'America's Supernanny': Nevada Abused And Bullied By Her Siblings (VIDEO)

Deborah Tillman has seen a lot of things over the years, but nothing could prepare her for the sibling cruelty she witnessed this week on "America's Supernanny" (Tue., 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime). It was a cycle of violence that started with the parents, and the father in particular. He thought he was disciplining and trying to maintain control of his children, but instead he was teaching them to react with violence and feel like they were never quite good enough.

Poor nine-year old Nevada seemed to get the worst of the abuse from her siblings. She was pushed around, shoved into the dirt, and even ridiculed for the darkness of her skin. Tillman watched, with her jaw hanging open, as Nevada's brother and sister ripped into her for her skin color.

"She took a shower yesterday and she's still dark," her brother said.

"That's why nobody never knows where you are," her sister chimed in. "Every time we're at the store you always get lost because you're so dark."

Tillman got the family to communicate verbally and with "gentle hands," and allowed Nevada a voice to speak out about all the things happening that were hurting her. And the parents learned a healthier way to maintain their authority without crossing the line into bullying or abuse.

"America's Supernanny" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

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Comments

[Luz Cifuentes]

11:29 PM on 02/14/2012

Dear GOD, please put these kids into a foster home. There is no way one Supernanny episode can permanently correct this home! I don't care what anyone says. Any foster home is better than what was seen on this episode.

[Godsvoice]

10:23 PM on 02/07/2012

Now that's a sure sign of LAZY parenting, this is truly an EMBARRASSMENT to me and the remainder of DECENT colored folks. We need to lay off of racism, because we hurt ourselves more then anyone else hurts us.

[lvasquez65]

09:20 PM on 01/10/2012

This seems so typical of many black families and how they raise their children. I'm Latin Caribbean and I grew up in a predominantly black family of Latin Caribbean immigrants who believed in beatings as a form of discipline. It has been generational, passed down from one generation to the next. Some of my cousins believe that being raised strict in this manner was beneficial for turning us into decent, responsible and respectable adults today, but some of us (like me) feel that it was too excessive and I feel it was damaging to my self esteem. I think that since we are all individuals, there shouldn't be a 'one size fits all' style of child-rearing....What works for one child, may not work for another. Parents need to learn who their children really are as little people with their own personalities. I was always a good child and I would have been anyway without the harsh treatment I received growing up--especially as an only child with no siblings to bond with--because my personality was always that of a quiet, respectful person who didn't need nor did I deserve being raised with an "iron fist"....sometimes almost literally!! ...By today's standards, it would most certainly be child abuse.

[suziebisback]

11:58 AM on 12/29/2011

WTF?!?!?! If they do this to their own... what do they do OUTSIDE the house???? They're all destined for a life in and out of prison. The one case where the child would be BETTER in the foster system... even WITH a mom AND dad.

[Such a Lady]

02:31 AM on 12/28/2011

,,,

[Renee410]

11:14 AM on 12/22/2011

I came across this show while channel surfing. I was particularly disappointed in the mom. She claimed the kids were teasing Nevada about her skin complexion because of something they learned in school. Ms. Tillman would later find out it was the mom herself who first made negative comments about Nevada's dark complexion to her children. They were simply following the mom's lead. It was VERY clear that the mom has self-esteem issues related to her own skin complexion, which is at least as dark as Nevada's, if not darker. She probably endured her own issues in this area growing up, making it more disappointing that she wouldn't protect Nevada.

Even after Nevada writes the note explaining her feelings to her parents, the mom seemed almost disinterested until Ms. Tillman called her out. The dad immediately apologized and vowed to address the issue, but mom looked liked she didn't give a flying fart what this girl was going through. Nevada couldn't possible feel loved by this woman. I truly hope some loving family member sees this show and gets that poor girl out of that house so that she can develop some positive feelings about herself before she ends up like her self-rejecting mom.

[ladydragon]

06:22 PM on 12/21/2011

I have not seen this show, I don't think I'll be watching. I saw in the clip the father beating these children with a big leather strap, what are they his slaves? this was very disturbing to see, very hurtful. The cruel and nasty things that came out of Navada's brothers and sister's mouths was shameful, this family needs some serious counseling, not some tv show. Who taught them to say that being "dark skinned" is ugly? Seeing this just made me want to run to her and to protect her, she does not deserve this. I am weeping.

[Theresa Weaver]

04:27 PM on 12/21/2011

I used to watch Supernanny before, and rarely did I see parents who were like the ones on this new show. For three weeks in a row, parents were shown being abusive or neglectful to their children. Two weeks ago, a mother locked her kids in a room and let them eat off the floor. Last week, parents allowed their small children to play around fleas and dog feces. This week, the father smacks his kids, and both parents allow for racist bullying by siblings. This is not from watching these new shows but seeing the highlighted clips each week on TV Replay.

The show went from having struggling parents who could be identified with to some degree to parents who frankly shouldn't be parents. It's gone from showing parents how to stop normal issues to having a woman deal with child abuse on a weekly basis. This new show is disturbing and unbearable, and CPS should be involved rather than just a camera crew and a paid nanny. It's disgusting that TLC is profiting from children being abused and neglected in such a way.

[AKQueenie]

04:16 PM on 12/21/2011

I recomend con.doms and birth control pills for everyone in that family free for life.

[belldn3]

03:41 PM on 12/21/2011

At first I thought some of those blows were pulled(for the show). But that family is really dysfunctional. Did you'll hear some of those slaps?

[laurensadie1]

03:37 PM on 12/21/2011

That girl deserves to be taken away from that house!

[pat4real]

02:22 PM on 12/21/2011

To all the loving comments about Nevada, you guys make me happy to be part of the human race!!!! To anyone who is cruel and indifferent I hope one day you too see the light!! Happy holidays everyone,and remember acts of kindness are their own reward, so reward yourself and do something kind for someone else!!

[Nicollo]

02:03 PM on 12/21/2011

You can't call social services on the parents because they're not abusing their children... This is no different from many other families. Kids fight and torture each other and call each other names that they know will upset their siblings, in this case, it's unfortunately taunting the girl about her skin color, even though they're all about the same shade. The parents are allowing this and it's wrong. I know plenty of parents who spank, pop, swat, whop their kids and the kids are just fine and well disciplined and grow into responsible adults. The issue within this family, is THIS family and how the parents are parenting the children combinined with their discipline style or lack thereof, not the fact alone that they are spanking the children. I've seen so many brats who publicly act crazy because their parents don't believe in spanking and then they grow up crazy too. There's two sides, but calling social services on this family will do nothing because there's no abuse that they could legally find, just bad a-- kids getting away with crappy behavior.

[dneil55859]

01:59 PM on 12/21/2011

Jeez this is not disfunction. Again reality tv tries to get us to accept that the worse elements of society are alright. They should have walked out and turned the film over to child protective services

[metalsmithgirl71]

01:58 PM on 12/21/2011

cps will be knocking at their door soon.

[cbs123]

06:05 PM on 12/21/2011

I sure hope so

[sjt29jp]

10:10 AM on 12/30/2011

I don`t. CPS makes a child`s life HELL. About 85% of kids who go through the foster care system end up in prison. Foster care can lead to sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and it breaks up families. Most kids would prefer to deal with some degree of disfunction in their own homes than with strangers. So instead of CPS coming in, I hope the nanny can help the family work things out. Obviously the family realizes it needs help or it wouldn`t have called for help. I hope they can make a better home life for everyone in this family especially the little bullied girl.