13 Siblings Held Captive Likely Were Coerced To Remain Quiet

LOS ANGELES – When a 17-year-old girl jumped out a window from the house where her parents allegedly starved and tortured their 13 children, she broke a silence that likely had lasted for years. It’s not clear why the teenager waited so long to act, but psychiatrists said such behavior is not uncommon even in cases of extreme deprivation. Most people would recognize milder forms of the same inaction that is a coping mechanism, whether it’s failing to speak out against off-color jokes, enduring sexual harassment or staying in an awful marriage, said Dr.