Tow #28 "Children of Rage: A Story of Abuse"

Beth wiggles around on the sofa with the energy of a six and a half year old girl who is forced to talk to an adult. She holds her head in her hands, rubs her nose, and pushes her brown locks of hair out of her eyes. Her sparkling blue eyes wander around the room as the interviewer questions her.
When the adult asks about the knife missing from the kitchen, Beth answers, "a big sharp one."
"What were you going to do with the knife Beth?"
"Kill John and Mommy and Daddy."

Representing one of the most traumatized cases of neglect and abuse, the adorable young girl, Beth stars in the TV documentary "Children of Rage: A Story of Abuse". The documentary introduces her as a child who has gone through much trauma at a young age, primarily because of the child sexual abuse and neglect she had to endure by her biological father. Because Beth was left so traumatized from this during the first five years of her life, the time crucial to learning affection and love, she was left with the inability to develop bonds with anyone and described as "without a conscience... capable of hurting or even killing someone without any remorse. Her adoptive family found her and her younger brother in this state and have to deal with severe complications to say the least. Beth regularly injures her younger brother and family pets and openly states that she wants to kill her family. Her family is forced to lock her in her room at night to protect themselves.

In contrast to other documentaries, this documentary is mainly organized as one lengthy interview conducted between the psychologist and Beth before treatment and then after treatment when Beth is moved to a house for kids like her. By interviewing the subject instead of taking pictures of home environment and narrating voice overs of her life, the documentary is able to allow the audience see Beth for themselves. The camera is focused on Beth the whole entire time, never the psychologist, sometimes even zooming into her face when she is answering a question, making it feel like Beth is staring directly at the audience. This perspective really gives the audience the full disturbing effect as the fetching little girl missing her two front teeth, looks deadpan into the camera and nonchalantly describes her plans to murder her family, lacking complete concern or remorse over her actions.

The message of the documentary finally becomes clear when the psychologist interviews Beth for the last time, years later after treatment at a facility for traumatized children like herself. As he asks Beth who she hurt the most, Beth replies "My parents. My brother. Me. It hurt me the most because when I hurt other people I hurt my good self"and dissolves into tears when asks how she feels about it. This appeals to the pathos of the viewers as the documentary captures the transformation that has occurred within Beth, who has turned into a caring and conscientious child. Beth represents the beacon of hope that other traumatized children similar to her, can find a better life through treatment, dedication and love.

Today Beth Thomas is a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse.