The shocking case of Beth, the psychopathic girl

Many will already know the case of Beth thomas, an intriguing story that is having a strong impact on social networks and that has not left anyone indifferent. Both for those who have not yet heard of this girl and for those who have, we recommend continuing reading this article.

Beth Thomas: the story of the psycho child

This story is about a girl who she lost her mother when she was only one year old. She and her brother were left under the guardianship of her biological father, who sexually abused the two minors. Fortunately, the abuses were detected by doctors and the children were taken in by a social worker six months later.

Luckily for Beth and her little brother Jonathan, they were both adopted by a Christian couple who were eager to be parents but could not conceive. Everything seemed to be going well until Beth began to state that she had very strange nightmares, and they realized that something was wrong.

Nightmares, a prelude to little Beth's antisocial behavior

The little girl's nightmares were about a man who "fell on top of her and hurt her with a part of him." In addition,

Beth manifested violent behavior towards her brother, her parents and animals (whom she killed). In addition to go to, also found that Beth manifested inappropriate sexual behaviors: the girl masturbated publicly and excessively, leading to bleeding.

These facts made parents consider the possibility of going to a psychologist. It is precisely during the course of Beth's diagnosis and psychological therapy that the video that has traveled the world is recorded: a interview with Beth by Dr. Ken Magid, a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of severely abused children sexual. What this psychologist discovered about the causes and effects of sexual abuse is the subject of study in all schools of psychology.

The chilling dialogues between Beth and her psychologist

This is a small transcript of the beginning of the interview:

- “Dr. Ken: Are people afraid of you Beth?

-Beth: Yes.

-Dr. Ken: Are your parents afraid of you?

-Beth: Yes.

-Dr. Ken: What would you do with them?

-Beth: Stab them.

-Dr. Ken: What would you do with your brother?

-Beth: Kill him.

-Dr. Ken: Who would you like to pin?

-Beth: In mom and dad.

-Dr. Ken: What would you like to see happen to them?

-Beth: Let them die. "

The little girl admitted to having physically abused her brother

Beth she admitted she, in her conversations with Dr Ken and with total coldness, to have mistreated her brother forever, banging her head against the ground, sticking pins in her whole body and in her intimate parts, stretching and kicking her genitals... She even went so far as to explain that she once tried to kill him, and she only stopped because her parents discovered her. She admitted that she had also seriously considered killing her parents on several occasions and that she routinely mistreated her pets. Not content with just that, she even killed several animals that roamed the yard of her house.

Faced with all these facts that she herself was relating, Beth she acknowledged not feeling any kind of remorse or guiltHer tone of voice before all her statements was cold and calm, as if she was explaining any trivial anecdote. Asked about the reason why she acted in this way, she replied that she wanted to make everyone feel what she felt in the past during the abuse of her father. Likewise, when faced with all the doctor's questions regarding whether she was aware that these acts would produce suffering in the other person, she calmly admitted that yes, that was precisely what She wishes.

Internment in a special center and psychological treatment

After a long interview, the psychologist obtained enough information to lead him to decide to admit the girl in a treatment center for children with different behavioral disorders. Beth was diagnosed with a serious attachment disorder, which is characterized by the development of the inability to establish healthy and adequate relationships, due in this case to the history of sexual abuse and mistreatment by her father.

Attachment disorder requires urgent psychological attention, otherwise it could become a danger to Beth herself and her relatives, due to the complete lack of empathy that she manifested, that she could be comparable to disorders such as sociopathy or psychopathy. The reason Beth was not diagnosed as psychopath at that time it is because at that time the existence of Conduct Personality Disorder was not yet known (antisocial personality disorder before age 18), about which there is still an extensive debate among mental health scholars.

Psychological treatment to control your antisocial urges

The treatment they imposed on Beth was very strict and orderly. Specially designed for children with the same disorder, who find it very difficult to respect rules and habits. During the night, and to prevent him from hurting other children, Beth she was locked in a room. Likewise, she had to ask permission for everything from going to the bathroom to even drinking water.

Over time, the restrictions were being less strict and Beth was progressively improving.

Beth was able to fully recover and today she is a person with a common life

At the end of the video we can see the breakthrough in Beth's treatment. Over the years, we can see Beth as a person with the capacity to empathize and to be aware of the consequences of her actions. Obviously, her apparent 'badness' of hers had the genesis of her in the continued abuse of which she was a victim as a baby, and her case serves to illustrate the dire consequences of short-term physical and psychological abuse age.

At the moment, Beth leads a normal life and works as a nurse. Her professional merits have earned her several awards.

This case leads us to the following conclusions: the importance of good parenting, especially in the critical periods of the child. But it also tells us about the effectiveness (at least in this case) of the psychological therapy, even in cases of extreme gravity and that may seem irreconcilable.

What were the psychotherapeutic keys to her recovery?

This total psychological recovery of little Beth could be achieved by making the girl aware of her actions, increasing your self esteem, in addition to cementing functional social habits and behaviors, for example making her capable of accepting certain norms and being able to manage, channel and understand the reason for her anger.

We recommend you watch the documentary of the entire Beth case, carried out by HBO in 1992. It is really interesting and it is convenient to know this case in depth, for all that it can teach us as professionals and as human beings.