Elizabeth Smart On Parenting, Trauma, And New Dangers

Elizabeth Smart lived a life under scrutiny because of being a true crime victim. Her national story gripped the country after the then 14-year-old’s abduction from her bedroom in Salt Lake City in 2002. Recently, with the arrival of the Netflix documentary, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, she opened up and talked about being a mom.

The Crime In 2002

If you don’t know, her nine-month true crime nightmare began when she was taken by Brian David Mitchell. He claimed he was a prophet, and his wife, Wanda Barzee, assisted him. During that harrowing time, Elizabeth experienced constant physical and sexual violence.

Additionally, they tried brainwashing her with their religious beliefs. Finally, her ordeal ended on March 12, 2003, when she was discovered and freed in Sandy, Utah.

Chatting With Jesse

In an interview with Jesse Weber on NewsNation this weekend, Smart expressed her concerns about the safety of children in the online world. Obviously, things changed hugely since 2002 when danger seemed more confined to a physical threat.

Nowadays, there’s a digital threat. “If you have a phone, you have a portal to the world,” Smart noted, adding that “predators have a direct line to you.” These days, predators just need one click to get to their victims.

Naturally, as a mom, she feels a need to be quite strict about social media access. So, she believes children shouldn’t be allowed access to platforms until they reach at least 18.

Elizabeth Smart’s kids know her story, but she keeps the most traumatic aspects on the lowdown with them. And in fact, her eldest child doesn’t even want to see the new documentary.

Breaking Down The Myths

One thing that irritated Smart was being stigmatized with “Stockholm Syndrome.” Sometimes, people think that because a victim stayed with a captor instead of escaping at the first chance, that the victim’s at fault.

Smart quickly cleared “the record” during her NewsNation interview. Jesse Weber heard that she felt she never had Stockholm Syndrome. Not for a second. Instead, she explained that her compliance wasn’t about affection; it was about staying alive.

Actually, she realized early on that she was dealing with “monsters” who could kill her at any moment. “What can I do? That will help me survive,” she remembers thinking. She figured if she could “get them to like” her, they might not kill her.

She drew parallels between her situation and abused women who get the question, “Why didn’t you just leave?” Well, it’s not that simple and Smart explained that while people understand physical restraints, they struggle to grasp the concept of being trapped in psychological abuse.

Getting Justice

The chat also turned Smart’s kidnapper’s wife, Wanda Barzee. Barzee leaving jail several years ago, is still sensitive to the extent that Smart accused her of being “every bit as guilty” as the other offender, Brian David Mitchell. Notably, Barzee knew what was going on and “encouraged” the abuse.

When it was recently made public that Barzee was violating her rules as a registered offender, Smart didn’t mince words. She felt “let down” when Barzee first got out and is adamant that the latter “go straight back to prison.” No ifs, ands, or buts.

Elizabeth Smart moved from being a survivor to an advocate for victims’ rights. So, a lot of true crime followers admire her resilience.

Viewers React

In the comments section, one veiwer wrote, “The mental chains are enough. You my dear are a strong Woman. God bless you.”

Here are a few more repsonses from the discussion:

• You are correct. Social media is bad for children. Keep speaking up. Respected to the fullest.
• She is amazing. Have to watch this. So glad she is advocating and outspoken about everything . Happy she has a Wonderful family. Very strong woman.
• Bless you and your family. Survivor you are and sharing your advice to all families.

What are your thoughts? Shout out in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.