A Child Called It . Dave Pelzer Is the Survivor - 1608 Words

A Child Called It. Dave Pelzer is the survivor of the third worst case of child abuse in California s history. Dave grew up with his two brothers and two parents. Catherine, Dave s mother, loved to cook exotic meals for her family and decorate their home in creative and imaginative ways each holiday season. She was full of energy, often taking her kids on tours of downtown San Francisco while her husband was at work as a fire fighter, exposing them to Golden Gate Park and Chinatown. Once, while on a family camping trip, young Dave was watching the sunset when he felt his mother embrace him from behind and watch the sunset with him over his shoulder. I never felt as safe and warm as at that moment in time, he recalls. But then,†¦show more content†¦Sadly, there are millions or children from around the world who encounter some form abuse. The abuse Dave encounter was physical, emotional abuse, and neglect from his mother. It is currently believed that factors that may increase the likelihood of developing antisocial behavior are child abuse and having an alcoholic parent. These factors are considered to be independent of each other, but may also be interactive in their effect on behavioral development (Pollock). Child abuse consists of acts that endanger a child s physical and emotional development. Physical abuse is defined as non accidental injury to a child, includes burns, cuts, bruises, hitting, whipping, throwing, having anti-social behavior, or having fear of adults. Emotional abuse is attitude or behavior that interacts with a child s mental health. This includes yelling, depression, name-calling, and lack of affection. Neglect is failure to provide for a child s physical needs, which includes extreme hunger, lack of supervision, abandonment, and denial of medical attention. Children of Alcoholics (COAs) refer to children living in families where a parent abuse alcohol, dependence, and addiction is present. COAs have different life experience than children in non alcoholic families. Which contribute to the fact that living with an alcoholic can cause stress for members in the family Statistics show that eighteen percent of children live with anShow MoreRelatedDave Pelzer - a Child Called It2120 Words   |  9 PagesThere is much to admire about Dave Pelzer. He proudly served his country during Desert Storm, and has received commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush the First, and Clinton for his work as a motivational speaker. His other honors include being named Californias Volunteer of the Year in 1990, one of 1993s Ten Outstanding Young Americans, and one of the Outstanding Young Persons of the World for 1994. In addition, he is a best-selling author and a loving husband and father. Thats a lofty setRead MoreA Child Called It Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesA Child Called It. Dave Pelzer is the survivor of the third worst case of child abuse in Californias history. Dave grew up with his two brothers and two parents. Catherine, Daves mother, loved to cook exotic meals for her family and decorate their home in creative and imaginative ways each holiday season. She was full of energy, often taking her kids on tours of downtown San Francisco while her husband was at work as a fire fighter, exposing them to Golden Gate Park and Chinatown. Once, whileRead MoreChild Maltreatment And Its Effects On Children1640 Words   |  7 Pagesand communication ability. Child abuse and neglect are problems that are happening to children all across the world. David Pelzer, author of the autobiographic book A Child Called It, was an American child who experienced child abuse and is still feelings its effects to this very day. His mother committed audacious acts against him. He was lucky enough to be rescued at the age of twelve. Parts of his story will be mentioned with the c orrelating information presented. Child maltreatment is a very seriousRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book David Pelzer 1832 Words   |  8 Pages David Pelzer, in the beginning of the book, seems to come from the all American family. Mother, father and two brothers take family vacations together, watch cartoons on sunday mornings and eat dinner every night at the time. However, what goes on inside of a home is a lot different from how a home looks on the outside. David is always the one to receive his mothers punishment while his siblings and father watch. The punishments started out as harsh and soon turned to frightenly violent. David triesRead MoreDave Pelzer s A Child Called It2095 Words   |  9 PagesDave Pelzer was born in San Francisco, California in 1960. At 18 years old he enlisted in the Air Force, serving during Desert Storm. He is a successful motivational speaker, voted 1990s California Volunteer of the year, top ten young Americans in 1993 and 1994, recognized by three presidents and surprisingly an abuse survivor. Dave’s mother was a struggling alcoholic and forced Dave into eight years of physical, psychological, and emotional abuse. For years both his father and various adults inRead MoreA Child Called It By Dave Pelzer1845 Words   |  8 Pagesdescribed within the book A Child Called â€Å"It† written by Dave Pelzer. Although there is an overabundance of examples of abuse, neglect and maltreatment given in this book, the support listed is narrowed down to give the best samples of why a reader may feel these specific situations occurred. Each segment will be discussed and explained fully so that the reader is able to grasp why each specific reference was selected. III. Family Experiences In the beginning of the text Dave speaks about his mom, he