Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In the autumn of 1970, a woman walked into a service office in Temple City, California. She brought her daughter with her. The woman wanted to receive money because she was going blind. A woman working in the office noticed the woman’s daughter. She thought the woman’s daughter was about six (6) years old. She also thought that the girl had a mental disability. But then she discovered that the woman’s daughter was really thirteen (13) years old! The woman in the office knew something was wrong. She quickly called the police. The police arrested the girl’s parents. They were charged with the crime of child abuse.
Today’s Spotlight is on Genie, and her story of abuse.
Voice 2
Genie is not the girl’s real name. People use this name to protect her real name and identity. When Genie was twenty (20) months old, her parents brought her to a doctor. The doctor told Genie’s parents that she had mental problems. The doctor thought Genie might not be able to live a normal life.
Voice 1
Genie’s father reacted to the news badly. He believed that Genie had serious problems. Genie’s father was mentally unbalanced. He suffered from depression. He put Genie in a room alone. Her parents never let Genie out of her bedroom.
During the day, Genie’s parents left her tied to a seat made for human waste. She wore only diapers, clothes made to collect human waste. At night Genie slept in a bed with bars and a metal top. Often, Genie’s parents would forget to put her in the bed at night. Genie would have to sleep sitting on the seat.
Voice 2
Genie’s father beat her. He shouted and barked like a dog to keep her quiet. He told Genie’s mother and brother to never talk to her. Genie lived alone in that small room for years. Genie weighed only twenty-seven [27] kilograms when authorities rescued her. She was thirteen years old.
Voice 1
Social workers brought Genie to a children’s hospital. She knew only a few words. The only words she spoke were “stop it” and “no more.” But most of the time, Genie did not speak. Genie walked around the hospital in a strange way. She walked like an animal. She held her hands close to her chest. Often, she would make noises like an animal and try to hit people.
Voice 2
The doctors at the hospital hoped they could help Genie act normal. After just three days, Genie started to help put on her own clothes. She wanted to learn new words. She started to improve.
Voice 1
Many people became interested in Genie. Doctors and scientists wanted to learn more about her. They wanted to know if she was able to learn like a normal person. They wanted to know if loving care could help her.
Voice 2
After a few months, Genie knew over one hundred (100) words. The scientists would take her for walks. She had a strong desire to learn about the world around her. Slowly, she learned to put words together into simple sentences.
Voice 1
Genie learned how to make simple sentences but nothing more. Scientists worried that Genie could not pass this simple language level. Most children learn more complex sentences as they grow older. The scientists wondered if Genie had a mental disability. They wondered if she was born with it or if she developed it.
Voice 2
Genie was improving but many people worried about her. They worried about how scientists treated Genie in the hospital. They did not think that scientists could care for her and study her at the same time. People did not want scientists to treat Genie like a science experiment. They wanted them to treat Genie like a person.
Voice 1
Scientists studied Genie because they wanted to learn about how children develop. They wanted to learn how family, love, and human care affect children. Genie began to become emotionally close to some of the scientists. But The scientists did not love her. They were only interested in studying her. Genie never had one person to love her. She had only scientists.
Voice 2
The National Institute for Mental Health, in the United States, paid for the scientist’s research. Scientists studied Genie for years. They discovered that Genie was not mentally disabled. Instead they discovered that the abuse affected Genie’s brain. Studying Genie helped the scientists learn more about child development. They learned more about how the brain works. For example, the language part of the brain develops when a person is very young. Genie did not learn language when this part of her brain was developing. So when Genie grew older, she was unable to learn complex language. Today, many teachers learn about Genie to understand more about how children learn.
Voice 1
But the Institute stopped paying for the research in 1974. In 1975 Genie went to go live with her mother. But her mother found caring for Genie too difficult. Her mother put her in a foster home. Genie lived with other children who had no parents. Genie lived in six [6] different foster homes after 1975. In some of the homes, people hurt her. They shouted at her and hit her. Genie reacted to this abuse by hiding. She talked less. She was afraid of more abuse. Today Genie lives in a foster home for adults somewhere in California. Her mother died in 2002.
Voice 2
Genie’s story is very sad. No child should ever experience abuse. But Genie’s story is also important. It shows how much people, especially children, need love and care. Abuse can affect children in many ways. In Genie’s case, the abuse affected her body. She did not grow correctly. It affected her ability to use language. It affected her ability to live a normal life.
Voice 1
People can find healing from the damage done by abuse. Some people find healing by talking with other people about their experiences with abuse. Talking to someone in a church can be a good way to start the healing process. All children need to feel love. It is the job of parents to provide that love. If no one cares for the child, he will not grow up correctly. What can you do to protect and care for children in your community? What can you do to help stop child abuse?
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