Against Their Will

This meticulously researched work uncovers the disturbing history of institutionalized children used as unwitting medical test subjects throughout the 20th century, documenting how vulnerable youth became raw material for experiments ranging from radioactive isotope exposure to experimental vaccines for hepatitis and polio. Hornblum reveals how medical researchers systematically exploited children in hospitals and orphanages, administering untested pharmaceuticals like curare and thorazine while subjecting them to invasive procedures including electroshock therapy and lobotomies. The narrative exposes how these practices became normalized within medical institutions, treating children not as patients requiring protection but as readily available human subjects for scientific advancement.

What distinguishes this account is its unflinching documentation of how medical ethics were routinely suspended for society's most powerless members, creating a hidden legacy of childhood trauma in the name of progress. Teen readers and young adults will find this exploration of medical ethics and institutional power both sobering and thought-provoking, particularly as it reveals how systems meant to protect children instead facilitated their exploitation. The book serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of consent and oversight in scientific research, making it essential reading for anyone interested in medical history, ethics, or children's rights.