Reading "A Child Called It" and "The Lost Boy" by David Pelzer really opened my eyes to how horrific child abuse can be. Some of the terrible things that Pelzer was subjected to as a young boy absolutely astonished me. I knew that child abuse occurred and I have several people very close to me who were victims of abuse as children, but I never really asked about the details of their experiences. Reading "A Child Called It" revealed to me the horrors of child abuse and how it can truly be a fight for life. There were several times where I had to put the book down because I was afraid I was going to be physically ill. Learning how differently society reacted to child abuse when these books took place was astounding. Understanding how the justice system works and learning what I have on this subject has helped me realize how far we have come as a society when we look at domestic violence. It also opens my eyes to how far we still have to go.
Learning that there were really no mandated reporters while these two books took place surprised me. The seventies were not that long ago, and to think that no one would say anything to law enforcement about an obviously abused child is startling. Today, according to Georgia Code Title 9, Chapter 7, Article 1, there are numerous mandated reporters of child abuse. Doctors, dentists, teachers and law enforcement personnel are just a few professions among many others that are listed. Health care professionals are responsible for identifying signs of child abuse and reporting it, for providing treatment for both children victims and their families if needed, and several other things as well. Teachers are also responsible for identifying and reporting signs of child abuse. When children start school, they spend just as much time with their teachers as they do with their parents. This makes them well equipped to keep an eye out for signs of abuse and/or neglect. Law enforcement personnel are again, responsible for identifying and reporting child abuse, receiving reports of child abuse, investigating reports, and gathering physical evidence of the abuse.
In "A Child Called It," Pelzer went to the doctor several times, saw the school nurse several times, and his teachers saw how malnourished he was but they all did nothing in fear of losing their jobs. During this time, what happened in the home stayed in the home- parents were able to discipline their children how they saw fit. Thinking about that today is outrageous. David showed several indicators of abuse and neglect. Not only did he show physical signs, Pelzer also wore dirty and tattered clothes, came to school tired and unfed, had bruises all over his body, showed behavioral indicators like acting out and aggression, and he stole food from his peers and he acted out in class. He also showed cognitive indicators like school related problems and deficits in problem solving skills. Not only did Pelzer not have any time at home to focus on his schoolwork, while he was at school he was unable to focus on what was happening because of what was going on at home. This is common in children who are victims of abuse because they are overly stressed about their home lives. I imagine his emotional indicators would include depression and PTSD because of the horrors that he experienced inside of his own home. He also suffered from exposure to intimate partner violence, along with his brothers. David’s mother drank constantly and would yell and fight with his father, who in turn also began to develop a severe alcohol addiction problem.
I think we have many laws and precautions against child abuse and neglect today compared to what was in place when David Pelzer was a child. Learning about primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention opened my eyes to how far we as a society have come in recognizing and attempting to prevent child abuse and neglect. Primary prevention includes public service announcements and early interventions. Secondary prevention includes counseling and group support for teen parents and parenting programs. Tertiary prevention is the last step of prevention before things can get very serious, and it includes parenting classes. The Stewards of Children–Darkness to Light program was very informational and opened my eyes. I learned how to prevent putting children in situations that could result in sexual assault or abuse. I also learned how to prevent situations that children are uncomfortable in so that they develop healthy personal boundaries. I never thought about not making children hug or show affection to a relative that makes them uncomfortable. Growing up in the south, my family has always encouraged an excess of love and affection towards the whole family. Sometimes it can be considered rude if we do not show warmth towards family members. Programs to educate children are also extremely useful. I specifically remember learning “good touch, bad touch” in elementary school and my parents were very active in teaching my sisters and me who could and could not touch us in certain places. I always knew who to go to when I was uncomfortable and I knew how to know what was appropriate interaction with adults and other children my age.
Knowing that David Pelzer’s story is only the third worst case of child abuse in California was bewildering. I cannot even imagine what could be worse than what he went through, however I know now that anything and everything can happen to a child. Our job now as a society is to educate people early on as to prevent abuse or neglect from even occurring in the first place. As painful as it may be, learning about this material continues to show me that I am where I need to be. I look forward to my future working with and advocating for children who have been victims of abuse.
