I just never did buy this idea that you have to live in Los Angeles to be an actor. I didn't see that as a requirement in my job description.
It's like why people read scary books or go see scary movies. Because it creates a distance. They're scared, but they're not going to get hurt.
It was not uncommon for the children to be told they were being treated this way because it was their bad karma and they must have hurt a child in a past life.