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How young people like Elizabeth Thomas fall prey to predators
Posted by:
Fox News
()
Date: April 21, 2017 04:42PM
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/21/expert-how-young-people-like-elizabeth-thomas-fall-prey-predators/100743874/
Federal officials transported Tad Cummins to Sacramento on Friday, a day after authorities found the 50-year-old ex-teacher and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas in a remote cabin in northern California.
Cummins, accused of kidnapping Elizabeth, faces a federal charge of knowingly transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Elizabeth was on her way to Tennessee Friday, having spent Thursday with law enforcement.
Neither Elizabeth or Cummins have spoken publicly since they were found Thursday.
Law enforcement have not released any evidence to indicate Cummins physically dragged Elizabeth away from her Columbia, Tenn. home or restrained her during the 39 days police believe Cummins spent with Elizabeth.
But that doesn't mean the teacher didn't prey on his student, said longtime psychologist Dr. Rebecca Bailey.
"You have a very vulnerable young lady who perhaps did not have adequate coping skills who was taken advantage of by a predator," said Bailey, a psychologist in California since 1991 and consultant for the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.
'We Need To Look At The Grooming'
All cases of sexual exploitation and kidnapping are different. But there is one commonality: they tend to have a person who uses a coercive factor to force or lure away a child, Bailey said.
When someone breaks into a home and takes a child (which is exceedingly rare, according to the center) that person relies on fears and threat. In a case where an adult authority figure runs away with a student, Bailey says there is typically a grooming that occurs.
"Grooming is often a slow and steady coercive process. The message that, 'I am the only one that can understand you, emotions are here, come be with me and I’ll save you from the terrible, ugly world'," Bailey explained.
"Typically the victim of a kidnapping does not fall in love with a perpetrator. They adapt to the circumstances to survive. To those who say, 'Look she was in love and went willingly,' we need to look at the grooming process."
Elizabeth attended Bible study with Cummins and his wife, records show. When Cummins was initially confronted about possible inappropriate contact, FBI documents state he denied any wrongdoing but described himself as a father figure to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth also had some issues at home. Maury County court records show her mother was arrested in 2016 for allegedly abusing Elizabeth and four of her siblings. Bailey says these kind of issues create an opportunity for a vulnerable child to become a victim.
"The problem is, when you have relationships with older guys like this … the element of choice for the youngster just isn’t there," Bailey said, noting a person's brain doesn't fully develop until they are in their 20s.
"Their (lack of) critical thinking increases their capacity to be exploited."
Bailey has worked with many young women who were taken advantage of by a coach or other authority figure. Based on those cases, she expects Elizabeth may be confused and have conflicting emotions. Authorities in California say the FBI spoke with Elizabeth Thursday. They plan to reunite her with her family in Tennessee Friday.
There is a healing process that needs to take place now, both with professional counseling and familial understanding, Bailey said. She likened what Elizabeth is going through to coming back into the Earth's atmosphere from outer space.
"The impact long term is the issue too," Bailey said, saying Elizabeth may have some challenges in the future with friendships and other aspects of trying to engage in a relatively normal life.
"She deserves compassion, 100 percent compassion."
Elizabeth's father and siblings said Thursday they are excited to speak with her and have promised to provide her whatever care is necessary to help her recover.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2017 04:42PM by Fox News.
Federal officials transported Tad Cummins to Sacramento on Friday, a day after authorities found the 50-year-old ex-teacher and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas in a remote cabin in northern California.
Cummins, accused of kidnapping Elizabeth, faces a federal charge of knowingly transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Elizabeth was on her way to Tennessee Friday, having spent Thursday with law enforcement.
Neither Elizabeth or Cummins have spoken publicly since they were found Thursday.
Law enforcement have not released any evidence to indicate Cummins physically dragged Elizabeth away from her Columbia, Tenn. home or restrained her during the 39 days police believe Cummins spent with Elizabeth.
But that doesn't mean the teacher didn't prey on his student, said longtime psychologist Dr. Rebecca Bailey.
"You have a very vulnerable young lady who perhaps did not have adequate coping skills who was taken advantage of by a predator," said Bailey, a psychologist in California since 1991 and consultant for the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.
'We Need To Look At The Grooming'
All cases of sexual exploitation and kidnapping are different. But there is one commonality: they tend to have a person who uses a coercive factor to force or lure away a child, Bailey said.
When someone breaks into a home and takes a child (which is exceedingly rare, according to the center) that person relies on fears and threat. In a case where an adult authority figure runs away with a student, Bailey says there is typically a grooming that occurs.
"Grooming is often a slow and steady coercive process. The message that, 'I am the only one that can understand you, emotions are here, come be with me and I’ll save you from the terrible, ugly world'," Bailey explained.
"Typically the victim of a kidnapping does not fall in love with a perpetrator. They adapt to the circumstances to survive. To those who say, 'Look she was in love and went willingly,' we need to look at the grooming process."
Elizabeth attended Bible study with Cummins and his wife, records show. When Cummins was initially confronted about possible inappropriate contact, FBI documents state he denied any wrongdoing but described himself as a father figure to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth also had some issues at home. Maury County court records show her mother was arrested in 2016 for allegedly abusing Elizabeth and four of her siblings. Bailey says these kind of issues create an opportunity for a vulnerable child to become a victim.
"The problem is, when you have relationships with older guys like this … the element of choice for the youngster just isn’t there," Bailey said, noting a person's brain doesn't fully develop until they are in their 20s.
"Their (lack of) critical thinking increases their capacity to be exploited."
Bailey has worked with many young women who were taken advantage of by a coach or other authority figure. Based on those cases, she expects Elizabeth may be confused and have conflicting emotions. Authorities in California say the FBI spoke with Elizabeth Thursday. They plan to reunite her with her family in Tennessee Friday.
There is a healing process that needs to take place now, both with professional counseling and familial understanding, Bailey said. She likened what Elizabeth is going through to coming back into the Earth's atmosphere from outer space.
"The impact long term is the issue too," Bailey said, saying Elizabeth may have some challenges in the future with friendships and other aspects of trying to engage in a relatively normal life.
"She deserves compassion, 100 percent compassion."
Elizabeth's father and siblings said Thursday they are excited to speak with her and have promised to provide her whatever care is necessary to help her recover.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2017 04:42PM by Fox News.
Re: How young people like Elizabeth Thomas fall prey to predators
Posted by:
This is too predictible
()
Date: April 21, 2017 05:33PM
What is crazy is how the press and "psychologist Dr. Rebecca Bailey" can analyze and assign motivations to people they have never met and with only partial information. That itself is completely predictable. None of that changes the guilt of a married adult who runs off with an underage person, but such pseudo-analysis in the media is ridiculous.
Funny they don't spit out the same canned speech when it's a woman who runs off with a boy.
Funny they don't spit out the same canned speech when it's a woman who runs off with a boy.
Re: How young people like Elizabeth Thomas fall prey to predators
Posted by:
Dude What Are You Doing?
()
Date: April 21, 2017 06:33PM
Don't give William any advice on how to do it bro, what are you doing?