Is Cruel Instruction Based on a True Story? Plot and Ending Explained

Cruel Instruction

Cruel Instruction is a TV movie released in 2022, with a TV-14 rating and a runtime of 1 hour and 28 minutes. The film follows the story of Kayla Adams, a 16-year-old girl who is sent to a youth residential treatment center by her mother Karen Adams, on the recommendation of a school counselor. The director of the movie is Stanley M. Brooks, and the writer is Adrienne Rush. The movie stars Kelcey Mawema, Morgan Taylor Campbell, and Camryn Manheim, among others.

Cruel Instruction follows the story of 16-year-old Kayla Adams, played by Kelcey Mawema, who gets expelled from school, and her mother Karen, played by Cynthia Bailey, is advised by the school counselor to send her to a youth residential treatment center for treatment. On arrival, Kayla is paired with Amanda, played by Morgan Taylor Campbell, who is familiar with the program’s brutal methods. The headmistress, Miss Connie, played by Camryn Manheim, and her staff use harsh methods like force-feeding medications, solitary confinement, verbal and physical abuse to maintain discipline among the students.

Stripped of their lifelines and isolated from the outside world, the girls must band together to survive and fight against the abusive system. They must find a way to expose the abuse before it’s too late. The film sheds light on the alarming reality of the draconian methods used in some youth residential treatment centers and the need for better regulation to prevent such abuse.

Is Cruel Instruction Based on a True Story?

Yes, Cruel Instruction is indeed based on a true story, revealing the dark side of the education system and the rampant abuse of children in some youth residential treatment centers. The movie is directed by Stanley M. Brooks and written by Adrienne Rush, who was inspired by the working of such facilities. Unfortunately, these centers remain underregulated, especially private, for-profit organizations, making it difficult for authorities to monitor and prevent abuse.

The lack of meticulous documentation and federal laws make it even more challenging to determine the enrollment of these programs. A shocking reality was revealed by Greg Kurtz, the Managing Director of the Forensic Audits and Special Investigation Unit of Government Accountability Office, when his team investigated allegations of child abuse, neglect, and death at private residential treatment facilities. “Cruel Instruction” sheds light on the disturbing truth behind such centers, which still exist today.

During a US House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee hearing on October 10, 2007, numerous cases of death and abuse were identified in both public and private institutions. The sources of these allegations included HHS, state agencies, the Internet, and pending and closed civil and criminal lawsuits.

One of the many victims of these facilities was socialite and actress Paris Hilton, who was sent to the Provo Canyon School in Utah by her parents in the late 1990s. Hilton recounted her traumatic experience in an interview with People, claiming that the staff not only verbally abused and bullied the children, but also resorted to physical coercion and even strangulation to control them. “They wanted to instill fear in the kids so we’d be too scared to disobey them,” Hilton revealed.

Sadly, Hilton’s story is just the beginning. Lifetime’s ‘Cruel Instruction’ documentary sheds light on the stories of numerous survivors of such treatment centers and the PTSD and anxiety they develop as a result of their experiences. Despite its bleak subject matter, ‘Cruel Instruction’ reveals a disturbingly accurate truth.

Cruel Instruction Plot

Kayla Adams, a dyslexic and bullied teenager, is suspended from school after she pulls the fire alarm. Her parents, who don’t understand her anxiety and depression, send her to a residential behavior center for teens against her will. Meanwhile, Amanda Scheff, a troubled teen with ADHD and bipolar disorder, is also kicked out of school for assaulting a teacher and sent to a mental health facility in Utah.

Upon their arrival, Kayla and Amanda undergo a humiliating strip search and drug test, including a vaginal search for Kayla. While Amanda is accustomed to such treatment, Kayla is shocked. Miss Connie, the head of staff, punishes Kayla for backtalk by making her sit in a chair facing the wall during dinner. However, Amanda smuggles food to her roommate and advises her to find her guiding star, a beacon of hope that will keep her going. For Amanda, it is when she turns 18 and is free from the system of juvenile detention centers disguised as schools for troubled teens.

Kayla’s dyslexia is noticed by Mr. Seckerling, who tries to help her. She confides in him about the abuse but is overheard by a classmate who tells Miss Connie. During group therapy, the girls are forced to reveal intensely personal and traumatizing details and then blame each other. Kayla refuses to participate but opens up in one-on-one therapy about feeling unsupported and like a terrible person. The therapist reassures her that she isn’t a bad person, but Kayla earns a supervised phone call with her family only after five months.

Cruel Instruction Ending Explained

Amanda is punished with solitary confinement for talking back, leaving Kayla alone for her phone call. When Kayla tries to tell her parents the truth, the therapist cuts her off and threatens to report her to Miss Connie. Kayla finds her guiding star in another classmate, Juanita, but their relationship is deemed “homosexual behavior” that will be fixed with Jesus’s love. Kayla tries to kill herself after Juanita is transferred to another unit, and Amanda finds her body. Kayla is put in solitary confinement for two weeks, but Miss Connie doesn’t report the suicide attempt to Kayla’s parents or the authorities to avoid losing insurance money. A male staff member named Bryce is assigned to watch over Kayla and takes advantage of the underage girls.

On Kayla’s sixteenth birthday, her parents visit, but she remains distant. Amanda falls ill and coughs uncontrollably, but Miss Connie doesn’t care and thinks she is teaching the girls a lesson. Kayla tries to get medical treatment for Amanda, who is coughing up blood and has a 104 fever. Kayla is transferred to another unit, but she reunites with Juanita and sneaks out to call for help. She is captured and sedated but manages to call Amanda’s mother, who demands to speak to her daughter and threatens to call a lawyer. Amanda is admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung, and Miss Connie blames her staff for neglecting Amanda.

Kayla is relieved to hear that Amanda is getting help and is placed in observation indefinitely. Amanda’s mother calls Kayla’s mother, Karen, who rushes to remove her daughter from the school. Kayla and Amanda are reunited to celebrate Amanda’s 18th birthday.

Where can I watch Cruel Instruction?

Cruel Instruction is a documentary that sheds light on the alleged abuse and mistreatment that occurred in certain residential treatment centers in the United States. If you are interested in watching this documentary, it is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

To watch Cruel Instruction on Amazon Prime Video, you will need an active subscription to the service. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime subscription yet, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to gain access to the documentary and other exclusive content. Once you are logged into your Amazon account, you can search for “Cruel Instruction” in the Prime Video section and start streaming it instantly.

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