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Clinical Commentary: Ethan Couch may be more dangerous now than before

12/18/2013

10 Comments

 
By now you've all heard or read about the tragedy. A 16-year-old, Ethan Couch, killed 4 citizens (including 3 good Samaritans) and injured others, all while intoxicated on drugs and alcohol. He was sentenced to 10 years probation with probably 1-2 years in a rehabilitation facility.

As a human being, I am saddened and angered by this case. As a psychologist, I am terrified. The saddest part is there were many instances where Ethan wanted help and even showed he needed it. Passed out drunk in a truck at age 15 with a naked 14 year-old girl. Police find him, no consequences. Documented history of passive and criminal parenting. No documentation of parenting classes. Who knows what happened in that home, it certainly wasn't healthy.

Before saying more about Ethan, let's address a couple of things about the consulting psychologist and “affluenza.” Affluenza is a fabricated psychological disorder (does not exist now nor ever in the diagnostic manual) that was allowed to be used as part of the defense. This is bizarre to me, I don't know how a judge would allow a pseudo-clinical term to impact a decision. I'm embarrassed that a psychologist, Gary D. Miller, used psychobabble in his explanation. However, a part of me gives Dr. Miller the benefit of the doubt and hope it was taken out of context.

In a recent interview, Dr. Miller said people are focusing too much on the “affluenza” diagnosis (I feel dirty typing that). The focus should be on the clinical terminology. I've worked a few court cases, and in almost every case, lawyers and judges only focus on the last page of the assessment which often includes the diagnosis and clinical recommendations. So clinical terms matter. Dr. Miller also suggested Ethan behaved more like a 12-year-old. Problem is 12-year-olds know right from wrong. My kids have a sense of right and wrong and they aren't even in elementary school. Again, I hope some of this information was taken out of context.

So why am I terrified?

There were a number of warning signs that were ignored. The parents had years, the police had chances, and now this judge had a chance. All of them failed. In a previous post (here), I laid out how it's natural for kids to have sociopathic tendencies. It is part of the developmental process. The other part of the process is helping kids cultivate care, empathy, and awareness. His sociopathic tendencies weren't extinguished, they were validated. Each time an adult passively allowed Ethan to commit illegal acts without consequence, Ethan received the message that not only was his behavior not wrong, it was right. He was essentially praised for bad decisions.

Now, he has ended 4 lives and destroyed families. The judge, Jean Hudson Boyd, had a chance. Judge Boyd could have set a limit, she could have said what you did was unacceptable in our civilized society. Instead, she validated murder. She validated a code that money and power are more important than humanity and life. She has confirmed Ethan's belief that he is more important, more valuable than other people. She has given her seal of approval of Ethan becoming a full-blown sociopath. The icing on his sociopathic cake is experts in their fields (i.e., psychologists, lawyers, police, and now a judge) have put all the blame on the parents. To really send home the message that Ethan isn't to blame, they ordered him to a beach town in California (see picture) so he can get away from his parents and their influence.

Yes, we are taking about a teenager. He certainly has an opportunity to fundamentally change who he is as a person. I truly hope that he does. I won't ever give up on a kid, it's not who I am.

However, facts are facts. The fact is he had friends in the bed of his truck, and increased his speed to 70 mph when they pleaded with him to slow down. The fact is his blood alcohol content (.24) was 3 times over the legal limit (.08) and he had THC and Valium in his system. The fact is he hit 4 people with his truck, and said to his passenger, “I'm Ethan Couch, I'll get you out of this.” To be that calm and calculated in that moment (and under the influence) is the definition of terrifying. It also suggests Ethan's case of “affluenza” was actually a fancy way of saying he's a budding sociopath, possibly psychopath. I hope I'm wrong.


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10 Comments
Rebecca
12/23/2013 12:34:55 pm

I think affluenza will become even more of a travesty than the Twinkie defense, which also succeeded in getting a killer off the hook. I'm sorry this travesty reflects on the reputation of psychology and the good work of you and so many others.

Reply
tfcknoxville
12/26/2013 04:38:03 am

well, my hope is that there is more good than harm done in our field, I am confident that there is. Again, I hope this "affluenza" was taken out of context. No evidence yet to suggest that it was.

Reply
leo
12/20/2015 10:19:53 pm

He's definitely a psychopath.

Janice
12/21/2015 06:36:29 am

Ethan Couch is now on the run.

Reply
TFCKnoxville
12/23/2015 02:23:27 pm

Sad situation. Predictable but sad. Hope this young person and his parents get the help they need.

Reply
DrNumbNutz
12/29/2015 01:01:48 am

First of all, Sociopath & Psychopath are the same. Some professionals will try to split hairs to distinguish the differences. Most professionals will disagree. Let us define the word conscience: an inner feeling acting as a guide to the rightness, or wrongness of one's behavior. Ethan Couch is without a conscience. individuals who are without a conscience, are the most dangerous minds a society will ever bare. Psychopathy is a mental illness. Psychopathy can be treated, but it cannot be "rehabilitated". There is no fix for a chemical imbalance. There is no hope for Ethan Couch. He is and will become worse over time. Please note: * Psychopaths are very good liars. A psychopath knows how to coerce people & events. We as a society cannot allow a known individual without conscience, who has previously committed murder, to just walk our streets in a psychopath haze... We cannot allow a future event to happen again & it will happen again. Ethan Hunt needs life supervision in a State Hospital, where he can be monitored & heavily medicated. Mental Illnesses are not an individuals fault. Unfortunately, our civilized society does not align itself with the mentally ill or the crimes that many people with mental illnesses commit. These words may seem harsh, but taking loved ones lives away is harsh too. So, it's a cold truth. Ethan Couch deserves a harsh, cold truth. Explain to him that he is mentally I'll & a deeply disturbed individual & the only direction he has in life, is a state ward facility, where he will receive proper treatment for his mental health. If Ethan Couch does not know wrong from right, is without a conscience... Then answer me this: Why did Ethan run from the authorities? Having guilt is a feeling that is associated with people who have a conscience. This perspective would alter his defense, and could hold Ethan Couch liable for his actions.

Reply
TFCKnoxville
2/3/2016 06:42:05 pm

It will be interesting to see how he is managed within the justice system. I do agree, he appears to be lacking some fundamental emotions .

Reply
Cathy Krueger link
1/28/2016 12:40:20 pm

I think Ethan should have been incarcerated in the juvenile justice system until he turned 21. That much we owed to the victims. He is a sociopath and in the opinion of professionals who study people like Ethan, he was born a sociopath. Parents can influence the trajectory of his sociopathy but they cannot erase it. And parents cannot create a sociopath either. The consequence of four deaths was lost on him. I don't care what kind of privilege he grew up in--normal people would show remorse. He knows right from wrong. He just doesn't care. And he cannot be fixed. We can only attempt to protect the rest of society from him. Unfortunately there are judges and professionals who should know better who just to get it. Not everyone can be helped. Sociopaths trade in pity. Making him the victim is exactly what any sociopath would con his lawyers and the judge into believing.

Reply
TFCKnoxville
2/3/2016 06:44:37 pm

He certainly does not appear to be a candidate of any sort for rehabilitation. I'd still like to see the psychologist's report that mentioned affluenza. My guess/hope is he was describing the root of his apparent sociopathy, though can't say without reading it.

Reply
J
4/14/2016 07:09:10 am

In a couple years, we'll be hearing about him again. I guarantee it. And that judge is already retired. No consequences all around.

Reply



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    Salmaan Toor is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Knoxville, TN.

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