. I suspect that the major reason Berg blew a gasket is that the vandalism these kids engaged in probably brought their parents & homes under the scruitiny of local authorities. Can't have the System looking into things, now can we? Assuming the vandalism and other anti-social behavior described in the ML actually took place, adolescents who act out in this manner are often thought to be seeking outside help for their dysfunctional families.

What upset me the most about this particular ML is the following:

Excuse me? The "G-D Godless anti-Christ relatives" didn't bring these kids into the world, and it's irresponsible to think they'd be willing to take care of them now that they're having difficulties. The suggestion that parents can just dump their children on someone else and walk away is ludicrous.

It would help to know a little more about kids raised in TF who didn't fit the mold. Obviously, kids with handicaps fall in that group. Kids who didn't totally submit with unquestioning obedience also fall into that group. It seems that more research in the MLs along this line would involve finding out whether Berg gave explicit instructions on how to draw the line on behavior that wasn't submissive obedience. For example, who came up with punishing kids for having a "silly" spirit? Silly children = healthy children. Was this something Berg dreamed up or something that came down from other leadership?

These kids are the product of Berg & Zerby's child care policies.

Ward on physical ill-treatment of children in TF
Black Elk, your comments about the origins of harsh punishment in TF reminded me of something Ward said in his judgement. Here’s an excerpt from the article I’m working on:

“Concerning the physical ill-treatment of children, Ward noted that “… in recent years, children in the absence of their parents have been harshly beaten and at times left bleeding and bruised by indiscriminate, over-zealous applications of Family discipline.â€

Ward also said regarding excessive punishment...
"He [the child in question] suffers real risk of harm from excessive punishment. The tendency is for parents to surrender their responsibility to the Child Care Team and there are too many recent examples of excess for me not to regard this risk as a real one not withstanding the new guidance from World Services."

On Black Elk's Comments
"If the young people described in Teen Terrors were Systemites in the U.S., they would have been reported to law enforcement authorities and handled through the Juvi Court system."

And their pedophile guardians would be locked up expeditiously!