Child Abuse

Childhood abuse is something that no one should have to go through, but it is something that far too many children see on a daily basis.  When growing up in Arizona I had one best friend, Monica.  We spent all of our time together, and my parents were not happy about that.  I did not understand why they did not want me to be friends with her, she was my age and just lived a couple houses down from my dad’s house.  I remember in the summer time we would do gymnastics in her living room to New Kids on the Block.  I never thought it weird that there was no furniture in the living room, I just saw it as a large cushioned area for my cartwheels.  It wasn’t until one day that I knew things were different at her house when everyone was gone.  It was an early morning, and her parents’ car was not in the driveway, so I went to her bedroom window and she let me in.  Well my brother had followed me, so he came through the widow too.  I do not remember what we were talking about, I just remember that we heard someone coming, and my brother and I hid in the closet.  Thankfully there was a hamper in there that hid us from her step dad that was walking into her room. He swung that door open and was yelling that he heard her talking to someone, she lied and told him that she was singing to herself.  He proceeded to check out her closet, and luckily he did not see us, but that didn’t stop him from dragging her out of her room anyway.  As soon as that man was out of sight, my brother ran through that screen window and bolted for home.  I never saw much of Monica after that, they never let her come outside, and they never answered the door.  Her family ended up moving later that summer to somewhere in California.  I received one letter from her, and all I remember is that she said that her new home smelled like ketchup.

Now I did not see the warning signs that my parents did, I probably saw more of them than they did, I just didn’t know it.  I hope someone along her life path was able to help her out of the situation that she was in.  The verbal and physical abuse that I saw was probably only the beginning.  When I lived out in California I thought of Monica all the time.  Anytime I would go to a different town, I would see if it had the faintest smell of ketchup. 

“There is no single known cause of child maltreatment. Nor is there any single description that captures all families in which children are victims of abuse and neglect. Child maltreatment occurs across socio-economic, religious, cultural, racial, and ethnic groups” (Ameyaw-Akumfi, 2013).  There are many factors as to why child abuse happens, the odds are slightly higher for a child if their parent was abused as a child.

Many authorities have to have proof of abuse before taking action because “there is a reluctance to inter- vene in what is still perceived in most societies as a ‘private’ sphere” (Versiani).  In Brazil low income families often send their children to live with a more stable educated person.  The family sets up the agreement that the child will go live with them and receive good education in return for doing household chores.  Most of the time children end up becoming slaves in factories.  "There are some 5,100,000 children between the ages of five and 17 who work -- around 500,000 are engaged in domestic labor, "it's a hidden form of slavery. Many of them don't go to authorities, and no one knows that they are working illegally and being badly treated in these houses” (Gallego, 2008).

This poor girl was forced to eat dog excrement, she was bound and her tongue was cut off in pieces.  My question is why?  What could a 14 year old girl do that was so bad to deserve this type of treatment? Nothing.  No one should have to live in these conditions, and it is reported that 5, 100,000 children could be in these types of conditions already.  Many people are afraid to report child abuse, because they do not see action being taken by the proper authorities.  How do we change the perception of the world that children should not have to live in fear of their families?

References

Ameyaw-Akumfi, N. (2013, May 30). Social Factors that may Increase the Child's Vulnerability to Abuse. Retrieved from SpyGhana: http://www.spyghana.com/social-factors-that-may-increase-the-childs-vulnerability-to-abuse/

Gallego, S. (2008, March 20). Story of Child Abuse Shocks Brazil. Retrieved from ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4488867&page=1#.Uai3pN4o7IV

Godoy, C. E. (2010, June 4). Child Abuse Underreported in Latin America. Retrieved from Gallop World: http://www.gallup.com/poll/139376/Child-Abuse-Underreported-Latin-America.aspx

Versiani, C. (n.d.). Violence Against Children in the Home and Family. UNICEF, 44-107.