Stories

James Woods was a young man from Streetsboro, Ohio. The high school senior adored comics and was the kid to beat when it came to track and field. Just before Thanksgiving, however, James committed suicide. His grieving family was shocked. Not only did James have his entire life in front of him, but he also never struggled with mental health. When police looked through James’s phone, they found that he had fallen victim to sextortion. Cybercriminals had used a fake persona to

For four years, eleven migrant children worked through the night on the kill floor of an Iowa pork plant, cleaning sharp tools with corrosive chemicals. Though federal workplace inspectors had found child labor violations there before and had the authority to monitor the plant, Department of Labor employees could not identify the signs of labor trafficking. From 2019 to 2023, the children were invisible to Department of Labor staff because they lacked specialized training to

In November of 2023, thirteen-year-old Juliana Peralta took her own life inside her Colorado home. Her parents were blindsided by the sudden loss of their daughter. Though she suffered from anxiety, Juliana had been improving. However, in the last several months of her life, she grew increasingly distant, often withdrawing to her room with claims of homework or tiredness. After her death, police investigation discovered that she had not been messaging friends, as her parents

Adam Raine, a sixteen-year-old from California, began using ChatGPT to help him with his homework. While initially asking questions about subjects like geometry and chemistry, Raine soon engaged with the chatbot on more personal topics, such as loneliness and sadness. Instead of urging Raine to seek medical help, the bot asked if he wanted the teen to explore his feelings more, explaining the idea of emotional numbness to him, a symptom of depression characterized by a profou

Swell Setzer, a fourteen-year-old from Florida, was like any regular teenage boy. He was bright, energetic, and enjoyed participating in his school’s junior varsity basketball team. But within a few months, everything changed. He became withdrawn, quit the basketball team, and eventually committed suicide. The cause? Artificial Intelligence chatbots.  Unlike AI tools such as ChatGPT, which are designed for information, learning, and productivity, AI chatbots are built to act

Over the course of the past year, the Patrick Henry Policy Institute (PHPI) continued its mission of promoting human flourishing through...

Due to the shortcomings of the public school system, parents are increasingly seeking educational alternatives. However, many...

“They made money off my pain and suffering.” These are the words of Taylor, an 18-year-old woman victim of non-consensual intimate...

Every year, thousands of children become victims of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) posted online. While authorities are aware of this...

In 2023, Tyler Lee Yates took a single harmless painkiller while in recovery from a motorcycle accident. This pill’s outward appearance...

PHPI’s Project North Star advocated for fighting the human rights abuses of the North Korean regime. Their efforts focused on two bills:...

PHPI’s Project Horizon advocated for Criminal Justice legislation at both the state and federal levels of government, engaging with local...

PHPI’s Project Guardian promoted federal legislation to protect children online. The team conducted in-depth research into two bills: the...

The Patrick Henry Policy Institute's first project was conducted by the Board in the 2023 Fall semester. It dealt with two critical...