Prior to the film's release, a 1990 documentary entitled "Child of Rage: A Story of Abuse" was produced by Gaby Monet based on interviews conducted with the film's real-life inspiration, Beth Thomas. It aired on HBO as part of their "America Undercover" series. The film consists of interviews with Beth Thomas by a therapist (Ken Magid), followed by footage of her treatment and partial recovery at a treatment center for children. The documentary was released shortly after Magid's book "High Risk: Children Without A Conscience", which portrays children with reactive attachment disorder (as Thomas is labelled in the film) as "murderous psychopaths," contrary to its actual definition in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" fourth edition but in accordance with the diagnosis of "attachment disorder" as described in DSM-5.