“Help”
Jeanine Kemmer
Craig came from a middle class, working, Christian family. These seem like the things that a child should be lucky to come from. Yet Craig was sexually abused. He was abused by a babysitter that his parents placed him with (Thompson 29-32). How could they not know? Pecola lived with both of her parents and brother. At first glance this family setting would seem ideal. But she was sexually abused by her father (Morrison 127-129). Why didn’t someone figure out what was going on before that young girl ended up pregnant? Theodore Rothke’s unnamed child in “My Papa’s Waltz” endured severe abuse that the mother did nothing to stop; possibly because of fear. Whatever the case, why didn’t someone else notice? Why didn’t anyone do anything for these children? I realize these are characters on paper, and yet I still feel somehow responsible. These children represent the overwhelming numbers of children that face these nightmares everyday. The fact of the matter is that “child abuse is one of the leading causes of injury-related mortality in infants and children.” It CAN be prevented. It CAN be stopped.
Statistics for the Department of Health and Human Services in 2002 revealed that “about 896,000 American children were victims of abuse and neglect. Of all abused children, 60.5% suffered neglect, 18.6% suffered physical abuse, and 9.9% suffered sexual abuse. Some experienced more than one type.” They estimate that “1,400 children died from abuse or neglect, 76.1% of them were under age 4.” Child Welfare Information Gateway corroborates these numbers and adds that “45% were younger than 12 months.” These are chilling realities, and they represent a daunting task in stopping them.
The question becomes who is going to stop them? The burden naturally tends to lean towards doctors who can thoroughly examine these children both in routine physicals and in the emergency rooms to find the signs of abuse. According to the U.S. News & World Report the truth, however, is that:
Doctors fail to diagnose nearly a third of child-abuse cases with head trauma, even when the youngsters are bruised, suffering seizures, or comatose. Researchers reported that abuse escapes notice because physicians aren’t trained to recognize it and may be uncomfortable with casting suspicion. “It’s a lot easier to look for another cause,” said John Leventhal, a pediatrician and medical director of the Child Abuse Team at
We also look to adults who see these children outside the home on a regular basis, like teachers. Despite the fact that teachers are generally considered to be among those best situated to detect abuse symptoms in the classroom, a survey of 440
[It was] found that most teachers were not able to recognize the symptoms of abuse; only 4% indicated being very aware of the signs of sexual abuse and less than one – quarter said they were very aware of the indicators of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Although 60% of those surveyed demonstrated some awareness of their legal responsibilities, only 22% said they would file a report as required, if the parent denied the abuse and the principle wished to avoid the issue.
This data, in my mind, is staggering. We place a great deal of trust in these professions to look after a child’s wellbeing. I believe, however, that we cannot blame them for their lack of knowledge. Instead we need to see to the further training and education of these people. In The Bluest Eye when Pecola came to after her father’s first violation, her mother was standing over her (129). She had some idea of what had transpired, and yet she did nothing. Likewise, the mother in My Papa’s Waltz did nothing to stop the repetitive physical abuse. Craig’s parents and teachers in Blankets just weren’t aware of the babysitter’s offenses (29-32). We, as responsible parents, neighbors, friends, peers, coaches, councilors, youth leaders, family members, and a community as a whole need to come together to help teachers and doctors and recognize the signs ourselves.
As we saw in our class readings Blankets, The Bluest Eye, My Papa’s Waltz, Maus I and II, and Night, I found an article in The Exceptional Parent written by Jennifer Graham, echoing the belief that “any child from any socioeconomic, racial, and cultural background is at risk.” “Considering the horrifying statistics about the frequency of abuse, we all must see perpetrators every day, although we don’t always recognize them as such. They’ve got all kinds of personalities and politics and values, and they come from all kinds of classes, genders, sexual preferences [and] races.” (Mitchell 5) So if we can’t immediately recognize the potential victims or the abusers, what is it we are looking for? Depending on the type of abuse, and the temperament of the child, experts agree the child may display a few or many of these signs:
- Unusual fear of parents or adults
- Aggressive behavior; acting out
- Withdrawal or a “blank” effect
- Poor self-concept
- Repetition of negative or manipulative behavior to elicit attention
- Unexplained bruises; unexplained injuries
- Compulsive masturbation or sexualized play; sexually inappropriate behavior
- Nightmares; sleep disturbances
- Suicide attempts
- Deterioration of health and personal hygiene
- Failure to thrive (emaciation)
- Fear of a particular person or place
- Regressive behavior
- Fear of abandonment
- Poor performance in school
- Truancy
In Blankets, Craig was withdrawn from his parents, classmates and teachers. He did poorly in school, and drew pictures that were sexually inappropriate for his age (203-205). Pecola in The Bluest Eye was withdrawn, feared people in general and ultimately ended up pregnant. The signs were there.
If you suspect that a child is being abused, it is your moral obligation to report it. To do so, or to learn more about child abuse there are nationwide agencies to help you. Nursing offers these helpful tips:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau [offers] assistance to states in the delivery of child welfare services. Hotline counselors can provide phone numbers for reporting abuse by state and other referrals. Childhelp
- Prevent Child Abuse
- National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information provides professionals information on prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect and related child welfare issues. You can get in-depth information on your state’s definitions of child abuse and neglect as well as its reporting procedures. 1-800-394-3366. Web site: http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov
We can HELP these children. Together, we can change their fate.
Works Cited
Couzin, Jennifer. “Missing the Signals.” U.S. News & World Report. Washingon:
Mar 1, 1999. Vol. 126, Iss. 8; p 61
Ennis, Charles. “Twelve Clues That Could Save a Child.” Law & Order
Graham Jennifer. “An Unacceptable Risk.” The Exceptional Parent.
McDonald, Kelly Colleen. “Child Abuse: Approach Management.” American Family Physician. Leawood: Jan 15, 2007. Vol. 75, Iss. 2; p 221
Mitchell, Pam. “The Abusers Hidden Among Us.” Gay Community News. Jul 28, 1990. Vol. 18, Iss. 3; p 5
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. 1970. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Mulryan, Kathleen, Patricia Cathers, Alane Fagin. “How to Recognize and Respond to Child Abuse.” Nursing. Horsham: Oct. 2004. Vol. 34, Iss. 10; p 32
Olson, Beth. “Framing Abuse: Media Influence and Public Understanding of Sexual Violence Against Children/Violence in the Media: A Reference Handbook” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly.
Rothke, Theodore. My Papa’s Waltz
Thompson, Craig. Blankets. 2005. Top Shelf Productions.
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