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A Child Called It

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“Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul,” quotes Dave Pelzer, author of A Child Called “It” (“Child Abuse Quotes (493 Quotes)”). Prior to their deaths, these children have lived as prisoners of their childhood, manipulated by their abusers and forced to abandon the feelings of love and comfort that being a child should bring. For those that will see past the age of childhood, their scars will serve as a visual reminder of the events that plagued their thoughts, haunting them for the rest of their lives. Sadly, these survivors are not just left with physical scars, but severe emotional scarring as well. The trauma these children endured affects every part of their adult life, making …show more content…

There are many ways that a parent or caregiver can inflict harm on a child, so child abuse is used as an umbrella term for many types of abuse. Child abuse is typically broken down into four types of abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and child neglect.
Physical abuse is the act of causing intentional physical harm upon a child. This abuse can include hitting, shaking, throwing, and other acts that can damage a child, often times causing psychological harm and life long injury. As reported by Childhelp, there are certain signs a parent or caregiver may display that might hint towards abusive behavior (“What is Child Abuse”). For example, an abusive caregiver may be unable to explain their child’s injury, or may explain it in an unrealistic sense. Childhelp states that many abusers may also display aggression towards their child and keep them away from social interaction (“What is Child Abuse”). Just as there are signs of an abusive caregiver or parent, there are also signs that a child may be experiencing physical abuse. These signs include aggression, fear of adults, fear of withdrawal, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and self destructive behaviors, announces Childhelp (“What is Child Abuse”). Unfortunately, these signs may go …show more content…

Child neglect includes inadequate supervision and physical, emotional, medical, and educational neglect. Physical neglect includes not taking care of a child by not providing a proper amount of food and drink, not making sure a child has adequate hygiene, and exposing a child to unsafe environments (“What is Child Abuse”). Emotional neglect occurs when affection and emotional support for a child is ignored, and this is typically shown in the isolation of a child from friends and family. Parents and caregivers are required to provide medical treatment to their children, and therefore, when that need is disregarded, it is deemed to be medical neglect. Parents have an obligation to their children to make sure that they have all the tools for academic success, so when a child is not enrolled in school or misses too much of school, their education is neglected. Neglect is not easily recognized, but signs such as an indifference towards a child and their needs can be an indicator for child neglect. While the signs of a neglectful parent are hard to determine, the signs of a neglected child are obvious, as inadequate clothing, malnutrition, and hygiene problems are among characteristics of child

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