Child Abuse and the Feeling of Helplessness

Smack! Mother hits me in the face, and I topple to the floor. I know better than to stand there and take the hit. I learned the hard way that she takes that as an act of defiance, which means more hits, or worst of all, no food. I regain my posture and dodge her looks, as she screams in my ear. Please, I say to myself, just let me eat this time. Hit me again, but I have to have food. Another blow pushes my head against the tile counter top (Pelzer, 1995). This is the beginning of a typical day for David Pelzer, a victim of child abuse for four years.

Child abuse is the physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children. That is the typical definition coming from the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. But ask anyone who has been a victim of child abuse, and they might tell you that child abuse is like living in hell, never knowing what might happen to you, and never knowing when it will end. Nobody should have to feel that helpless, and victims are usually left with an uncountable amount of psychological effects. Everyone needs to become more aware of the signs of abuse, and become more educated of a problem that keeps growing every day.

Child abuse can incorporate a wide variety of abusive actions, from acts of commission, to lack of action or omission (Kliegman, 1997). Abuse can start even before the birth of a child, such as maternal drug abuse and failure to seek the usual prenatal health care during pregnancy. After birth, child abuse is divided into four basic forms, and each area overlaps into another. The four areas are physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse.

Children who are at high-risk for child abuse include mentally retarded children, premature infants, infants with chronic medical pr...

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.... I chose to right this paper in hoping that I get my point across. People need to be more educated about abuse. It is becoming too normal for everyday life. I am only 19, and know personally two people who have been abused. Is it going to become a regular occurrence for at least one child in every family to be abused in some way? But if everyone in every community works together in providing the proper information and education, people can stop abuse before it even starts. We can stop this feeling of helplessness going around today.

References

Kaplan, Michael. (1996, September). A Boy or Girl. Children Today, pp. 25-29.

Kleigman, Arvin. (1997, March). The Effects of Child Abuse on All Involved. Psychology:Today and Tomorrow, pp. 17-39.

Pelzer, Dave. (1995). A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive. Health Communications, Inc.; Reissue edition