kosbabce Review of Child of Rage

Child of Rage (1992 TV Movie)

Realistic and Indeed Important to View

[10/10 · 17 August 2009]

I won't repeat the good comments that summarized and characterized this movie so well. I think those who wrote "spoilers" were really more disturbed by the content of the movie. If I remember correctly, "viewer discretion" was advised just before airing. Yes, the movie is very emotionally intense, but depicting the reality of severely abused children with RAD is not rosy or uplifting. If it were Hollywoodized in order to make it friendly to viewers like those who wrote such comments (e.g., spoilers), then it would not be real and would do a terrible injustice to all of the children who have had similar experiences and those who work with them. Anything less than this movie would be outright total blasphemy of these children's experiences. Having worked with children who have been prostituted out by their parents for drug money, experienced severe abuse, neglect, multiple foster placements, psychiatric hospitalizations, and do things like set fires, stab teachers, beat peers, attempt suicide (as early or even earlier than age 7), I can say that not only should all graduate students in clinical disciplines (PhD, PsyD, MFT, MSW) watch this movie, but so should anyone who works with children in any setting (teachers, day care providers, summer camp staff, social services, etc.), and anyone who wants to say they have a clue about what happens in this world. Compassion is unrest at the suffering of others resulting in motivation to intervene to reduce and/or eliminate that suffering. Children do not engage in these behaviors without severe experiences that are unthinkable for 99.9% of the population (until you work with them). It doesn't take a child psychologist to see that (even though I am one).