Genie, the feral child : Starved, tortured and forgotten
Feral children are raised in social isolation with little to no human contact.
Her name was Genie. Also known as the 'wild child'. You've probably heard of her story before.
Genie was discovered at the age of 13 by a social worker. She soon found that the young girl had been confined to a small room for the majority of her life.
She spent most of her days naked, tied to a potty chair in her bedroom. When she made a sound, her father would beat her. The rare times her father did communicate with Genie, was spent barking and growling at her like a dog.
Her father fed her so little, that at the age of thirteen, she looked like she was only six years old.
Genie’s extreme isolation caused her severe disabilities. At the age of 13, she could barely walk or swallow her food. Her walk is often described as the 'bunny walk', as she held her hands in front like claws.
When Genie was rescued, she spent a number of years in speech and physical therapy. She eventually learned to walk and use the toilet.
She started to learn and recognise words in basic sentences. However, she was unable to ask questions and never developed a language system that allowed her to understand English grammar.
She spent the majority of her life in a facility. I'm not sure how she is doing now as that information hasn't been released to the public.
Genie's case is incredibly important for psychologists, as it enables us to understand language acquisition.
This is simply a short overview. You can read more online.
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