Project Description

By Anonymous: 2016-2017

Whilst at Desert Hills, I was sexually assaulted by other kids. I attempted to take my life so many times I can’t count just while I stayed there. Many times I’d attempt I was almost successful I’d find a way to stuff the key hole and wrap a phone cord around my neck. I’d take batteries out of remotes and swallow them. This happened more than it should have. I went to the hospital multiple times to have them removed. I was sedated so much and so many times. I woke up once while it happened. I experienced riots, chaos, pain, and so much more. We would never go into seclusion, but they’d restrain us by laying on us, someone on your ankles, someone on your knees, someone on both wrists and upper arms. I remember so many times losing feeling in my body and screaming in pain. They wouldn’t get off until they sedated me with what we called “booty juice”. Another girl and I did extremely inappropriate things while staff wasn’t watching and had so many opportunities for kids to abuse each other or be abused. I was by a boy who was 18 in the group home part of Desert Hills. He would stand outside the gate I’d walk around and he would try to steal a kiss. I was 13, and this had gone unnoticed multiple times. Another time, I successfully locked myself in another room and tried to climb into the ceiling tiles. I was too big and kept falling but continued to try. When the staff finally busted down the door they pulled me down. I was holding onto metal that wasn’t sharp and when they yanked me down it slit my fingers open. I still have the scars. Staff also had inappropriate relationships with the children and included them in their staff drama. I still have multiple staff members on Facebook, and all of them accepted my friend request right after I got out, and I was 15.