THE SELF AND CASE STUDIES

OF FERAL
CHILDRENS
SOCIETY
BY: VANESSA 11 HUMANITIES

HOW DO WE
LEARN TO BE
HUMAN?

TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION: JEAN PIAGET'S THEORY

OF SELF DEVELOPMENT

SECTION 1: OXANA MALAYA" THE

UKRANIAN DOG GIRL

SECTION 2: JOHN SSEBUNYA "THE

UGANDAN MONKEY BOY

DANI, THE AMERICAN

SECTION 3:
GIRL

GENIE, THE CASE OF

SECTION 4:
EXTREME ISOLATION

C O G N I T I V E
S E L F -
WHO IS JEAN
PIAGET?
Jean Piaget was born in
August 9, 1896 in
Neuchâtel, Switzerland he
is a Swiss psychologist and
genetic epistemologist. 
He is most famously known
for his theory of cognitive
development that looked at
how children develop
intellectually throughout
the course of childhood.
THE THEORY OF
SELF-DEVELOPENT
Jean Piaget’s theory of
cognitive development
explains how a child’s
mental is developed. He
disagreed with the idea that
intelligence was a fixed
trait. He also suggests that
children move through four
different stages of mental
development.
JEAN PIAGET'S
T H E O R Y O F
D E V E L O P M E N T
THE FOUR STAGES OF
SELF-DEVELOPMENT
(1) The sensorimotor stage: The first stage
of development lasts from birth to
approximately age 2. At this point in
development, children know the world
primarily through their senses and motor
movements.
(2) The preoperational stage: The second
stage of development lasts from the ages of
2 to 7 and is characterized by the
development of language and the emergence
of symbolic play.
(3) The concrete operational stage: The
third stage of cognitive development lasts
from the ages of 7 to approximately age 11.
At this point, logical thought emerges but
children still struggle with abstract and
theoretical thinking.
(4) The formal operation stage: In the fourth
and final stage of cognitive development,
lasting from age 12 and into adulthood,
children become 
much more adept and abstract thought and
deductive reasoning.
 OXANA
THE FERAL
CHILD RAISED
BY DOGS

MALAYA
THE UKRANIAN "DOG GIRL"

SECTION 1

BACKGROUND
STORY
Oxana Malaya, of Novaya B l agov es hchensk, Ukraine was bo rn o n
November 4, 1983 wi th  al cohol ic parent s, according to Histo ry D ai l y .
she was normal at bi rth, but w as ex tremely neglect ed by he r pare n ts.
Finding hersel f l ocked out of the hou se when s he w as thre e y e ars ol d,
she crawled to the dog ken nel .

Oxana continued to stay i n t he kennel with t he dog s, le arn in g to su rvi ve

li ke them. Over the fi ve years that she es senti ally lived as par t o f the
pack, she woul d have onl y occasi onally seen hu mans.
 OXANA MALAYA
T H E U K R A N I A N ' D O G G I R L '

OXANA CAN Oxana's dog like behaviors and

BARELY inability were caused by the improper
SPEAK,COMMUNI
socialization during her childhood
CATES THROUGH
BARKS. LIKE days, in the age of three, a child is
DOGS, SHE supposed to be under the care of their
CRAWLS AND parents and going through secondary
EATS RAW MEATS
socialization such as going to school.
 Based on Jean Piaget’s
 
theory of cognitive
development, as she was
kicked out of her house in
the age of 3, Oxana was
missing her preoperational
stage where she is
supposed to further
develop her language skills
8 YEARS OLD OXANA
and are able to think MALAYA, WALKING ON
symbolically and learn to ALL FOUR / CRAWLING

use words and pictures to  

represent objects. Oxana is
also missing her concrete
operational phase where
she is supposed to be good
with language and have the
ability to think abstractly.
Missing two stages of the
development shows why she could
not act her age, Children her age to
supposed to be in school, being able
to walk properly,  socializing think
abstractly and communicating.
 JOHN THE FERAL CHILD RAISED
BY VERVET MONKEYS

SSEBUNYA
THE UGANDAN 'MONKEY BOY'

SECTION 2

BACKGROUND STORY
      Founded in 1989, age 4   wi th no b irt h cert ificates . A fte r see in g h i s
mother murdered by hi s fat her, a traumat ized 4-year-o ld Joh n
Ssebunya fled i nto the j ung l e   He reported ly was rai s ed by a tro o p o f
vervet monkeys When Ssebunya w as discov ered living with th e mo n ke y s,
i t was diffi cul t to tel l   he was  human. Not only did he act li ke a mo n ke y ,
but he had long hai r that cov ered his face and bod y . The fam ily o f
monkeys who took Ssebuny a i n d idn' t want to g ive him u p to h is hu m an
rescuers. After bei ng rescued and tau ght how to s pea k, he jo in e d
choi rs.
 JOHN SSEBUNYA
T H E U G A N D A N ' M O N K E Y B O Y '

JOHN HAD NO His inability to behave and think

LANGUAGE SKILLS, like a typical four year-old is
UNABLE TO EAT
caused by the limited socialization
PROPERLY AND
COMMUNICATES that he has. Children his age
THROUGH BITING should have been taught by their
AND SCREAMING parents to speak, but in this case,
LIKE A MONKEY
his parents are not present to
fulfill that role. Instead of being
raised by his parents, he was
raised by vervet monkeys.

The monkeys taught him how to

survive and communicate their way.
John is missing his preoperational
stage, where he is supposed to
further develop her language skills
and are able to think symbolically
and learn to use words and pictures
to represent objects. Kids in the age
o f 4 l i k e h i m , s h o u l d ’v e b e e n a b l e t o
JOHN SSEBUNYA AND communicate even when their
MARY-ANN OCHOTA, communication skills is limited.
PRESENTER
DANIELLE THE HORRIFIC
STORY OF
CHILD
CROCKETT NEGLECT

'THE AMERICAN GIRL'

SECTION 3

BACKGROUND STORY
Danielle Crockett, al so known as D ani was found by P lant Ci ty pol ice
detecti ve Mark Hol ste on Ju ly 13, 2005. S he w as then age d six an d
found insi de of a dark room the size of a clos et wearin g a sw oll e n
di aper and had feces dri bb li ng down her leg .

Dani had never attended school, saw the su n, or ate soli d foo d after
her mother hel d her inside of the smal l room f or the fi r st se ve n y e ars
of her life. She was adopted by coupl e Bernie and D i ane   Lie ro w i n 2007
who took her to numerous doct ors and therap y appoin tme n ts ove r th e
years.
 DANIELLE
CROCKETT
T H E A M E R I C A N G I R L

DANIELLE WAS D a n i e l l e ’s i n a b i l i t y t o a c t o r b e h a v e h e r a g e
UNABLE TO is caused by the extreme isolation towards
WALK, the world. She has never attended school,
COMMUNICATE
saw the sun, or ate solid food and she has
OR EVEN EAT.
SHE EATS AND held inside a dark small closet. Children
BITES INTO her age should be raised by their parents,
THINGS LIKE they should be taught how to communicate,
HAIRBRUSH AND
walk, eat and play to train and make sure
TOOTHBRUSH
that their brain development is on track.  
 
The neurological pathways in her brain
h a d n ’t d e v e l o p e d b e c a u s e s h e w a s s o
malnourished, because she had lived in
silence and darkness, never been talked to
or held. Danielle is losing the first, second
and third stage of her development, the
sensorimotor stage, her preoperational
stage and her concrete operational stage.
Missing three of four stages explains why
s h e c a n ’t d o t h e b a s i c t h i n g s t h a t 7 y e a r s
old can do. Like communicating, socialising,
THE ROOM WHERE
walking and eating properly. Children her
DANI, 7 WAS age should also be able to think abstractly
FOUND IN 2005
and logically.
GENIE THE HORRIFIC
STORY OF
CHILD
WILLEY NEGLECT

THE EXTREME CASE OF ISOLATION

SECTION 4

BACKGROUND
STORY
Genie was found on November 4, 197 0, i n L os A ng el es, Cali fo rn i a. A   so cial
worker  di scovered the 13-year old gi rl af ter her mot he r sou ght o u t
servi ces.The social worker soon d iscov ered that the gi rl h ad be e n co n fi ne d to a
small room Geni e's l i fe prior t o her di scov ery w as one o f u tte r de privatio n .

investi gati on by authori ti es qu ickl y revealed that the chi ld h ad spen t mo st of

her days ti ed naked to her pot ty chai r onl y able t o move h e r h an ds and fee t
since she was 20 months ol d , In a s mall room. S he w ei gh e d ju st 59 lb ( 26 kg) .
She had two nearl y complete s et s of teeth - ex tra t ee th i n su ch cases ar e
known as supernumerari es, a rare dental conditi on.
 GENIE WILLEY
T H E E X T R E M E C A S E O F I S O L A T I O N

Genie, could not do the things that children

GENIE COULD
her age is supposed to be able to do
BARELY CHEW,
SWALLOW, because she was neglected. Her parents
COMMUNICATE and brother rarely interact with her. It was
,AND COULD NOT also reported that the rare times her
FULLY FOCUS
father interact with her, it was to bark or
HER EYES OR
EXTEND HER growl. She wasn’t able to walk properly
LIMBS.OR WALK because most of the time, she was seated
PROPERLY and toed to her potty chair only enabling
her to move her hands and feet. The lack of
communication and teaching from her
parents in her critical age cause her brain
and behaviors to be under developed.  
 
Based on Jean Piaget’s theory of self-
development, Genie has been missing all
the four stages of development since she
was locked up in her room since she was 20
months old. Missing her sensorimotor
THE ROOM WHERE stage, preoperational stage, concrete
GENIE WAS LOCKED UP.
operational stage and formal operational
ROOM WINDOW stage explains why she has a mental age of
COVERED IN PAPERS
TO PREVENT SUNLIGHT a baby. Children her age is supposed to be
FROM ENTERING
undergoing secondary socialisation where
they go to school, be able to communicate
clearly, walk properly, think abstractly.
CONCLUSION STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT

HOW DO WE LEARN TO BE HUMAN? PRIMARY

SOCIALIZATION

SECONDARY
SOCIALIZATION

BEING A HUMAN DOES N OT MEAN THAT WE ARE SIM P LY EXI STI NG.
BEING A HUMAN MEANS WE ARE DEVELOP ING. N OT ON LY P H YSI CALLY
BUT ALSO EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY.

We are the person we are today because of what we are taught as a

child. we learn to be human since we were born. Just like what Jean

Piaget believes children interact with the world around them, they

continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and

adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.

we learn basic things like learning how to talk, walk, feel and study basic

norms under primary socialisation. A socialisation that happens in our

home, taught by parents. As we grow up, we undergo secondary

socialisation, we go to school, and meet new individuals. This is when we

start to learn new things about the society and began to test the lessons

that we learnt during our primary socialisation. We learn our roles, how

we are suppose to act or behave in our age and in certain situations.

The cases of the four feral children shows how being neglected and

raised without proper socialisation affects us as human. Piaget's theory

told us how we learn through senses and the people around us. All of the

feral children in the case above, are not provided with the properties to

develop their senses as they are locked up in empty rooms or left in the

wild without human supervision, leading them to not understand what

behaviour is appropriate or not. Instead of their parents giving them

examples on how to behave, animals gave them while some, no one at

all.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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