Social Work Case Study Genie 1970

563 Words2 Pages

1970, Genie was found by social workers in Los Angeles, California. She was severely abused which caused her to be extremely developmentally delayed. Although Genie was 13 when the social workers found her, they had believed she was between five or six years old due to her lack of development. From the age of 20 months until 13 years old, Genie had been locked in a dark room alone and tied to a potty chair. Some nights she was left in that position, others she was tied into a sleeping bag or to the side of her crib. She never was socialized or even spoken to by her parents. When Genie was found she could not walk correctly, eat properly, or speak in any language, except short phrases such as, 'stop it' and 'no more'. Genie was admitted into Children's Hospital in Los Angeles; where specialists started to take care of her and started to try and teach her how to speak. …show more content…

She had a way of reaching out without saying anything. Upon her initial arrival at UCLA, the team was met with a girl who weighed just 59 pounds and moved with a strange "bunny walk." She often spat and was unable to straighten her arms and legs. Silent, incontinent, and unable to chew, she initially seemed only able to recognize her own name and the word "sorry." Her silence and inability to use language made it difficult to assess her mental abilities, but on tests she scored at about the level of a one-year-old. She enjoyed going out on day trips outside of the hospital, and explored her new environment with an intensity that amazed her caregivers and strangers

Show More
Related

  • Marlee Matlin Research Paper

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    After being labeled clinically deaf at eighteen months, life didn’t start out easy for Marlee. However, this didn’t stop her from trying to live a normal life. She grew up in a mainstream school setting. She says that this really helped shape her vibrant

    Read More

  • Social Work Literature Review

    1904 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is of paramount consideration that social workers are conscious of, aware and sensitive to the cultural demands of their clientele. This is because culture is a pivotal factor upon which a great deal of conduct, norms, social connections and mindsets of clients revolve. For social workers there is need to understand and appreciate how cultural traditions influence relationships with a diverse panorama of client needs and demands. This literature review seeks to create a foundation regarding the facts stated above through filtering and analysis of relevant and interesting research studies and works by previous authors. This review of literature focuses on how social workers develop or maintain cultural competence following graduation from Masters of Social Work Program. It aimed at providing answers for further research regarding how social workers maintain cultural competence post graduation. In addition, this literature review seeks to consider that social workers are not enhancing their cultural awareness post graduation as mandated by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics.

    Read More

  • Genie Wiley Case Study

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 4th, 1970, Los Angeles child welfare authorities became aware of the abuse, neglect, and social isolation of Susan “Genie” Wiley. It was when social workers noticed the odd behavior of Susan after her and her mother, who was seeking financial support, walked into welfare offices. Upon further investigation, they discovered that Susan was thirteen years old and had been severely maltreated by her father her entire life. Susan’s father came to the conclusion early in her life that she was socially unfit, or “retarded’ and was ashamed of her. He hid her in the back bedroom of the Wiley home and kept her from neighbors, family, and friends. This left Susan unable to develop language skills learned from

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Genie: A Scientific Tragedy

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    A little girl who had been socially isolated for atleast ten years was discovered in 1970 in the Los Angeles, CA area. She was nicknamed “Genie” by scientists, but her real name is Susan Wiley. When “Genie” was little, her father made the executive decision

    Read More

  • Social Work Reflective Paper

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    To provide effective social services, a social work graduate must possess a multitude of knowledge, skills and abilities. This will be a reflective paper on everything that I know for sure as a student of social work who is about to go into the world of work.

    Read More

  • The Ashley Treatment: Practical, but Ethical?

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ashley had a normal birth, but her mental and motor faculties did not develop (“The Ashley Treatment,” 2007).

    Read More

  • Daniel Keys Flowers For Algernon

    1975 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1881, when Helen Keller was a little over a year old, she was a bright and joyful little girl until she contracted what was believed to be Scarlet Fever at the age of 19 months, which left her completely blind, deaf, and mute. Often frustrated that she wasn’t like everyone else, Helen became a very naughty child, who threw a tantrum when things didn’t go her way. When Helen was a little over seven years old, she was introduced to Anne Sullivan, her lifelong teacher and mentor. Miss Sullivan taught Helen how to read, write, type, and speak, but also taught her obedience and manners. Throughout her lifetime, Helen began her legacy by dedicating 40 years of work to the American Foundation for the Blind, created state commissions for the blind, rehabilitation centers, and worked to make education accessible to those with vision loss. Helen Keller made a massive impact on the world today and on how we perceive the blind and deaf, and without the guidance and support of Anne Sullivan (turning a spoiled, unruly child into a highly respected activist for the deaf and blind) the world would have never known that someone who was blind, deaf, and mute, could change the world as we knew it. Anne Sullivan forever changed Helen’s life-- and in doing so-- the world. By showing young Helen discipline and giving guidance to her Helen became an

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Secret Of The Wild Child: The Revealing Story Of Genie

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    Butler became obsessed with making a name for herself, and told colleagues she wanted to be the next Annie Sullivan -the so-called "miracle worker" who taught language to the blind and deaf Helen Keller. Butler wrote she feared Genie was being experimented with too much and attempted to keep away other team members and applied to be Genie’s foster parent. Howard Hansen, a member of the management team said: “We were not satisfied with the quality of the care that Genie was able—had at Jean Butler's. So, that had to be interrupted.

    Read More

  • The Feed: A Short Story

    458 Words  | 1 Pages

    Another side affect of her malfunction is her memory, she lost one year of her memories, and that year is the year before she got her feed, when she was six. She describes her loss of memory as “Nothing. No smells. No talking. No pictures. For a whole year. All gone.” So, she has absolutely no memory of when she was six. Before she got the feedm, she most likely could do all the things she listed for what she wanted to

    Read More

  • Secret Of The Wild Child Analysis

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    The documentary called Secret of the Wild Child presents a compelling story of a young girl named Genie, who was kept in isolation for 13 years by her father due to the fact that he assumed she was mentally retarded. This feral child presents one of the most extreme cases of neglect discovered in the United States. Genie faced abuse by her father, minimal human contact, development issues, and malnourishment until found by authorities in 1970.

    Read More

  • Social Work Case Study

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    The social workers in both videos gathered information regarding each of the client’s issues. Another common denominator in both videos is that both of the social workers repeated what the client had said in their own words to allow the client to feel heard and understood. In the first video, social worker Karen asked direct questions relating to Mike’s alcohol addiction while also addressing how the addiction impacts his relationships including his marriage. Karen also addressed inconsistencies with the client doing so appropriately and quickly. It appears that in the first video, Karen focuses on the reality of the issue at hand to assist the client with establishing and accepting

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Secret of the Wild Child: Documentary on Genie

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, California Genie’s condition was brought to attention by a social worker. The worker discovered the 13-year old girl in a small, dimly lit, confined bedroom. An investigation by authorities exposed that the child had spent most of her life in this room and typically was tied to a potty chair. Genie was found in diapers because she was not potty trained. Her case is an example of extreme isolation from human contact, society, sunlight, and any other environments besides her room. The deprivation of attachment showed when she was timid to humans, almost afraid. Someone whose life was a developmental nightmare could not possibly be expected to have the basic trust that the world is trustworthy and predictable. The life she lived was incredibly horrifying as morals, and psychology portray just how severe the consequences were on Genie.

    Read More

  • Social Work Case Study

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    1. Understanding of problems and concerns relative to social work: Describe your understanding of the social work profession and the problems social workers address by using one example to discuss a particular social problem and how a social worker could intervene.

    Read More

  • George Herbert Mead’s Theory of Development of Self

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film Genie: Secrets of a Wild Child is about a girl who was kept in seclusion by her father, for over a decade. She was physically abused and was found tied to a potty chair, in a confined room, by a social worker on November 4, 1970. Her father committed suicide right after she was found, as he knew he was guilty of child abuse. After her discovery, researchers wanted to see if they were able to reverse the trauma from her horrific upbringing. They used the concept of nature versus nurture in order to observe whether a nurturing family was able to reverse her traumatic past, whereas waiting for her improvement with time. For the next four years, she was a test subject for: linguists, doctors and psychologists, who came from all around the world. During this time, she was used in various experiments, which resulted in her being frequently assessed by the many researchers. Through most of the research Genie lived with numerous families until the family of David Rigler, who was one of the psychologists working on her case. He chose to ...

    Read More

  • Social Work Field Observation Report

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    On July 7th I had an interview opportunity with the Oasis Shelter in Owensboro, Kentucky. This was one of the numerous opportunities that I placed on my possible field interest to receive an internship at. I met with the director of the Oasis shelter in Henderson, Kentucky that afternoon for the interview. The interview went well, and I informed the director that I was a Sociology undergrad student looking to expand my knowledge with domestic violence. Towards the end of the interview, the director informed me “we do not accept many Master of Social Work students because MSW’s are know it all. The student thinks they know more than individuals in the social work field with five or more years of knowledge.” I received the directors contact

    Read More

More about Social Work Case Study Genie 1970

Open Document