Beth Thomas - Child of Rage - Update

Child of Rage:

Severe physical/sexual abuse, Reactive Attachment Disorder, no hesitation to hurt or kill others.
Beth

Beth was a victim of (severe) childhood sexual abuse until she was approximately 19 months old.

Her mother died when she was one year old and she and her infant brother Jonathan were left at the mercy of their sadistic father.

Beth describes her father’s abuse in matter-of-fact tones and displays a crayon picture of herself lying in bed weeping as he fondles her genitalia. Her voice is as eerily calm and flat when speaking about her own abuse as it is when talking about the abuse she inflicted on her brother.

By the time Beth and Jonathan were rescued by Child Services she appeared to be indelibly scarred by neglect and severe abuse. The two children were given to loving parents, Tim and Julie, who themselves had no biological children. Tim and Julie were not given any information as to the children’s abusive background.

At the time of the adoption little Jonathan was 7 months old. His head was flat at the back and bulged forward at the front from being left on his back in his crib all day. He couldn’t raise his head or roll over. Beth suffered from nightmares of a “man who was falling on her and hurting her with a part of himself.”

How does a child cope with such abuse?

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Reactive Attachment Disorder is characterized by markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate ways of relating socially. It can take the form of a persistent failure to initiate or respond to social interactions in an appropriate way—known as the “inhibited” form—or can present itself as indiscriminate sociability, such as excessive familiarity with strangers—known as the “disinhibited form“.

Beth’s condition involved a complete inability to bond with any human being and a complete lack of empathy. This is also known as sociopathy or psychopathy although those terms are not used about children under the age of 18.

RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood. This results from severe early experiences of neglect, abuse, abrupt separation from caregivers (Beth’s mother passed away when Beth was one) between the ages of six months and three years.

It also results from a frequent change of caregivers, or a lack of caregiver responsiveness to a child’s communicative efforts.

That Beth Thomas developed RAD is certainly beyond her control. The assessment is not a criticism, nor is it blame against the child. It names the cluster of symptoms Beth displayed due to her brief, harrowing life with her father.

source

Back when I first saw this in 1990 I was horrified and couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to this little girl.

As an Adult Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse I almost couldn’t bring myself to watch (on the video) much agree at the method of ‘getting through’ to Beth - the forced holding - forced bondage ie; Behavioural modification therapy in conjuntion with the use of the Rebirthing Method that involves wrapping the child in a flannel sheet, placing pillows on her body and having 5 adults lean upon the child or some other type of similar restraint involving adults restraining the child (patient).

The 'torture' (as I saw it - again on the video) made me near to sick and I just couldn‘t help but believe this poor little girl would be emotionally crippled for the rest of her life!

BUT!

The joy of the story is the outcome.

Meet Beth now.

Beth Thomas grew into a mentally healthy woman. She obtained a degree in nursing and has authored a book entitled “More Than a Thread of Hope.” She and her adoptive mother Nancy Thomas established a clinic for children with severe behavior disturbances.

Nancy Thomas wrote a book entitled Dandelion on my Pillow, Butcher Knife Beneath (Coping with Personal Problems)

Nancy and Beth Thomas’ website can be found here

Stunning transformation of Beth Thomas, TV’s ‘Child of Rage’ psychopath

Sadly, here’s some information on what happens to children who do not get help.

Why kids don’t “outgrow” reactive attachment disorder (and what happens when they grow up without help)

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) doesn’t just disappear with time, contrary to what some people believe. Children who aren’t effectively treated for RAD most often grow into adults with personality disorders.

Toxic stress in childhood from abandonment or chronic violence has pervasive effects on the capacity to pay attention, to learn, to see where other people are coming from, and it really creates havoc with the whole social environment. And it leads to criminality, and drug addiction, and chronic illness, and people going to prison, and repetition of the trauma on the next generation.

I hope you can walk away from this thread with a sense of hope.

God Bless You Beth!

peace

I remember this story of Beth as a child, but never knew what happened to her after her childhood. I will look into this thread more later. A most fascinating case! There are also movies about her.

a reply to: silo13

Against all odds, some of the lucky ones can still create a relatively normal life.

Good for her and,for all the rest that come out on the other side.

Thank you for this refreshing story.

Vid is an error

a reply to: silo13

How does a child remember anything that happened before two years of age? If the abuse was stopped at 19 months except for some attachment issues she shouldn't even remember that.
I'm confused.

I saw that movie a long time ago.

Well getting to the end there was sure a good thing for her. The other day when they had the thread about the girl that was suffocated by people trying to rebirth her reminded me of a movie but I couldn't remember what movie. It was the one from the OP.
This is why I never put my babies down when they were little. I swear the youngest was on my lap or in my arms until he went off to pre school.
And he actually got in trouble because he would kiss the babies and want to hold them. True story I got a call saying he wouldn't stop kissing the babies and the school could be held liable. He's still a sweet heart.

a reply to: silo13

such a brave lady
and such a strong family to help her get through such horrible events.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

If memory serves they only held her on her mother's lap but they did hold her even when she struggled to get out.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I completely agree. I was HORRIFIED and I still am when watching it - but I'm not a child psychology professional.

I can't think it would work well, but it seems it did and all I know from my perspective is the similar but different method has worked with me when training rogue horses.

peace

a reply to: Sillyolme

Yes they did - three adults - the therapist Connell Watkins, the adoptive mother and father.

It's horrific.

But...

peace

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: silo13

How does a child remember anything that happened before two years of age? If the abuse was stopped at 19 months except for some attachment issues she shouldn't even remember that.
I'm confused.

To this day I can remember 'things' from the around the same age as Beth. I'll not go into detail, but I can tell you this. The memories are mine, not incidents 'spoon fed' me by adults.

peace

a reply to: silo13

I guess we can just be glad it worked for Beth Thomas. But attachment therapy needs to be restricted, supervised, or outlawed. I'm not trying to be a downer, but people need to know the possible fallout from attachment therapy and know both sides before they hand their children over to therapists. The practice sounds horrifying for a reason; it's malpractice in my opinion.


Here's a link that works:

A psychotherapist convicted of reckless child abuse in death of a 10-year-old girl during a controversial therapy still insists the child's death was not her fault.

Connell Watkins will be sentenced on Monday. She faces up to 48 years in prison in the death of Candace Newmaker during a therapy known as "rebirthing."

abcnews.go.com...

(emboldened by me for emphasis)

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: silo13

How does a child remember anything that happened before two years of age?

That is what I am wondering.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: silo13

How does a child remember anything that happened before two years of age? If the abuse was stopped at 19 months except for some attachment issues she shouldn't even remember that.
I'm confused.

I saw that movie a long time ago.

I think every child is different in respect to memories. My sister remembers our grandmother singing to her. Our grandmother died when my sister was 6 months old. My sister told our father that she remembered this and he looked a little surprised but confirmed that his mother did in fact sing to her when she was a baby. How can a person remember things like that? I have no clue. I don't remember things that far back but, apparently some people do. Weird, I know but some people do remember things from when they were babies less than a year old.

While the abuse isn't as bad as Beth's so many kids are growing up in single parent or absent parent households, often the victims of abuse and neglect that fester. Failure in school, crime. drug abuse, partner abuse - so many of these can be traced back to childhood trauma. While I am against abortion I'm also against unfit parenting. At a minimum kids of junior high and high school age should be taught about parental responsiblities along with any kind of sex education they might receive. Heck, it might even be good that they take part in helping at a day care facility that is closely monitored to prevent problems.

One thing past generations had was extended families; often the whole family from 1 to 100 years old all lived together. Children were a part of everyone's life, the children benefited from being around adults and the adults from spending time with children. It seems we tend to stay around those our own age, ethnic background and now shared politics. If society is truly progressing it cannot do it by dividing people up, it can only be through shared experience regardless of age, skin color or political leanings. If we don't learn from abuse we will only pass it on to the next generation in an endless cycle of violence and misery.