Customer Reviews

NOVA: Secret of the Wild Child

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In Los Angeles, California on November 4th, 1970, a young girl at 13 years old is rescued from her home by social workers. What they found was that she was isolated for a decade in a locked room and tied to a potty chair. She had virtually no human contact and no tactile interaction of any benefit and this helped to deprive her of any semblance of a normal life. In effect, she was underdeveloped, unable to communicate, she could barely walk and she exhibited many unusual behaviors. Due in part to a dysfunctional set of parents, it was difficult to get a proper history of all the horrible neglect that occurred here.

Eventually named `Genie' by the doctors and experts that worked with her at a children's hospital, so began a time of medical examination and analysis that lasted from about 1970 to 1975. During this time, Genie was, for lack of a better word, juggled between many people and environments in an effort to rehabilitate and heal her. At the end of this time period when these efforts were discontinued, Genie was shuffled between various foster homes which proved to be very detrimental in part because she was subjected to more abuse, punishment, and harassment in these different locations.

Because of additional difficulties caused by foster care, Genie was again returned to the children's hospital for further treatment. To compound an already fragile situation, Genie's mother filed a lawsuit against the many experts and the hospital that worked with her citing `excessive and outrageous testing'. This coming from an irresponsible and unconscionable parent that was, in part, responsible for this entire ordeal from the beginning. The suit was eventually settled out of court and Genie is currently a resident in a care home in California to this day.

`Secret of the Wild Child', although not very long, seems to do a credible job in detailing the known facts and events that played a significant impact in Genie's life after her rescue. There is a decent mix of interviews from various experts and a good portion of video footage showing Genie's therapy and rehabilitation and it makes for a worthwhile production in my opinion.

This is perhaps one of the most important stories in the field of Child Development. Not only does it illustrate a story of unimaginable child abuse and provide unparalleled insight into the effects of social isoloation on the psychological and mental development of humans, but it also reveals the darker side of science -- a part so driven by notoriety and money that it ends up abusing Genie over and over.

All students of psychology, child development, linguistics, social work, and related fields should see this program and get to know it intimately.

I first became aware of the "Genie" story because the home where she was kept was a few blocks away from me in Temple City, CA. Her story was front page news in 1970 as more and more details came out about how she had never left her bedroom for her entire life, and how dysfunctional the family was. The father committed suicide less than a week after the headlines for hit.

The PBS documentary on Genie is excellent and must see for all psychology students, brain researchers, and anyone interested in the whole concept of how a child develops in the "wild".

I've found this to be the most professional, fair-minded summary of Genie's story yet. The footage of Genie is fascinating, although I do wish there were more details about the results of the tests on her. I was disappointed to find that half the movie is about a different feral child named Viktor, but the parts that are about Genie are excellent.

As a professor teaching an Introductory Child Development course, I fully recommend this movie. The students in my course were captivated and many chose to write about Genie for an open-ended project. It is a great way to talk about topics such as nature vs. nurture, language acquisition, abuse, and research ethics.

Secret of the Wild Child tells the story of Genie, a 13 year old girl who was discovered by social workers. Genie had been raised in a small, featureless room since the age of 18 months--strapped into a potty chair by day and a crib by night, no one was allowed to talk with her, play with her, or give her the least sign of human affection and communication. This video shows the struggle of the psychologists and caretakers who tried to teach Genie the simple everyday things that we all take for granted--how to wear clothing, how to feed herself, and how to talk. Her struggle to learn language was a key issue for cognitive theorists who believed that there is a critical period for learning language, a period that Genie missed. Powerful and moving.

This episode focuses on the discovery of a child that had been abused and
secluded in a small room with little human contact until she was found at
13 years old. The seclusion had resulted in severely limited childhood
development, including the lack of acquisition of language. The documentary
tells the story of her rehabilitation, and the missteps that occur during it.

Ultimately, "Wild Child" Genie's rehabilitation was unsuccessful, and her
profound handicaps and doubtful rehabilitation leave a deep sorrow in the
heart. Very moving and an interesting glimpse into some of the issues about
childhood development.

There is also a good book on Genie, Genie: a Scientific Tragedy
available from amazon which parallels the documentary.

I first saw this video on TV. Channel 13 here in New York. I couldn't stop thinking about this child and that it could happen here in the USA. Gripping, informative and sad. Should be watched by everyone.

Secret of the Wild Child tells the compelling story of Susan Wiley, a young girl who was rescued from a dysfunctional home during the 1970s by a system that ultimately failed her. Nova explores her journey from Hell to Limbo in an unforgettable documentary that shows the darkest sides of humanity and the captivating innocence of a child. You too will be haunted by this beautiful girl whom everybody simply referred to as Genie.

I would so love to own a copy of this DVD!

This little autistic child's history of abuse is most heart wrenching, and therapists seem overwhelmed with the challenge of helping her grow up.This report may upset you!