"Hot Saucing is the new wash out your mouth with sauce."This story that appeared on Good Morning America this morning is so disturbing I must interrupt the start of our eczema treatment series to discuss it.
Video from the "Dr. Phil" television show of an Alaska mother forcing her son to drink hot sauce and take cold showers prompted a police investigation that has led to charges of child abuse against the mother.
Jessica Beagley, a 36-year-old mother of six, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse in an Anchorage, Alaska courtroom today.
A police investigation began after Beagley appeared with "Dr. Phil" McGraw in November of last year, according to court documents. The segment of the show was called "Mommy Confessions."
The mom admits to spanking her child and forcing him to do jumping jacks until he's exhausted. During the show, the boy is being punished for getting "three cards pulled," three infractions at school.
On camera, Beagley is seen pouring hot sauce down the boy's throat as punishment for lying. Beagley, leaning over the boy as he sits on the bathroom counter, says, "don't spit it."
The boy can be heard screaming when Beagley forces him to take a cold shower.
Viewers flooded the Anchorage Police Department with calls after the show aired, police said. The Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor said in court documents that the behavior in the video violates the municipal code protecting against child abuse.
What do you think? Is washing a child's mouth out with soap child abuse? Is making them drink hot sauce child abuse?
This kind of treatment of a child is definitely abusive in my eyes. As the doctor in the video stated, the use of hot sauce as punishment is meant to cause severe pain and could also cause chemical burns of the mouth and esophagus. And a screaming child being thrown into a cold shower is heartbreaking to watch. Since this woman went on the Dr. Phil show as a cry for help, hopefully she will get the help that she needs to discipline her children in a less harsh and abusive manner. Getting protective services involved may also provide this family with professional help as well. I hope this story will one day have a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI sent your link to my other nanny and au pair friends and we are discussing it. It's confusing because my parents put soap in my mouth. But my nanny friend said at least hot sauce is food. So, it's ok for soap but not hot sauce?? See my point?
ReplyDeleteWhat took the authorities so long to charge her? Had it been a hired caregiver they would have been arrested a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteAll was not perfect with our parents and grandparents generations either. I know it's confusing between washing mouth out with soap or hot sauce but the mother in the video seemed not to care about the physical pain she was causing. Why punish a child so harshly? There is nothing wrong with giving a child a spanking as long as it doesn't bruise but giving them a food substance is abuse? I think the video factor makes it horrible to watch. What kind of person makes a kid scream like that no matter how badly they behaved?
ReplyDeleteIf getting herself and her video on Dr Phil is the best way she can think of to get help, she seriously needs it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see how old the kids were when adopted, but if they were older than infants I'd think that would be a trauma that could be a real can of worms for any parent.
Still, that's no excuse for abuse. I hope she finds some real help soon. Will her being arrested or charged help her and the kids or hurt them???
She is very disturbed. And to think she adopted kids? It was a choice?
ReplyDeleteIf she was willing to have her daughter film this and send it to the Dr Phil show proves she is severly disturbed.
The first thing that came to mind is where did they hear the words in the first place. (Okay I get they could be adopted out an abusive home.) BUT, if the child is having behavior issues and swearing etc. maybe said child needs counseling to deal with some traumatic thing that has happened in their life. She is just adding more abuse, and it's twisted whether it was attention seeking on her part or not.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of both the hot sauce thing and saw the soap thing with a grade school teacher even. (This dates a little.) BUT, fortunately my parents didn't do either. I also knew what the consequences clearly were as I was growing up in advance. And, never saw a sibling or myself actually spanked for swearing.
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I think as a nanny though, this is a topic I have had to tackle at times in the past and even now with my youngest charge. (She's mimicking grandparents.) Her's is just saying God, but she goes to a Christian Preschool and that wouldn't be tolerated there. I tell her this all the time. I also had a former charge say the D word after a project she was creating collapsed. I looked at her, and she said "Daddy says that all the time, are you going to put him in a timeout?" (I knew full well she was right too.) Here's a twist on the phrase - don't say as I say.
Sorry about the break from the topic you were working on Steph. But this would be an interesting one to address. What should nannies do when they have to deal with swearing.
Isn't Dr Phil as a psychologist required to turn this parent into the police for abuse? Seems it took the authorities a very long time to respond. Very scary because you never know what happens behind closed doors. No one would have known about this had they not appeared on the Dr Phil show.
ReplyDeleteOh God, how mom can do like that.
ReplyDeleteI think him mom hav problem with self and
so very sadness