Perspectives of Child Abuse

Perspectives of Child Abuse

David Pelzer had to put up with an unhealthy lifestyle as a child. In his book "A Child Called It," David Pelzer described in details the horrific pain, humiliation, and many other harsh abuses by his abuser, which was by his own mother. It is a sad reality that child abuse occurs every day, and many times it is hard to see if a child is being abused because we are all oblivious. I will be discussing emotional abuse, parenting styles, Erik Erickson's psychosocial development stages, related articles, and how all of these connect to David's life.

Emotional abuse can be characterized as manipulating, intimidating, humiliating, and much more. The abuser convinces the victim that he/she is worthless. This affects the victim's self-esteem and self worth. David Pelzer endured these kinds of abusive behavior by his mother. One example of emotional abuse that David had to endure in the book, "A Child Called It," was when his mother began referring him (David) as "It." Another example of emotional abuse David describes in his book was, when his mother told him she wished he was dead. His mother made him feel worthless and alone.

David's mother can be referred to as an authoritarian parent. An Authoritarian parent always tries to be in control over their children. They set strict rules and normally do not show any warmth affection. They tell their children what to do, they make them obey, and they usually do not give children choices or options. David Pelzer‘s mother punished David for everything. She barely expressed any affection towards him, and had him do chores everyday without any remorse.

Erik Erickson developed theories of personality in psychology. Erickson's theory explains the impact of social experience throughout one's lifespan. In the first theory Trust vs. Mistrust, David developed trust over his mother because she cared for him and loved him. After the age six, his mother began consuming alcohol and mistreated him badly. That trust he once had changed to mistrust. This resulted in David fearing the unpredictable behavior by his mother. The next theory is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. David had a sense of independence but no control. His mother controlled his food choice and clothes selection. He had to wear the same clothes for two years, and his mother made him eat unsanitary food leftovers. He developed shame and doubt because he felt alone and worthless. The third theory is Initiative vs. Guilt. David fits into guilt because his mother left him with a sense of self –doubt. She blamed him over everything that went wrong, and David had to role in his own life. He did take the initiative to finally tell someone about his ordeal when he had enough of the abuse. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. David received hardly and encouragement; therefore he felt inferior to his environment.

After reading the article "Growing Up with Alcoholism," the main character Ross explains the difficulties living with his father who had a