Genie Wiley: the feral child
Summary
TLDRThe tragic story of 'Genie,' a girl locked away from society by her father for 13 years, reveals the devastating impact of isolation on child development. Born in 1957, Genie was subjected to abuse and neglect, leading to severe developmental delays and a lack of language skills. After her rescue, she showed remarkable progress in therapy but faced challenges due to her unstable foster care situation. Her case highlights the importance of early intervention and the lifelong effects of abuse and isolation.
Takeaways
- 😷 Genie Wiley, also known as 'feral child', was isolated from human contact and society for 13 years by her father, Clark Wiley.
- 👨👩👧👦 Clark Wiley had a troubled past, including being raised in foster homes and having a strained relationship with his mother.
- 👶 Genie was kept in a locked room, subjected to physical abuse, and was never taught to speak or interact socially.
- 🏠 The family lived in isolation, with Clark controlling every aspect of their lives and preventing them from leaving the house.
- 🤕 Genie's physical and mental development was severely delayed due to the abuse and lack of stimulation.
- 🚨 The case was discovered when Genie's mother, Irene, escaped the abusive situation and sought help for her disability benefits.
- 👩⚕️ After her rescue, Genie showed remarkable progress in therapy, learning to communicate and interact with others.
- 📚 The case of Genie Wiley contributed significantly to the fields of psychology and linguistics, demonstrating the critical period for language acquisition.
- 💔 Despite initial progress, Genie's life after her rescue was unstable, moving between foster homes and lacking consistent care.
- 📉 The lack of a stable environment and ongoing support hindered Genie's ability to reach her full potential after her rescue.
- 🏡 Genie now lives a private life in a facility, her story serving as a cautionary tale about the long-term effects of child abuse and neglect.
Q & A
What is the term used to describe children who have been raised away from society and human contact?
-Such children are referred to as 'feral children'.
What was the fake name given to the girl who spent 13 years locked in a room?
-The fake name given to the girl was 'Genie'.
What was the reason behind Clark Wiley's decision to isolate his daughter Genie?
-Clark Wiley decided to isolate his daughter Genie due to his belief that she was mentally disabled and his resentment towards children, which led him to avoid any contact with her.
How did Genie's father, Clark Wiley, treat her during her confinement?
-Clark Wiley treated Genie with extreme neglect and abuse, including tying her to a child's toilet during the day and a sleeping bag at night, and beating her with a plank if she made any noise.
What was the impact of Genie's isolation on her physical and mental development?
-Genie's isolation led to severe delays in her physical and mental development, resulting in her being unable to walk properly, speak, or interact socially, and having the cognitive abilities of a 13-month-old when she was discovered at 13 years old.
What was the role of Genie's mother, Irene Wiley, in her confinement?
-Irene Wiley was also a victim of Clark's abuse and control, and was partially blind, which limited her ability to care for Genie. She was not allowed to speak to or interact with Genie under Clark's strict rules.
How did Genie's situation come to the attention of authorities?
-Genie's situation was discovered when Irene, with the help of her son who had run away from home, finally confronted her husband and took Genie to her parents' house to apply for disability benefits, where a social worker noticed her.
What were the initial observations made by the medical professionals when Genie was first examined?
-Medical professionals observed that Genie was extremely small for her age, had very pale skin, lacked muscle development, had never learned to chew, and showed signs of severe developmental delays.
What progress did Genie make during her time in the hospital and foster care?
-Genie made significant progress in the hospital, learning to understand speech, express emotions, and gain control of her bladder. In foster care, she continued to develop her verbal communication and showed signs of recalling her childhood.
What were the challenges Genie faced after leaving the hospital?
-Genie faced challenges including being moved between multiple foster homes, experiencing further abuse, and lacking stability, which hindered her from reaching her full potential and living a normal life.
What was the ultimate outcome for Genie after her story was made public?
-Genie was eventually placed in a private facility in Los Angeles where she was better cared for, and her privacy was respected. She lived a simple life, and her mother and the Wriggler family stayed in contact with her.
Outlines
🔒 The Isolation of Genie Wiley
Genie Wiley's tragic story begins with her father, Clark Wiley, isolating her in a room, cutting off all human contact. This extreme isolation led to her being raised as a feral child, lacking social skills and with abnormal behavior. Genie's father, Clark, had a troubled past, including being neglected and bullied, which contributed to his resentment towards his mother and his eventual violent behavior towards his wife, Irene. Despite Irene's early head injury and subsequent vision problems, the couple appeared happy, but Clark's violent nature and control over the family escalated. Genie's early life was marked by health issues and developmental delays, which Clark attributed to a mental disability, further isolating her from her family and society.
🌑 The Dark Reality of Genie's Confinement
Genie's confinement worsened after her grandmother's death in a car accident, which led Clark to become even more paranoid and reclusive. He locked Genie in a room, restricting her movement and punishing her for making any noise. The family's living conditions deteriorated, with Clark enforcing silence and control over every aspect of their lives. Genie was fed baby food and liquids, was never toilet trained, and was subjected to physical abuse if she made any sound. The severity of her isolation meant that she had no opportunity to learn language or social skills, and her physical development was severely stunted.
👥 The Discovery and Initial Assessment
Genie's horrifying situation was uncovered when her mother, Irene, finally sought help from social services. Genie was found to be severely malnourished, physically stunted, and mentally delayed due to her isolation. She was unable to speak or interact with others and was initially thought to be autistic. However, it became clear that her condition was a result of the extreme abuse and neglect she suffered. Therapists and psychiatrists began working with Genie to understand the extent of her condition and to help her recover. They found that she had never been exposed to language, had no non-verbal communication skills, and was deeply affected by her father's violent threats.
📈 Genie's Progress and Challenges in Recovery
Despite her traumatic past, Genie began to show signs of progress in the hospital. She started to understand speech, showed emotions, and began to gain control over her bodily functions. Her language skills improved, and she became more social and affectionate. However, her recovery was complicated by being moved to different foster homes, which disrupted her therapy and stability. Genie's case raised questions about the long-term effects of isolation on child development and the importance of consistent care and support for recovery.
🏠 Genie's Life After Recovery
Genie's life after her recovery was marked by a series of challenges. Her mother struggled to cope with her needs and placed her in multiple foster homes, where she faced further abuse. Eventually, she was moved to a facility in Los Angeles where she received better care. Genie's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit but also a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child abuse and neglect. Her father, Clark Wiley, took his own life before facing justice, and Genie's mother passed away in 2003. Genie's brother lived separately from her, and she remains in a private facility, her privacy respected.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Isolation
💡Feral Children
💡Abuse
💡Neglect
💡Developmental Delays
💡RH Incompatibility
💡Therapy
💡Cognitive Abilities
💡Foster Homes
💡Psychological Trauma
Highlights
Isolation can lead to severe problems adapting in society, known as feral children.
Feral children are raised away from society and human contact, lacking social skills and often unable to speak.
Genie, a pseudonym, was kept in isolation for 13 years by her father.
Clark Wiley's abusive behavior and isolation of his family led to Genie's condition.
Genie's mother, Irene, was also a victim of Clark's abuse and had limited vision.
Genie's father prevented her from developing basic human skills like walking and talking.
Genie was discovered at 13 years old, showing signs of severe developmental delays.
Therapists and psychiatrists found Genie's condition was due to abuse and isolation, not innate disability.
Genie made significant progress in therapy, learning to communicate and interact.
Genie's case was groundbreaking for child development and language acquisition studies.
Genie's father, Clark, committed suicide after being charged with child abuse.
Genie's mother sued the hospital and therapists involved in Genie's case.
Genie's life after her rescue was unstable, moving between foster homes and facilities.
Genie's story highlights the importance of stable care and support for victims of abuse.
Genie's progress was hindered by the lack of a consistent care environment.
Genie's case is considered a failure due to the long-term consequences of her abuse.
Genie's story serves as a cautionary tale about the impact of abuse and the need for proper care.
Transcripts
mr wiley yes why did you keep your
daughter
in a room mr wiley has no comment we
haven't had time to discuss the charge
we haven't even seen
isolation is much more than being alone
it means cutting out all human contact
but what happens when that's all you
know
this is how some children are raised
away from society estranged from social
skills and with little to no knowledge
about interaction
when inserted into society these
children have severe problems adapting
therefore being known as feral children
to understand the story better we first
need to talk about feral children
feral or wild children have been raised
away from society in human contact since
a very young age
therefore they lack any social skills
and their behavior is considered
abnormal
as a consequence of being isolated
during the most crucial years of
language development many don't know how
to speak and communicate only using
sounds
there are many stories and myths about
children being raised by animals
children who hunt or even run on all
fours
however in the 20th century
psychologists began digging deeper into
the cases of children who'd been
isolated as a way of abuse by adults
this is a story we're focusing on today
genie is a fake name
she was giving this alias when her case
went public
psychiatrists who treated her decided
this was the best way to protect her
from the curious media who wanted to
meet the girl who spent 13 years locked
in a room
but how did genie end up this way
how did a baby end up being raised alone
in a room just a few feet away from her
family but not being able to communicate
with them
for that we need to dive deeper into her
family history
[Music]
clark wiley genie's father was raised in
foster homes in the pacific northwest
after the death of his father and with
his mother running a brothel he was
neglected and ended up being passed on
from foster home to foster home
apparently he was given a feminine name
as a child
which he hated and changed as soon as he
was old enough
it's thought that the neglect from his
mother and how he was bullied for his
name made him resent her
however during his early adulthood
mother and son became close
she was trying to make up for past
mistakes and tried spending as much time
as she could with him
seeing as his mother was finally taking
notice of him clark became extremely
attached to her putting her above
everyone else
jeannie's mother irene was 20 years
younger than clark
as a child she sustained a head injury
which resulted in neurological damage
her eyesight was affected especially one
of her eyes and her condition would only
get worse with time
when the couple got married neighbors
and friends remember them being close
and seemingly happy
however behind closed doors clark soon
became violent towards irene
his severe beatings affected irene's
vision even more until she was partially
blind from one eye and heavily depended
on clarke
clark was controlling and rigid and it
was only becoming worse over the years
he didn't like children claiming they
were noisy but after five years of
marriage irene became pregnant
however the beating didn't stop
he continued to hit irene during her
whole pregnancy
despite this she gave birth to a healthy
baby girl
clark found his daughter to be very loud
and couldn't handle her crying so he
began placing her in the garage
as a consequence at only 10 weeks old
the couple's first born child contracted
pneumonia and died
a year later irene gave birth to a baby
boy
however the baby was diagnosed with an
r8 incompatibility which is a disease
where some of the mother's antibodies
are passed on into the fetus's
bloodstream attacking its own red blood
cells
the child died only two days after being
born
and so irene and clark got pregnant once
again and this time had a healthy boy
but clark hadn't changed his mind about
children
he hated hearing the baby cry so he'd
forced irene to keep the baby quiet and
encouraged her not to talk to him
by the time he was four years old he had
quite obvious linguistic development
delays and he was sent to live with his
maternal grandmother for a few months
in the short period he spent with her he
made a lot of progress so it was obvious
he was completely capable of learning he
just wasn't being taught enough
clark wiley had begun to isolate himself
more and more and not only that he kept
his family isolated as well preventing
his wife and son from leaving if it
wasn't absolutely necessary
when their son was five years old they
had another baby a girl this time
genie
jeannie wiley was born in 1957
she too showed signs of an rh
incompatibility but after a blood
transfusion she recovered
although seemingly healthy she had a hip
dislocation discovered at a checkup when
she was only three months old so she was
required to wear a splint for most of
her first year of life
this caused her to start walking later
than other children
she also showed some trouble introducing
solid foods into her diet causing her
weight to always be below average
sometimes even showing signs of
malnutrition
these challenges at such an early age
caused clark to think his daughter had a
mental disability although genie had not
shown any medical signs of any delays in
mental development
but clark was determined she was
disabled and actually told his wife and
son they should not speak to her and pay
her little attention
remember clark didn't like any of the
hassle that came with taking care of
children so he thought caring for a
mentally challenged child was not
something he was going to take part in
the neglect caused her to continue
dropping weight and delayed her
development severely
at 14 months old she too contracted
pneumonia
the doctor who saw her mentioned the
possibility that she was indeed disabled
in some way although it was never
officially diagnosed
it didn't even cross his mind that her
condition was inflicted by bad parenting
and neglect
so with this theory from the doctor
jeannie's father just confirmed what
he'd been saying on the lung and began
treating his daughter as if her
condition were much more severe
when genie was about to turn two years
old a drunk driver hit clark's mother
killing her almost instantly
she'd been out walking with genie's
brother at the time who suffered no
injuries
the driver only received a probationary
sentence and with this news clark was
completely destroyed
he considered society had failed him and
he even went as far as to blame the
accident on his seven-year-old son just
because he'd been walking with his
grandmother
he became paranoid and his isolation
spiraled uncontrollably
the family moved into clark's mother's
house and quickly began losing contact
with neighbors and family
clark thought he had to protect his
family from the dangers outside so he
prevented them from leaving most of the
time
this feeling of protection was also
mixed with the disappointment he felt
from having a mentally disabled child
which is what he'd established genie was
so as well as preventing his family from
leaving he began to lock genie away to
keep her hidden
soon enough genie was confined to a
second bedroom in the house while the
rest of the family lived in the living
room
clark had told him his mother's room was
not to be touched and it remained just
as she had left it the day she died
clark slept on a recliner irene slept on
a dining room chair and their son was
left to sleep on the floor
jeannie's room was dark with blacked out
windows and the only objects jeannie
interacted with were her crib a chair
and some curtains
during the day
genie would be strapped to a child's
toilet with a makeshift harness clark
had made himself
at night he'd tie her to a sleeping bag
and put a metal cover over her crib
meaning genie never stood up and can
barely move her arms or her legs
while most children aren't beginning to
run climb fall over and get up again
genie wasn't able to get up on her own
two feet
like we mentioned earlier clark didn't
like children making noise
he kept a plank in the room and if genie
ever made a sound he'd beat her with it
he also began imitating a dog's behavior
growling barking and even scratching
genie if she cried or made any noises
genie was fed mainly baby food and
liquids and was always fed by her father
or her brother under his father's orders
irene's sight was worse than ever so she
wasn't allowed to feed genie
according to researchers jeanne was
probably fed very quickly and if she
choked or complained in any way her
father would take away the food or even
rub it on her face
knowing this her mother would try to
smuggle food in for her in the middle of
the night
but most importantly genie was never
spoken to
the house was mostly silent anyway clark
despised noise and prevented his wife
and son from even talking to each other
speaking to genie was explicitly
prohibited
any conversations we had were always
away from jeannie's room
so for the year she was locked away
genie barely heard any words spoken to
her and definitely never learned how to
speak herself
although genie suffered the strongest
form of abuse the rest of the family was
subjected to clark's ways as well
he frequently beat his wife and son
especially if they made noise or try to
speak to genie
clark kept a diary where he detailed his
abuse and authority over his family
they were forbidden to leave the house
unless it was necessary
genie's brother was only allowed to go
to school and when he came back he had
to confirm his identity before being let
back in due to clark's severe paranoia
to make sure he wouldn't talk about his
family with anyone at school clark would
threaten his son beat him and manipulate
him into being terrified to speak about
any of the abuse going on
as he got older genie's brother also
took part in being violent towards his
sister
under his father's orders he'd also
threatened genie if she made any noise
or would take food away from her
although he wasn't locked up he was also
an abused child and this kind of
parenting was all he knew
the neighbors knew they didn't leave the
house much but they had no idea of the
extent of what was going on behind that
door many didn't know of the existence
of genie
the neighbors believed the couple had
only one child
came home from work and the police was
here and they came to question us that's
when we found found out you know what
happened and you know that they had a
little girl
nobody knew nobody knew before everybody
was shocked and
just unbelievable
when the doors to the house were finally
open nobody could even possibly imagine
the truth of what had been going on
inside
after a lifelong of threats and violence
irene finally confronted her husband
about not being able to even call her
parents
jeannie was 13 years old at the time and
her brother who was already over 18 had
run away from home
genie's mother was finally able to leave
and immediately took jeannie to her
parents house
at this point irene was nearly blind and
decided to apply for disability benefits
she took genie with her while she was
requesting the paperwork jeannie
immediately caught the eye of a social
worker passing by
the social worker initially thought
jeannie was autistic but after speaking
with jeannie and her mother for a few
minutes she was in shock to find that
the girl was actually 13 years old
after evaluating the state she was in
the social worker contacted the
authorities and jeanne's parents were
arrested and she was taken to the los
angeles children's hospital
genie was put under observation by
therapists and psychiatrists specialized
in child abuse
they began trying to find out more about
what led to genie's state but they could
only rely on what their mother told them
since genie wasn't taken 20 doctors
after the age of two
james kent was the psychiatrist assigned
to the case and although he had
frequently worked cases of child abuse
he stated this was nothing like he'd
ever seen before
genie was very small for her age only 4
feet and barely 59 pounds her skin was
extremely pale because of the lack of
sunlight and since she never learned how
to chew because she was never given
solid food her baby teeth hadn't fallen
out she had two full sets of teeth
in fact when given solid food she
couldn't chew it and ended up spitting
it out and trying to break it down with
her hands
jeannie had barely any muscle on her
legs and her bones were very weak since
she had never learned to walk properly
and her limbs were usually restrained
as a consequence she couldn't stand up
straight and always walked with her
hands placed in front of her arms close
to her body similar to how a rabbit
would place its front paws
her rib cage was smaller than average
and her hips were not developed
correctly contributing to her difficulty
in standing or walking
she was also incontinent as she had
never been toilet trained she had either
been tied to a toilet or forced to use
diapers for 13 years
her vision initially seemed fine but she
wasn't able to focus on things more than
a few feet away from her since she had
always been in a small room and never in
open spaces
on a mental level doctors determined
genie's cognitive abilities were equal
to a 13 month old but she quickly began
responding to stimuli and showed
interest in objects she did however show
detachment from other humans she was not
afraid of anyone but she treated them as
objects as well even her mother and
brother who she was more familiar with
didn't seem to trigger any emotional
response genie responded to sounds as
well as she had never been exposed to
anything but the silence of her home
therapists particularly noted that she
was afraid of cat and dog sounds
possibly because of the form of threat
her father used whenever she made any
noise
in terms of communication therapists
determined she was highly antisocial
she avoided physical contact even from
her mother and had no sense of property
as she would reach for anything she
found interesting
her communication consisted in making
noising by pushing objects to attract
attention but no verbal or body language
she only seemed to respond to her name
but barely any other phrases so doctors
couldn't determine how much of it she
knew before or she had learned during
her time in observation
after studying her for weeks linguist
came to the conclusion that she was
physically able to speak but as a
consequence of being extremely isolated
and never exposed to language she simply
hadn't acquired a first language and had
only learned to get attention through
the noises she could make with external
objects
this explains her lack of non-verbal
body language as well
since she barely communicated with
anyone
she never learned how gestures facial
expressions or movement can also be a
form of communication
genie also showed inappropriate sexual
behavior in public during her therapy
which led doctors to believe that there
had also been some form of sexual abuse
during genius time locked away however
this could never be proved as genie's
mother never confirmed it
so after weeks of therapy observation in
several tests doctors concluded genie
had not been born in any way mentally
disabled that she was not autistic and
that her intelligence at the time of
birth would have probably been average
her mental abilities at the time she was
found were due to the abuse and
isolation her father put her under
her physical condition was also entirely
a consequence of the neglect and abuse
inflicted on her at the most crucial
moments of development and growth for
children
jeannie made incredible progress in the
short period she spent in hospital she
began understanding when she was being
talked to began showing emotions such as
curiosity and began paying attention
when someone was speaking
she also began putting on weight and
going to the bathroom on her own slowly
becoming in control of her bladder she
also began to recognize the doctors who
were treating her and would show
happiness when they arrived even trying
to make them stay when it was time for
them to leave
after months she acquired enough
vocabulary and understanding of emotions
to express happiness or fear
she also slowly became more affectionate
and began giving hugs to the people she
trusted the most
she still had a hard time being in
crowds but when taken away from them she
would calm down
after spending a few months in recovery
at the hospital
jean butler genie's special education
teacher at the hospital began fostering
genie for some time
the hospital didn't approve of this
decision as they thought it could
interfere with the study but regardless
genie moved in with jean
in her journals jean wrote about the
progress genie made while at home with
her she began expressing anger or
frustration through words instead of
attacking herself and she was also much
more talkative in general her language
improved greatly
however although her intentions were
good butler's care did interfere with
the overall study and therapy genie
needed and she refused to cooperate with
some of the specialists jeannie needed
to see
the other doctors thought butler was
keeping genie's progress to herself in
hopes that it would one day make her
famous
the authorities decided she was not the
best fit to gain full custody of genie
and the child was moved to a different
home
genie then began living with david
wrigler one of the therapists working
the case
mrs wrigler was a social worker and had
a degree in human development so the
couple were both trained to observe
genie's progress
although it was meant to be temporary
genie ended up spending almost four
years with the wrigglers and their
children
during her stay with the wrigglers
jeannie continued developing her verbal
communication they focused on teaching
her more vocabulary and at one point
jeannie talked briefly about her
childhood meaning she had a recollection
of the events that happened to her in
her early years
this is how jeannie described how her
father would beat her
father hit arm big wood genie cry
not spit
father
hit face spit
father hit big stick
father is angry
father hit genie big stick
father take peace would hit
cry
father make me cry
father is dead
and she was right clark wiley was dead
[Music]
after genius discovery by social workers
both parents were arrested
eventually the charges against irene
were dropped as examinations determined
she was under abuse as well
specialists stated that neglect towards
her child was caused mainly because of
the abuse she endured from her own
husband as well as the visual impairment
she suffered from
clark however was charged with child
abuse
a few days before one of his court
appearances he committed suicide by
shooting himself
in 1975 jeannie turned 18.
her mother had been frequently visiting
her during her time spent on foster
homes building a relationship with her
irene's attorney john miner was genie's
legal guardian although jeannie was
still living with the wriglers when she
turned 18 jeannie moved back in with her
mother into her childhood home
legal guardianship was eventually
transferred to irene however jeannie's
mother found it hard to cope with her
behavior and quickly asked for help from
the health department without consulting
her therapist she placed jeannie in a
series of different foster homes
she also sued the hospital therapists
and workers who had participated in
genius studies after the release of the
dissertation genie a psycholinguistic
study of a modern day wild child saying
she did not agree with the content and
found a lot of it offensive
the lawsuit never went to trial and was
eventually dismissed
from 1977 to the early 90s jeannie was
placed in many foster homes where she
was abused causing great impact in all
of her improvements from the years
before
around 1993 she moved into a facility in
an undisclosed location in los angeles
where she was finally doing better and
taken care of and was allowed visits
from her mother and the wrigglers who
stayed in contact with her regularly
not much is known after that
there have been some articles and
reports done on her story and
journalists have been able to contact
her a handful of times but not much else
is reported
she is living a simple life in a private
facility and her privacy is still
respected
jeannie's mother died at the age of 87
in 2003
her brother went on to live his own life
after running away from home
he refused to read anything about genie
and only saw her once after leaving
he died in 2011 without having seen a
sister for over 40 years
and that's the story of jeannie wylie a
child who was robbed of her life forever
because of her father
it was later discovered that clark
thought genie would die very young due
to her condition but if she managed to
live past the age of 12 he'd let
jeannie's mother seek help and special
care for her psychiatrists think clark
may have been enduring this abuse and
isolation in hopes that genie's
condition would become more severe and
she would eventually die naturally
once rescued there was amazing hope at
the progress she made during her first
few years of recovery and therapy
however her constant moving around
foster homes and the lack of stability
meant genie never reached her full
potential
her case although groundbreaking for the
test and studies is considered a failure
because of the outcome
doctors and therapists blame the many
problems caused by local laws and the
process involving her placement and
custody which was in no way prepared for
the care she needed
so although genie managed to escape her
prison the consequences from the abuse
were so severe she now has to live with
them for the rest of her life
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