A child called it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A child called it - Essay Example In many cases, the child, because of illness, irritability, or the parents incorrect choice of actions, would not return the desired and expected response. In such an interaction, the child’s purpose can be seen as blameworthy. Pelzer writes that his mother often found any excuse to bit him: â€Å"SMACK!. Mother bits me in the face and I topped to the floor. I know better than to stand there and take the bit, I learned the bard way that she takes as an act of defiance, which means more bits, or worst of all, no food † (Pelzer, 1995, p. 3). As a child, Pelzer cannot resist domestic violence and psychical abuse. This situation creates feelings of helplessness, frustration and anger. A hasty move of children can also generate stresses for both the children and caretakers alike, with the children suddenly uprooted and the caretakers unprepared to meet their needs. In contrast to his siblings, favored by his mother, Pelzer was beaten, bruised and sometimes tortured for a long time. In some instances his injuries threatened his life: For instance, once Dave was stubbed in the chest, and â€Å"the pain from the pinching was more than I could stand. With my teeth clamped tightly on the rag, my screaming was muffled. I felt as though I was hanging from a cliff† (Pelzer, 1995, p. 23). This book is about emotional abuse and psychological distress caused by parents. Pelzer was subjected to emotional abuse and neglect, including malnutrition, being left alone and living in squalid conditions. It seems likely that Pelzer subjected to violent parenting repeatedly asserted his needs and his dependency only to find his caretakers unable to meet them. In such cases, the childrens immaturity would have been experienced by the parents as an intolerable extra demand that competed with the parents own dependency wishes. Frustration and violence to the children then resulted. The author describes: â€Å"I knew if I wanted to live, I would have to think ahead. I could no longer cry like