Toddlers have tantrums. Children talk back. Teens push boundaries. It’s all part of “growing up,” but more serious acts of aggression committed by kids can be signs of much bigger problems.

Your Escape Pod co-hosts explore the topic this week and share true tales of times they encountered not-so-sweet children and – spoiler alert! - weren’t so sweet themselves. (Eight-year-old co-host drawing blood on the playground? Yep. That happened.) Thankfully, some people escape these especially bad behaviors and grow into awesome adults, so there IS hope – we promise!

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 3:33 Opening the “$%^t my mom did” file

• Topic #2 14:42 Co-host explains her aversion to kids “rough housing”

• Topic #3 23:53 Escapism, co-host-style!

Resources & Links

• https://teenlife.ngo/kids-fighting-at-school-connection/#:~:text=Why%20do%20kids%20fight%3F,significant%20roles%20in%20instigating%20conflicts

• https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/DASHfactsheetViolence.pdf

• https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Understanding-Violent-Behavior-In-Children-and-Adolescents-055.aspx

• https://chadd.org/attention-article/children-and-violent-behavior-where-it-comes-from-and-what-to-do/

• https://www.westlionsroar.com/opinions/2023/12/22/causes-of-fights-in-high-schools/#:~:text=Some%20common%20reasons%20for%20fights,to%20learn%20from%20one%20another

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https://www.escapepod.live

• General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live

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A 17-year-old boy in Louisiana calls dispatch saying he shot his father. As investigators begin to work the case, they note the teen, Anthony Templet, seems confused about his arrest and oddly calm during questioning. He says he’s endured abuse at the hands of his father, but there’s no record of any abuse in the home, and law enforcement officials doubt his story. But several people come to Anthony’s defense, and as details of his unusual upbringing emerge, so too does the question: Was he justified in his actions, or is he just another teen killer?

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains content involving domestic abuse against women and children.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 0:48 Escaping from narcissists and scary school zones

• Topic #2 8:05 June 2019: 17yo calls dispatch saying he shot his father

• Topic #3 19:24 Work supervisor starts searching for teen’s mom

• Topic #4 29:05 Clinical/forensic psychologist gets involved in criminal case

• Topic #5 38:21 Update on Anthony

Resources & Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wSyl1oNDfQ

https://www.wafb.com/2019/06/03/man-seriously-injured-early-morning-domestic-shooting/

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/in-2019-killing-of-father-young-man-pleads-no-contest-and-is-sentenced-to-probation/article_a89331e4-7866-11eb-b274-e3d4c7f08b5d.html

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/baton-rouge-teen-accused-of-killing-father-now-faces-second-degree-murder-charge/article_dbec5bca-b958-11e9-8e0f-3368e699227d.html

Netflix docuseries: “I Just Killed My Dad”

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• https://www.escapepod.live

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Hop into The Escape Pod this week for an episode with just a little bit of trauma and a whole lot of laughs! An Escape Pod listener scolds one of our co-hosts for her recent handling of an odd-looking arachnid, which leads to more tales of escape from creepy crawlers and “bad juju” in general.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 0:43 Listener scolds Charity for killing a weird-looking spider

• Topic #2 7:31 Trauma on a hiking trail

• Topic #3 16:45 Trying to reason with an 8-legged home invader

• Topic #4 31:26 Escapism, co-host-style!

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• General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live

• Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live

Fight. Flight. Freeze. Fawn. In the 21st century, most of us know these as very real responses to trauma and fear, but sometimes the laws of the land don’t recognize them as such. In cases of sexual assault, for example, victims often freeze because their brain doesn’t allow them to fight back, even if they want to.

For years in the state of South Dakota, prosecuting such cases was a futile effort. But not anymore. On this episode of The Escape Pod, co-hosts Julie and Charity welcome in a special guest: Pennington County’s top prosecutor, who advocated for changing state law and – ultimately – changing how survivors who “freeze” are perceived.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 2:35 Escaping irresponsible drivers ... and crazy calendars

• Topic #2 15:55 Topic o’ the Day: “Freezing” as a recognized trauma response

• Topic #3 28:30 Other cases keeping Lara up at night

• Topic #4 37:51 Escapism, family-style!

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• General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live

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Ever respond to someone or something in a way that you recognized later as being completely irrational and over-the-top? Maybe your amygdala was hijacked! Yep – that pesky and primal part of the brain that makes us back away from a hot flame so we don’t get burned can also play a role in impulsive decisions and bad behaviors. Want to escape the effects of amygdala hijack, often referred to on the Escape Pod as “crisis brain”? Jump into this week’s episode to learn about the signs of a hijacking and helpful hints to come out of crisis mode!

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 3:45 Escaping proper punctuation? No, thank you.

• Topic #2 18:50 "Crisis brain” explained

• Topic #3 39:28 10 signs someone in your life is in crisis brain mode

• Topic #4 38:16 Short-term strategies to escape the effects of crisis brain

• Topic #5 1:01:12 Long-term strategies

Resources & Links

• https://psychcentral.com/health/amygdala-hijack#the-amygdala

• https://www.simplypsychology.org/amygdala-hijack.html

• https://www.verywellmind.com/toxic-stress-signs-symptoms-effects-stress-relief-tips-6504391

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/crosswords/texting-punctuation-period.html

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On this episode we take the Escape Pod across the pond and back in time to England in the 1800s, when being an unwed mother was frowned upon, but women in this situation had limited options to give their babies a better life. “Baby farmers” were like early versions of adoption agencies, but one such “farmer” was both greedy and mentally disturbed – a dangerous combination for the children entrusted to her care.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of crimes against children.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 3:35 Escaping projectile vomit

• Topic #2 13:25 Introduction to Amelia Dyer

• Topic #3 22:30 Amelia’s true crime revealed

• Topic #4 37:12 The co-hosts escape, stock show-style!

Resources & Links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Dyer

• https://www.serialkillercalendar.com/Amelia%20Elizabeth%20DYER.php

• https://the-line-up.com/amelia-dyer-baby-farmer

• https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/amelia-dyer/

• https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/amelia-dyer-34349.php

• https://www.historynaked.com/amelia-dyer/

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In June 2003, police in the UK respond to a report of a stabbing in an alleyway. The victim is a 14-year-old boy, the reporting person is his 16-year-old friend, and the perpetrator is described as a man in a hoodie, but video evidence later proves no such man exists.

The events leading up to this true crime are more bizarre than most soap opera story lines – with tales from a teen chatroom that include love, spies, secret codes, kidnapping, murder, and much more. Did anyone escape alive? Find out on this edition of The Escape Pod!

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

• Topic #1 1:33 Escaping a fast ... and slow traffic

• Topic #2 9:37 Introduction to a “bonkers” of a story

• Topic #3 19:22 Introduction to best friend “Mark”

• Topic #4 26:30 Red Flag #1: A person claiming to be a spy joins the chatroom

• Topic #5 36:02 Mark gets his first big “assignment,” and it’s a doozy!

• Topic #6 52:26 Escapism, co-host-style

Resources & Links

• https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2005/02/bachrach200502

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/3758209.stm

• https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/boy-planned-own-murder-on-internet-1110229

• Casefile Presents 12/22/2018. Case 104: “Mark and John” https://podscripts.co/podcasts/casefile-true-crime/case-104-mark-john

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