Tonight on 20/20 ` plucked from obscurity.... My parents didn't even know I could sing ...and manufactured into a boy band. And all of you smiling... So boy band right now. Up and down the country, 20/20 goes on tour with Titanium. I want her to marry a man. He's offering US$65m... And so he goes, 'Why don't you go find some guys? I` I don't really care for that. (LAUGHS) ...to whoever marries his daughter. I could love you long time for $65m. A 12-year-old handcuffed and arrested,... For doodling on a desk? > For doodling on a desk? > Erasable marker. ...even busted for burping. WOMAN: Are you seriously telling me he's in jail for burping? And he said, 'That's what it looks to me, ma'am. Cops in the classroom ` has it gone too far? Captions by TVNZ Access Services www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. Manufactured bands ` love them or hate them, you can't deny they sell millions and millions of albums ` just look at One Direction. Well, now NZ is getting on the bandwagon and creating our very own boy band. And it's taken just a few weeks for the manufactured group to become a phenomenon. Tonight 20/20 gets an exclusive insight into how the machine operates as it transforms six unknown boys into teen idols. Here's Erin Conroy with Titanium. ALL SHOUT: Titanium! Titanium! Titanium! Every heart yearns, aches for these boys. YOUNG WOMEN SCREAM It's a teenage girl's right of passage, a record label's perfect product. Six strangers brought together to make a band ` a boy band called Titanium. CHRIS BROWN'S 'YEAH 3X' PLAYS WOMEN SCREAM ALL: # Yeah, yeah, yeah. # Girl, I wanna yeah, yeah, yeah. # I wanna see you tonight. # Whoa, whoa! You've skipped straight to the end. This story starts well before any of this. MUSIC FADES OUT TECHNO MUSIC PLAYS MIKE: It is The Edge ` Jay-Jay, Mike and Dom. It is 9 past... It all began with a small spark of an idea from radio station. We need to make a perfect boy band. Their idea was to get NZ its very own boy band. Thought it was a joke, at first. Oh, this is gonna be... lame. SINGS: # Can you feel... # Hundreds of boys auditioned. SINGS: # You'll be right here. # (BEATBOXES) One was Haydn Linsley from Palmerston North. Growing up, I always wanted to be a singer, but I was really shy about singing. (SINGS INDISTINCTLY) (SINGS INDISTINCTLY) (BEATBOXES) It was his beatboxing flatmate who, just a few months ago, forced Haydn on stage and discovered his singing talent. He kept pushing, and he got me up there, and,... yeah, I'm so glad he did. Hang on. Less than a year ago, you'd never sung? No. Never sung through high school. My parents didn't even know I could sing. FUNKY MUSIC ESPRESSO MACHINE HISSES Another to audition was Andrew Papas. I would wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning and do catering. Fun times. He jumped at the chance to make the band. SINGS: # Maybe we'll grow. We never know, baby, you and I. # His audition impressed the judges, and the hundreds got narrowed down to the top 10. Dang. OK, I'm up against some good guys here And they were brought to Auckland. ANDREW: Here we go. ENERGETIC MUSIC CHOREOGRAPHER: And kick and slide, oh. # We say that... # All the boys were pushed to their limits ` tested every day not only physically,... ENERGETIC MUSIC ...but vocally... SINGS: # I held you tight # ...and rhythmically too. # Cos the beat is all I need. # The dancing was one I struggled with. You're pretty good at dancing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not` I'm not too bad. # Bring the beat back. # All challenges that led to the final band announcement. JAY-JAY: The first person to make The Edge boy band... Nervous, excited, scared. < ... is Andrew. MIKE: Yeah. > MIKE: Yeah. > < Congratulations. Names are read out one by one. TENSE MUSIC < JAY-JAY: Zac,... Hadyn,... TK. ALL EXCLAIM There's utter relief for some. Honestly, my heart was just going b-b-b-boom. Emotion overflows for others.... < JAY-JAY: Shaquille. (SOBS) Wow. Wow. < Congratulations. Once I made it in, oh, I just bawled my eyes out, started crying... < This means a big deal to you, huh, Shaquille? Yeah? EMOTIONALLY: I just wanna make my dad proud. < The last member of boy band,... < Jordi. Well done, bro. For all of the boys, it was a challenge in itself coming to terms with their fate. We're` Wait, we're the actual boy band now. It's just the best feeling in the world. That whole journey... was all worth it at that time. FLO RIDA'S 'WILD ONES' Six boys have been named,... Cos we're going for that sort of more One Direction look. ...but that is just the first step. Just tidy it all up. So we took off the... Mohawk this morning. Waiting in the wings for their cue, in rolls the boy band machine ` FLO RIDA'S 'WILD ONES' # I like crazy, foolish, stupid, # Party going wild, fist-pumping music... # stylists, make-up artists and photographers. And all of you smiling. Cool. So boy band right now. ALL LAUGH Singing, dancing, photo shoots, radio interviews, Even their record label's in on the action. Hold it. Hold it. Papas you're moving. It's an exercise in mass marketing ` moulding the boys into an idea of perfection. MAN: We can't have you looking like a Sasquatch, eh. MAN: We can't have you looking like a Sasquatch, eh. Yeah. SINGS: # She knows just the way to walk on by. # Kinda liked the Wolverine bit. 'Bro, you're in a boy band now. You've got to go to the barbers.' I've never been to a barber in my life. And in the end, six average boys are spat out as polished products. # Party rocker, foot-show stopper, # More Chambord, number one club popper, # Gotta hangover like too much vodka. # Can't see me with 10 binoculars. # It's finally happening. Yeah. TITANIUM'S 'COME ON HOME' # Come on, come on home... We are gonna be playing the single for the first time at around five past 7 this morning. Word has started to spread. This is our, uh, single Come on Home. Hope you guys enjoy it. Their first single is released. # ...about nothing at all. # POP! ALL CHEER They've even got a music video. Roll playback. # ...every flick from the start, # And the world we'd ignore, # Money made, then we'd be broke. # And the band has decided on a name. Somebody said Titanium. We're like, 'Eh.' Then Zac was like, all like, 'Hi, I'm Zac from Titanium.' I'm like,... 'That kinda actually sounds good.' But the reality of being a boy band was yet to come. What would be the moment it got real for you? I think the moment that we performed at one of the schools, when... we got mobbed. I think that's the moment when things got real. ALL SING: # Baby, come on home. # GIRLS SHRIEK OMINOUS MUSIC Their first big performance finishes. The girls start to move in. Seriously,... we're about to get mobbed. MAN: Back up, girls! School staff are now suddenly security. We were, like, pinned up against the wall, and we just couldn't get through. There was just girls all around us. The boys are swallowed by a sea of screaming school girls. Trying to rip our clothes off. They were just screaming, 'Oh my gosh, they're so hot.' Got to hug him and got photos with him! Got to hug him and got photos with him! They touched my hand. They manage to escape, and I find them holed up in the staff room. < Is this the first time you've experienced this? Yes. Yes. First time. Yes. First time. It's been crazy. I think this is a` a little taste of what's to come. TITANIUM'S 'COME ON HOME' GIRL SHRIEKS > SINGS: # Oh, oh... # They're about to leave on a nationwide tour ` (RAPS INDISTINCTLY) all the way from Whangarei to Invercargill, they have to be prepared. ALL SING: # You could be my it girl... # While they're rehearsing, Jordi, who's proving popular with the ladies, gets a special visit from his it girl. What's it been like having the attention from the girls? (SIGHS) It's` It's good in some ways, and it's got its downfalls as well. Like, with my` with my girlfriend it's sort of hard to imagine how she's feeling. Do you have a message for all those girl fans out there? What would you say? He doesn't like to be called cute. To all you girls out there saying, 'Oh, he's so cute,' don't say he's cute. He doesn't like that. I'm not sure you should be giving them tips on how to... make him love th` Call him cute. (LAUGHS) Next up ` You guys wanna come along? (LAUGHS) I've got a big suitcase. You can sort of jump in there if you wanted. we're on tour. I am gonna be the envy of many a girl in this country. # I don't care... # And we see just what the girls are capable of. GIRLS SCREAM And the boys share some very personal moments. And, yeah, life kind of just stopped right there. TYRES SCREECH CRASH! TRAGIC MUSIC Tonight on 20/20 ` 1 Well, we've seen the six boys from Titanium plucked from obscurity and moulded into the perfect boy band. But now they're being thrust into the public spotlight, how will they be received, and will they pass the test? Erin joins them now on their nationwide tour and finds out what really goes on when six boys hit the road. BROOKE DUFF'S 'TILL THE END' BOYS EXCLAIM, LAUGH # Where we go,... # That's huge. I'm going on the road. I am gonna be the envy of many a girl in this country. # Where we go, when you're with me... # I'm going with Titanium! They're travelling the length and breadth of the country ` 15 cities, 16 days. Driver, do you actually realise quite what you've got yourself into here, do you think? > Screaming teenagers for the next week. It's just... awesome. (GUFFAWS) > They might be screaming at you by the end of this. Well, now, we've got the look. Well, now, we've got the look. (LAUGHS) > Although I'm no Titan - that's a Titanium groupie - I'm here to get to know as much as I can about the boys. Who can I sit with? Who can I sit with? Oh, yep, yep,... Who can I sit with? Oh, yep, yep,... Oh, OK. Thanks. Thanks, TK. You know how it is. (LAUGHS) I discover some are obviously in need of a few Z's. Others pass the time chatting and tweeting. We're getting me some more followers here. CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS That was a pretty good one. I'll say 'Show her some love.' But for TK, it's a chance to open up about his past. During the time that we had to leave, there was a whole lot of riots, violent riots. NOSTALGIC MUSIC TK grew up in Zimbabwe. When political issues turned into chaos and violence, the situation became so dangerous, they had to flee. We approached the UN, who in turn decided to help him out and reached out to all different countries, and NZ was the first one to respond, so... I'm happy. I'm happy we came here. UPBEAT SYNTHESIZER MUSIC We're in Hamilton. Backstage, the boys are getting ready. These are beautiful shoes. And warm-ups... (SQUEALS, GRUNTS) ...of all kinds are obviously necessary when you're a boy band. # Yo, yo, I never thought I'd be in a place I'm now. Always had a dream... # And now that they're ready, their performance ritual kicks in. Every time before us boys perform, we always huddle together and have a bit of a prayer. One, two, three,... One, two, three,... ALL SHOUT GIRLS SCREAM Put your hands up, everybody. > SINGS: #Let me feel your body even if it's for the night. # ALL SING: # Take me to the sky...# For one of the boys, it's a chance for his biggest fan of all ` his mum ` to see him perform. TENDER MUSIC MAN: He's got good shoes on. (LAUGHS) MAN: He's got good shoes on. (LAUGHS) Don't call me a big-town... Hamilton is Shaq's hometown. He's got to spend the night in his own bed, with his own family. My family... will always keep me down to earth. They're gonna make me do work around the house, whether it's taking out the rubbish, doing the lawns, picking up the dog poo. Yeah. (CHUCKLES) And now that he's famous,... This is the funnest job around the house, just so you guys know. nothing changes... Gosh, it's been a while. I don't think anyone's been doing it while you've been away. ALL LAUGH More over here. More over here. (LAUGHS) More over here. More over here. (LAUGHS) Yeah. Fun, fun, fun. Do you worry what he might get exposed to out there? Shaquille's got his head screwed on. (LAUGHS) What did you think of last night's performance? It was fabulous. I loved it, and I just had to stand there in awe. They've got the goods to be up there with the best of them. I'm so proud of all those boys. It's awesome. Mm. Yeah. If you could say something to your mum and dad, what would it be? Mainly just that I love them so much. Yeah. Nothing else. That's the biggest thing you could ever say to someone. Mm. UPBEAT SYNTHESIZER MUSIC It's Tauranga tonight. Time to do it all again. Same suits, same songs, same screaming girls. But tonight, there's a different supporter in the crowd ` Hey guys, um, this is my mum. another mum who, after a tragic accident last year, is lucky to be here to see her son Zac perform. OMINOUS MUSIC Zac was driving home after a special family day. His mum and sister were in the car. I got sun stroke, and, um, I blanked out for a couple of seconds, and I went into a power pole, uh, through a fence and off a bank, with my mother and my sister in the car. TYRES SCREECH CRASH! And, yeah, life kind of just stopped right there. His mum was in a coma. Doctors didn't know if she would make it. Finally she came to, and the doctor said, you know, 'You're never going to be able to walk again' and all this kind of stuff. GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC But with sheer determination and the support of family, Zac's mum made miraculous steps to a near full recovery. What kind of support has he been to you? He's been a great supporter. He's my baby. You know, I thought my mum wasn't going to make it, and, yeah, it's just a miracle. I'm` Yeah, I'm very grateful. TENDER GUITAR MUSIC UPBEAT TECHNO MUSIC The tour is in full swing ` GIRLS: Hi! Hamilton, Tauranga,... On to the next one. And after weeks of sharing rooms, these boys have certainly learned a lot about each other. Who's the naughtiest? My man Hadyn. He loooves the ladies. Zac, he likes to take care of his appearance. He takes the longest to get ready and` Are you saying Zac's the vainest? I'll let you` I'll leave that to you for you to decide. Messiest? Messiest? Jordi. Best pick-up lines? Best pick-up lines? Hadyn. No. I lie. Andrew. Most loved by the ladies? Jordi. No hesitation there. No hesi` Everybody loves Jordi. He's such a beautiful guy. But TK, the oldest of the group, has also seen the boys grow in every way. They grew so much. Just really... creative, responsible and articulate, you know, young men. We've actually become really close. We've actually become really close. I love those guys. DAVID GUETTA'S 'TITANIUM' In just eight weeks, their single went number one, then gold, and now platinum. They've played schools, town halls and now... the countries biggest stadium, Vector Arena, in front of thousands of fans. Has this process tested you in any way? Definitely, I think, in many ways. Physically, mentally, emotionally, it's tested all of us. But, um, yeah, we've all worked so hard to get to where we are now. I think if we stay strong as a group, there's nothing that can hold us back. SINGS: # I can't do this alone... # Sing it. Sing it. CROWD: # Whoa, oh-oh, oh-oh. # # I can't do this alone. # CROWD: # Baby, come on home. # CROWD: # Baby, come on home. # Sweet. I think you've got it. ALL SING 'COME ON HOME' # Whoa oh-oh, oh-oh. # I can't do this alone. # Baby, come on home. # And tonight, even more, hearts yearn,... # Whoa oh-oh, oh-oh. # ...ache for these boys. And it's hard to believe they started as six strangers and in the end became a band ` a boy band called Titanium. I'm so grateful to be here. Best decision of my life. It's the best decision of my life I'm so excited. Um, I'm 18 years old, and I'm living my dream. And this is just the start. ALL SING: # Ooh, baby come on home. GIRLS SCREAM Thank you so much, Auckland! Thank you so much, Auckland! ALL SHOUT TOGETHER Next up on 20/20, how desperate are you to get your kids married off? MAN: Call it a dowry, call it a bounty. The man who can get Gigi to agree to marry him will get US$65m. Who would dream up such a crazy idea? Her dad, Cecil Chao. ANGELIC MUSIC Discover irresistibly soft hands every time you wash with new Dettol Touch of Foam. Unlike ordinary handwash, its dual-effect formula delivers moisture to the skin and kills 99.9% of germs, keeping your hands soft and healthy. ANGELIC MUSIC For irresistibly soft and healthy hands, don't compromise. Try new Dettol Touch of Foam. Tonight on 20/20 ` 1 Welcome back. Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao is so concerned about the marital status of his daughter, he's offering millions to the man who can get her down the aisle. There is one problem, though, as 20/20's Jeffrey Kofman reports. UPBEAT MUSIC She's beautiful; she's brainy; she's the daughter of a billionaire. Come for a ride over the skies of Hong Kong with the woman thousands of men around the world are clamouring to marry. I just want your hand in marriage. Gigi, I am going to woo you. I decided that she was the right woman for me. Gigi Chao is, by any definition, a great catch. You've lived a lot of places. You've lived a lot of places. Yeah, well, home is where the heart is. And winning Gigi's heart is worth a fortune. Call it a dowry; call it a bounty ` the man who can get Gigi to agree to marry him will get $65 million. Who would dream up such a crazy idea? Her dad, Cecil Chao ` his face and fortune familiar to just about everyone here, because he's always in the Hong Kong tabloids. Think of the ego of Donald Trump and the sex drive of Hugh Hefner, and you've got Cecil Chao. < You've never married? < You've never married? Never married. Why? Why? When I think about marriage, it always frightens me. You want to have a whole forest, or you just want to have one flower? (CHUCKLES) And this 76-year-old has had the whole forest. He boasts that he's slept with more than 10,000 women. Yeah, that's a good number. And I'm guessing that these walls have seen a lot of fun. This self-styled playboy lives lavishly in his seaside villa. He made his fortune as one of Hong Kong's top real-estate tycoons. So, you built all this? So, you built all this? All this, yeah. A lot of money. A lot of money. A lot of money. BOTH CHUCKLE Net worth: well over $1 billion. You wanna come into the car? The man who has never married has never stopped indulging. Just this week, he flew two beautiful young women to his private yacht. Note that it was Gigi who flew him there and waited for him patiently on the top deck ` the ever-dutiful daughter ` while Dad plied the women with champagne below. As unconventional as Cecil's life is, he expects a more traditional life for Gigi. Of course my dream is for her to get married and have a normal family life. She is 33, and she's still not yet married. I am... a bit worried about her. Gigi grew up in Hong Kong and in the US, shuttling between warring parents. She is devoted to her eccentric dad, but on one issue she is very publicly defying him. Your dad's put $65 million out there for the man who can win your heart. Are you on the market, or is your heart already taken? Are you on the market, or is your heart already taken? My heart is already taken. Taken by another woman. She is Sean Eav, originally from Cambodia. The two have been girlfriends for eight years. They made it official in a church ceremony in Paris this past April. Do you consider Sean your wife; your life partner? She is my... life partner, yes. Your dad doesn't see it that way. Your dad doesn't see it that way. No. He just doesn't understand how anybody could be gay. Did you ever try to talk to your dad and say 'Dad, I'm gay'? Did you ever try to talk to your dad and say 'Dad, I'm gay'? No, I don't... I didn't go, 'Dad, I'm gay,' but I said, 'Dad, hey, here are some photos of us. 'I'm in a happy relationship. I'm really happy.' And he just goes, 'No! What you're doing is wrong, wrong, wrong!' And so he goes, 'Why don't you go find some guys?' I don't really care for that. (LAUGHS) ...a formal draft or cover letter. Gigi works in the same office as her dad, but for months she didn't say a word about the commitment ceremony she and Sean had shared in France. She finally told him on her birthday last June. He was... surprised and unpleasantly shocked by it. What did he say to you? What did he say to you? He said, 'Why did you do this so impulsively?' Um, 'You shouldn't let people know. You shouldn't announce it.' But they did announce, inadvertently, in late September, when Sean was asked by a reporter from the Oriental Daily if the two women really were a couple, and if so, when they would marry. 'So, will you guys get married,' the reporter asks. 'We're already married,' says Sean, and the tabloids went wild. Daddy was, naturally, concerned about this. And so he found it necessary to make an announcement ` 'No, she's not homosexual. She doesn't have gay tendencies. She's not married. 'In fact, I'm trying to find a husband for her. I'll offer 500 million.' That's in Hong Kong dollars ` about US$65 million. What does a man have to be? What does he have to do in order to get $65 million? It's very simple. Gigi must love him, and he must like Gigi. In your eyes, is it not OK for her to be gay? I'm not saying that she's not OK to be gay. I mean, it's... her own choice and her own tendency. Maybe what she wants today is different from what she'll want in the future. The offers have come flooding in from around the globe. I see Gigi as the Asian Nicole Kidman, and I'm Keith Urban. For real. Thousands of emails, and tens of thousands of Facebook admirers. I'm not very hairy. I like Taylor Swift and romantic comedies. Gigi's tried to block these digital Don Juans. I could love you long time for $65 million. But the persistent ones seem to find a way. What if we got married, and then I'd only take, like, say, half the $65 million? And then we could give the other half to a gay charity. Talk to Cecil about all this and you get mired in contradictions. What's more important for you ` your love for your daughter or seeing her marry a man? I want her to marry a man. But if she doesn't choose to marry a man or get married, or... if gay is her tendency, I wouldn't force her to change anything. That` That doesn't change me from... my love for her. Do you want to meet her girlfriend? Do you want to meet her girlfriend? No. Do you want to meet her girlfriend? No. < No? Never? Never. He has the power to disinherit you? He has the power to disinherit you? Yeah. Do you worry about that? Do you worry about that? No. Do you worry about that? No. Why? I have inherited Dad's charm and his nerves of steel and his ability to get along with people. If I inherit nothing more than these traits which he's given me, I'm completely happy with that. Spoken like a perfect diplomat. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1991 here, but gay marriage is not legal. I don't see myself as the... the face of gay Hong Kong. But now that I've been thrown out there, I'm not gonna back away from that. But Gigi makes it clear that she is also not going to walk away from her father. So, are you two still talking? BOTH: Yes. BOTH: Yes. We talk every day. BOTH: Yes. We talk every day. Every day. And you're still friends? And you're still friends? Yeah. And you're still friends? Yeah. More than friends. Um... (CHUCKLES) Have the two of you exchanged words over this? Have there been any angry words about this? Um, I think Daddy is uncomfortable with it. Um, I think Daddy is uncomfortable with it. No, I... No? Or maybe not. No? Or maybe not. I'm quite comfortable. No? Or maybe not. I'm quite comfortable. OK. I am happy, and he knows I am happy. As you are? Yeah. He just wants me to be more happy. (LAUGHS) In front of her father, she clearly preferred to leave it at that. But when you say you're happy, you're happy with Sean? I'm happy just the way I am now, yeah. With your girlfriend? With your girlfriend? Yes, OK, fine, with my girlfriend. (CHUCKLES) OK, we get it. But, with $65 million on the table, I couldn't leave Hong Kong without at least trying. I think that'll work. So, will you marry me? So, will you marry me? No! So, will you marry me? No! (LAUGHS) She didn't even hesitate. She didn't even hesitate. (LAUGHS) I was loving Cecil's shades in that one. Next up on 20/20, cops in class ` are America's kids being turned into crims? MAN: When she was just 12 years old, Alexa was arrested in her New York City middle school ` searched, handcuffed, taken away by four of New York's Finest. Alexa's now 15 but remembers her crime like it was yesterday ` doodling on a desk... with an erasable marker, no less. (UP-BEAT MUSIC PLAYS) (UP-BEAT MUSIC CONTINUES) Sanitarium Up&Go, with the protein, energy and dietary fibre of two Weet-Bix and milk. Tonight on 20/20 ` 1 Welcome back. We've all seen the news stories of gangs, guns and drugs in American schools. Well, in an effort to curb some of the worst behaviour, many schools now have cops on campus. But has it gone too far, and are kids as young as 12 needlessly being branded as criminals? URGENT MUSIC Bad things can happen at school ` guns; drugs; bullying. As you can see in all those videos on the internet, classrooms run amok. Shut up and sit down! So it is for good reason that more and more police are on the beat in hallways and classrooms across the country. But in this climate of controlling behaviour, have we gone too far? Case in point: the Texas girls in the news right now for getting spanked. REPORTER: After she got caught helping another student cheat, Taylor got a paddle to the backside. Too hard, their mothers say, by a male vice-principal. Givin' her a swat behind closed doors ` that is creepy. Yep, spanking ` still legal in schools in 19 states. The 9-year-old in Gastonia, North Carolina, suspended for sexual harassment because ` get this ` he was overheard telling a friend... I said Miss Taylor was cute. ...his teacher was cute. The school later apologised and forced the principal to retire. CHILD CRIES And this video stunned the nation in 2005. Remember the 5-year-old girl handcuffed by St Petersburg, Florida police for throwing a tantrum in preschool? How can this be? Advocates say the combination of cops and kids in the classroom is having all kinds of unintended consequences ` some of them so ridiculous, you literally can't make this stuff up. Your daughter's school decided to have her arrested? When she was just 12 years old, Alexa was arrested in her New York City middle school ` searched; handcuffed; taken away by four of New York's Finest. Had you ever been in a police station? Had you ever been in a police station? No. Had you ever been arrested? > Had you ever been arrested? > No. Alexa is now 15, but remembers her crime like it was yesterday: DRAMATIC MUSIC doodling on a desk ` with an erasable marker, no less. So you wrote on the desk. It's not like pullin' a knife on somebody. But you're not supposed to write on the desk. True? But you're not supposed to write on the desk. True? Yes. Are you a graffiti artist? Are you a graffiti artist? No. Did you used to spraypaint and write all over the walls in school? Did you used to spraypaint and write all over the walls in school? Never. Were you known as that? Were you known as that? No. Alexa, like, some funny tag name that you had that you used? Alexa, like, some funny tag name that you had that you used? (CHUCKLES) No. Alexa had the very bad luck to be attending a school with a zero tolerance for graffiti and, as her mother would tell you, a similar score in common sense. She says the school officers search her; make her take off some of her clothes. Then they don't just call her mother, Moraima Camacho; they call the cops from the precinct across the street. When I saw the police officer go for the handcuffs, I said, 'You gotta be kidding me!' So, they arrest your daughter; they put her in handcuffs, like a thug. Right. And she was not resisting arrest. Turned me over and... hands behind my back. And you got handcuffed? And you got handcuffed? Metal handcuffs. At 12? > At 12? > Yes. For doodling on a desk? For doodling on a desk? Erasable marker. She was crying. She was so scared. Maybe you find it hard to understand how a little girl gets arrested for writing on a desk. After all, it's not like she perpetrated some heinous crime ` something really inexcusable, like illegal burping (!) I burped, and I said 'excuse me'. She said to quit talking; I'm disrupting. Francisco Montano is 15 now; plays baseball. He's a slugger. But two years ago ` when he was 13, in the seventh grade at Cleveland Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico ` he says he got busted for burping. The school and the police say it was more than that ` he was disrupting the class and refused to obey the teacher. And for that he got arrested. Officer came up to me. He said because I was disrupting the educational process, he handcuffed me and he drove me to the detention centre. Then the detention centre called his mother, Annette Montano. And he said my son was arrested and detained for just... for belching in class. And I said, 'Are you seriously telling me he's in jail for burping?' And he said, 'Yeah, that's what it looks like to me, ma'am.' Francisco was never prosecuted. Instead, he's now suing the school and the police. The Albuquerque Police say they only make arrests if the disruption is so bad, the teacher can't teach and students can't learn. America's Most Wanted they are not, says civil rights advocate Judith Browne-Dianis. It is ridiculous. It is extreme discipline. We have gone over the top with this. And instead of teaching children the right behaviours, instead of nurturing them, we're hauling them off in handcuffs. Francisco Negron is with the National School Boards Association. There isn't a 'public school to prison' pipeline, and I certainly don't think that the presence of school-resource officers is in some way contributing to that. We know there are some bad things going on in our schools ` there's gang activity; heavy drug activity; bullying in the extreme, where the violence is real ` and maybe you have to make sure that those kids get pulled out of` Right, but that's not what we're talking about. Everyone wants safety in our schools. We want discipline. But we don't need to see our children put into the juvenile justice system for very minor behaviour that could have been handled by a parent. An Education Department civil rights survey earlier this year shows nearly 100,000 kids arrested in schools. In New York, Alexa ` our doodler ` fought back. She sued the city. This is not about the money. We don't want this to happen again to any other child. While admitting no wrongdoing, the city paid Alexa a six-figure settlement, the criminal charges were dropped and the case is sealed. But that arrest is still on Alexa's record. She has an arrest record! Her attorney, Joseph Rosenthal, says the school's wrong will haunt Alexa for years to come. For the rest of her life, she has to say, 'Yes, I was arrested.' HANDCUFF CLICKS Next up on 20/20, one woman's private joy, broadcast to millions. So, technically, your device is on. So, technically, your device is on. (CHUCKLES) So, technically, your device is on. (CHUCKLES) Can you tell? (SOBS SILENTLY) (SOBS SILENTLY) Oh, that's exciting. MAN: Sarah had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Here. You can put it down for a second. The heart is racing, and I'm hyperventilating. Hearing myself speak and then laughing and then crying ` it just all went haywire from there. Tonight on 20/20 ` 1 Welcome back. YouTube is full of clips of personal experiences gone very public. So why is it that we love to share these formerly private moments? Is public the new intimate? And what effect does this worldwide exposure have on people? (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) It's, like, so close. You are about to see the single most dramatic event of 29-year-old Sarah Churman's life. It was supposed to be just a private moment in a medical exam room, but now almost 14 million strangers have watched Sarah hear for the first time. So, now, technically, your device is on. Can you tell? So, now, technically, your device is on. Can you tell? (LAUGHS) Oh, it's exciting! Sarah had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Here, you can put it down for a second. My heart is racing, and I'm hyperventilating. Hearing myself speak and then laughing and then crying ` it just all went haywire from there. (LAUGHS) She was born with just a tiny fraction of her hearing. I don't wanna hear myself cry. So you felt like you were missing important parts of your own life... So you felt like you were missing important parts of your own life... Yeah. Yeah. > ...and your kids' lives? ...and your kids' lives? Yeah. You don't know why everyone's laughing, because you missed out on a joke, or, you know, my kids would make faces or... and noises and, you know, you didn't catch that. Last year, she learned about a new surgery implanting a device called the Esteem that would vastly improve her hearing. But it costs $30,000 per ear. And this was not money you had lying around? And this was not money you had lying around? They may as well have said $30m. Sarah's mother-in-law stepped up, cashing in her retirement fund to help out. Before Sarah and her husband, Sloan, left for the hospital, her mother-in-law had one little request. She handed him her camera and was, like, you know, basically, 'Film her reaction. I wanna see it.' And when Sarah's husband did film, it was for a mere 90 seconds. But it was 90 seconds that would transform Sarah's life. Even before there was any noise, anyone had spoken, I just knew. It was like complete, utter clarity; like, almost like a sense of peace or completeness. For me it was a miracle. This video now joins a whole host of similar and very popular clips of women, men and children... Did you hear that? ...hearing for the first time. Hi, Cooper. > Hi, Cooper. > (GASPS) Hi, Cooper. > (GASPS) ALL GASP > Hi, Cooper! > When you see something like that ` a breakthrough moment in someone's life ` your first reaction is, 'I gotta show this to everyone I know.' Because there's a warm feeling worth sharing. These women uploaded videos of themselves learning the results of their pregnancy tests ` Oh my God! Oh my God! Look! (CHUCKLES) a trend known as WombTube. (SQUEALS) I'm so excited! Let's go look at the results. This is Alica Goodknight learning her result. I'm pregnant! I watch it and I feel happy for you. I watch it and I feel happy for you. Mm-hm. I watch it and I feel happy for you. Mm-hm. Why did you want to record it? I want that memory there. Cos those reactions are just right in that moment,... It's real, you know?! ...but now I have it on` on video, where I can see exactly what happened. In the year since she posted her video, Sarah Churman's life has changed in extraordinary and surprising ways. She can now hear the roar of the city, and more importantly, her own children. Fix that, mama. The first morning, I walked into the kitchen, and she was with the girls, just crying. And she looked up at me and said, 'Have they always sounded like this?' The oldest one sounds so grown-up and articulate, and the little one's so sure of herself. I don't know. That was just... In that moment, I thought, 'This was worth everything.' And her world has expanded in ways she never thought possible. She is now hearing from people all over the planet. There's a guy that contacted me from Belgium that has a terminal illness, and he was, like, you know, 'Of course I have days where I get down and out and mad at the world.' And he's, like, 'But I look at your video and I think I can still find hope and beauty in the world.' We're in a new era of human history when a guy in Brussels can hear into the exam room in Texas... < Right. < Right. ...and comment on the woman in the room and her experience. Yeah. It changes what intimacy means. Now you can have intimacy on a global scale, which seems... almost like an oxymoron. But, I mean, the feelings are real. It's so incredibly humbling ` basically little old me, you know? All I did was you happened to catch a glimpse of something that happened in our private life. And the fact that it's affected so many people is just crazy to me. But crazy... crazy wonderful? But crazy... crazy wonderful? Crazy wonderful, yeah. (CHUCKLES) It's so sweet, isn't it? If you want to see any of tonight's stories again, you can head to our website. It's... You can also email us at... or go to our Facebook page, of course. We're at,... and let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Well, thanks for all your feedback over the past week. We're interested in your stories, as always, so keep those ideas coming in. Well, that's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next week.