Child Abuse

Im late. Ive got to finish the dishes on time, otherwise no breakfast; and since I didnt have dinner
last night, I have to make sure I get something to eat. Mothers running around yelling at my
brothers. I can hear her stomping down the hallway towards the kitchen. I dip my hands back into
the scalding rinse water. Its too late. She catches me with my hands out of the water.
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 into my ears.
I act timid, nodding to her threats Please, I say to myself, just let me eat. Hit me again, but I have
to have food. Another blow pushes my head against the tile counter top. I let the tears of mock
defeat stream down my face as she storms out of the kitchen, seemingly satisfied with herself. After I
count her steps, making sure shes gone, I breathe a sigh of relief. The act worked. Mother can beat
me all she wants, but I havent let her take away my will to somehow survive (Pelzer, 3-4).


These are the words of a brave child named Dave Pelzer who experienced emotional, physical, and
mental abuse. Dave was born in a middle class suburb in San Francisco in the 1960s. His father
was a firefighter and was away days at a time. His mother was a loving homemaker who within time
turned into an alcoholic and started abusing Dave since he was four. His mother starved, beat, and
burned Dave. She referred to him as the boy, which eventually lead to it. Dave was the only
family member that she abused; she took care of the family, except for Dave. Within time she
thought Daves brothers to hate him, and to exclude him from the family. His mother made him do
many gruesome things such as drink ammonia, eat his brothers feces, and hold his arm over a gas
stove. As the years past, Dave believed that he was worthless of love. No one stopped his mother.
His father was always at work and his mother turned his brothers against him.
Survival, for Dave, became a matter of out-witting his mother. School was a safe escape from his
mother. Daves mother made him wear the same clothes for years at a time to school, kids made fun
of him, but school was still known as heaven to Dave. In school he stole food from the cafeteria and
from classmates lunches. His schoolteachers noticed his behavior and evidence of physical abuse,
but no action was taken until Dave was twelve. In 5
th
grade, two of his teachers notified authorities,
saving his life.
Since Daves rescue in 5
th
grade, he lived in a series of foster homes till the age of 18. Dave
dropped out of high school in fear of becoming homeless when becoming a legal adult. Instead of
school, he concentrated on working double shifts and earning enough money to survive. At the age
of 18 Dave joined the Air Force.
Under the law, an abused child means a child less than 18 years of age whose parent or other
person legally responsible for the child's care inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child physical
injury by other than accidental means which causes or creates substantial risk of death or serious
disfigurement, or impairment of physical health, or loss or impairment of the function of any bodily
organ (http://www.safechild.org/childabuse2.htm, 11/27/2007). Some signs of an abused child
would be handslap marks on the cheeks; twin bruises on either side of the mouth or cheeks, bruising
on both sides of the ear which is often cause by grabbing a child as it is running away. Black eyes
are common and so are heavy bangs on the nose.
Children who are physically neglected or abused often have behavioral problems. For instance, the
child may seek constant attention. Children who are abused physically or emotionally may
experience frozen watchfulness. This means that the child watches adults acutely in order to adapt
his or her behavior to try and avoid abuse. If a child is too strictly controlled at home, frequently the
child will assert his or her own strict controls over others. Many of the behavioral signs are natural
defensive reactions to an abusive relationship. A child who is constantly aggressive or always a
victim is hardly a happy child who is enjoying life (Stainton Rogers Hevey, Roche and Ash, 167).
By looking at factors which may increase the risk of abuse, we might be able to identify high-risk
families and prevent abuse by changing their circumstances. One of the circumstances that we
should consider is the parents personality. Some parents may be feeling angry because of the
abuse that they have experienced in the past. This anger may erupt violently and inappropriately
against there own children. If the parents have felt rejected or isolated in their childhoods and if they
have no ongoing support in the present, this may also lead to physical or emotional abuse of their
children. The marital and family relationships should also be under consideration. For instance, if the
parents are both immature people and if they each depend on each other, neither being capable of
providing support. The parents may expect the child to provide love and appreciation in order to
increase the parents self-esteem. These family relationships may also produce emotional and
physical abuse or neglect.