Poll: School Principle Suspended After Hypnotizing Suicidal Teen

[Lone Skankster]

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-principal-hypnotized-student-killed/story?id=13638377

This took place in my home town not to long ago. I went to this school for 7 years (It was a combined middle/high school up until my freshman year). I didn't know the kid, but I spoke with the principle a few times in my tenor there. Anyway, his parents are trying to get him fired and attempting to hold him responsible for their sons death.

Obviously its heart breaking to lose your child or any loved one to suicide. But I can't help but feel like the blame was misplaced. If the teen went to such great lengths as hypnotism to try and get help, maybe the parents weren't doing their job.

 

[Slaanax]

I don't really believe hypnotism works that well. Then again rarely does one wake up and say hey I want to go to commit suicide today, usually I long line of missed hints and clues about it.

 

[Extraintrovert]

Hypnotism has some benefits - not many, but they do exist - but treating what appears to have been suicidal depression is not one of them. If indeed he was using hypnotism to treat him, then that was a mistake.

That said, from the article there is no relation between the hypnotism and his suicide, and it could easily be a simply coincidence. As with similar situations, the parents are most probably distraught and desperate to find something to blame, as a focus for their grief, and he was a convenient target, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be any link whatsoever between the two things. Bad journalism is bad.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

It's hard for me to imagine that this principal was using hypnosis in anything but a positive way, that said I don't think that the principal student relationship is an appropriate relationship in which hypnosis should be used. While it does not work on everyone (10% completely unsusceptible to suggestion, 80% moderately susceptible, and 10% highly susceptible) in those cases where it does it can have profound mind altering consequences.

A psychotherapist who is using hypnosis will have taken a lot of time to get to know his patient first. He knows the exact nature of the problem he is trying to fix, and is trained to provide the proper hypnotic program. It's hard for me to imagine that a principle who is hypnotizing his students has that much time to spend with each one.

Not only that, but the relationship between patient-therapist doesn't have the inherent power demographic of the student-principal relationship. It's hard to say what difference something like that can have, but that's not to say that it won't make a difference.

I would say that what we have here is a case of a well intentioned man administering a medical treatment that he is not authorized to use on patients he isn't even supposed to be treating, and that is a clear violation of the law. It doesn't make him evil, but it does seem misguided, and is certainly an inappropriate behavior for a principal.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I dont know if you can fire the idea. I mean, the principle of the idea seems legit. Works for addictions, dont see why it couldnt work for suicides.

Now the principal, Id otn know. If he didnt get consent, then yes, because he didnt follow protocol. If for the suicide, I would say no, mainly cause it could just mean it didnt work, not inspired themselves to kill them the next day.