A Child Called It Essay

In the book A Child Called “it”, by Dave Pelzer, Catherine, Dave’s mother starves Dave as punishment. After the incident with burning David on top of a stove, Catherine resorted to other forms of abusive punishments like hitting him and starving him. I predict that Catherine will continue to abuse Dave until someone in his school recognizes his injuries. Throughout the book, Catherine has done so many abusive things to Dave with the proof of scars,marks,bruises and etcetera.

In 1870, child abuse was first introduced by the events that happened to an eight year old, named Mary Ellen Wilson, who was experiencing several beatings in the home of her biological father and step-mother, in Great Britain. During the 1870’s Mary experienced extreme beating, and was removed from the home (Walkins, 1990). Mary’s story started in 1874, while living with her biological father’s new wife Mary McCormack Connolly. Mrs. Connolly would beat the child, and would not provide for Mary’s basic welfare. It was not until Etta Wheeler, a Methodist mission who visited the home that Mary’s abuse was first confirmed the abuse of a child.

In David’s past he grew up with a sister much younger than he was, with a heart defect,. When his sister died at age 12, he saw his mother in terrible grief. Therefor having to see his mother always grieving over his sister, he made a vast decision to

David shows compassion and is jovial, but sometimes his complacent trait gets the best of him. He is a nice and friendly person who a lot of people like. Also he really cares about the people he loves. Sometimes he puts his needs over others. Without David’s jovial personality and his way of being compassionate towards others David wouldn’t

In the poem, “The Child Who Walks Backwards”, Lorna Crozier discusses the cover up of parental abuse in narrative style of poetry. Lorna Crozier expresses the point of view as if someone is observing the abuse from the outside, specifically the neighbor to the mother and child. The poem proclaims that the son of a mother constantly runs into things and sleep walks during the night which supposedly were the causes for the marks and injuries that appeared on the young boy. Upon closer analysis, it comes to realization that the child is the victim of abuse. Parental abuse is something that everyone should be wary about because a lot of parents abuse their children and force them to be silent about it.

He is a character who does not seem to have grown up mentally and still has a mind of young boy. In the beginning of the story we see David walking home believing he deserves more power and respect from the people he surround himself. However he is too scared to put in the work and courage for picking himself up, so he lets himself get pushed around or told him. “Ahn seventeen. Almost a man… a man oughta hava little gun aftah he done worked hard all day.”

As a child, all who knew him depicted Berkowitz as peaceful and well mannered. His new parents Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz brought David up in an adoring, strong condition. The couple gave Berkowitz all that he required and treated him with the adoration any genuine parent would give. David experienced childhood in a domain that was helpful for good emotional wellness and general bliss. Berkowitz expressed that his purpose behind murdering was so he could "keep the demons quiet."

At a small age is when David began to be abused by his mother, up to the age of 12, when he was finally taken away by Child Protective Services and put into the Foster Care system. Though through the years of being abused, David never once did he ever talk back, not do what he was told or anything along those lines. He also never spoke up to anyone about what he was having to deal with at home. Though years later he did share his story with the world writing books about his childhood life, has even gone had public appearances which he shared his story. Allowing people to relive childhood, as if they were walking in his shoes.

This shows the change David has made with his views and choices. In the beginning of the book, David wished for extra arms as a harmless joke only to realize that making that joke costed him and got beat by his father. David then kept quiet as he didn’t want to express his own feelings due to trauma he has suffered. By the end of the book, David runs away with his friends in protest to his father’s rules and to express who he truly is. From the beginning of the book to the end, David has shown examples of him changing who he is as a person for the better.

(Pelzer, 17). David’s mom would plan vacations and daytrips for him and his family (Pelzer, 25). These fun times abruptly ended when his relationship with his mother changed from discipline to punishment which grew out of control. Dave’s parents started fighting, especially over how to treat David. This angered his mother and caused her to treat david cruelly through physical and mental abuse (Pelzer, 29-31).

Readers might see that mainly in the last few paragraphs. When the narrator states “David who was always clumsy at gymnastics and sports, climbed a tree and wrapped his arms around the trunk like a child hugging his mother, and that was the way he died. ”10 Some would say that he isn't very bright and that people who aren't very bright and are childlike had more a chance of being

This level of profound child abuse by Claireece’s parents left no domain of trauma unscathed because the degree of complexity increased in this cases over time because of multiple, recurrent and additional trauma exposure. The first noted case of sexual abuse began when Carl engaged

For Pelzer, it was his hope which allowed to to survive. Many times throughout the text, David describes the abuse that her endured knowing that it would either end or kill him. While some may not see the later as being an appropriate end, for David, it would end his abuse. He hoped for the abuse

“There are many factors that contribute to this repulsive behavior. Physical, sexual, and psychological cruelty are effects of child abuse. Physical abuse is a painful, devastating event that occurs on a daily basis. According to the government, physical abuse is “when someone uses a part of their body or an object to control a person’s actions.” “ There are many forms of physical force, such as, hitting, strangling, slapping, beating, and kicking.

Mistreatment of children is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, during the recent years, harassment against child has shown an increase in the public’s eye. There are many factors related to child maltreatment. It has four general categories of child abuse now recognized: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional maltreatment. Each category, in turn, covers a range of behavior.