Sexual abuse is maltreatment in which a person forces, tricks, or threatens a child in order to have sexual contact with him or her (Child, Family, School, Community). One of the studies of sexual abuse of children studied by David Finkelhor and the Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, they have found out that one out five girls and one out of twenty boys are victims of child sexual abuse and twenty percent of adult females and five to ten percent adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident (Child of sexual abuse) such as a victim named Marilyn Van Derbur. The essay will review the overall concept of Marilyn Van Derbur’s Miss America by Day, my review of the book and relate to my personal …show more content…
Especially in the book Miss America by Day, it mentioned about one of the maltreatments called incest (Maltreatment is intentional harm to or endangerment of a child, Incest is a sexual relations between persons closely related.). Like in the situation of Marilyn, author of the Miss America, she went through incest with her father at the age of five to eighteen, so until she became an adult it was very hard for her to tell her own story to anybody because she was afraid nobody would believe in her. Like the Child, Family, School, Community says, “the closer the victim and offender are emotionally, the greater trauma the victim experiences.” I agree with this statement, it is true that the closer the offender to the victim which the greater the trauma victim experiences. Some of the maltreatments are temperament of the child, marital distress, unemployment, lack of community support, and cultural values such as tolerance of violence can be considered as maltreatment. Other symptoms are poor social skills with peers of their own age(s), unable to trust other people, feel depression, commit suicide, have self-destructive, and confusion about their sexuality. It also said that high percentage of drug abusers, juvenile runaways, and prostitutes have been sexually abused when they were children. But for Marilyn Van Derbur felt very depressed and had temperament, but she coped with her pain by socializing and acting out as if nothing happened to her because she has to keep it as secret from everybody else ( Child, Family, School,
“She represents the type of womanhood America needs, strong, red-blooded, able to shoulder the responsibilities of homemaking and motherhood. It is in her type that the hope of the country rests” (Martin & Watson, 2004, p.3). This was Samuel Gompers sharing his thoughts about the very first “Miss America”, Margaret Gorman. The Miss America Pageant was established in the most fitting of all decades: the 1920s. During a time when women were just starting to experience newfound independence and rights, the Miss America Pageant strengthened the idea that women had more freedom to express themselves. The competition began as a simple tourist attraction, but the fact that the Miss America Pageant survived throughout the decades exemplifies that the competition was so much more.
Currently, there are many children whom suffer from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in their family. Emotional abuse is the lack of interest or affection parents have towards their children. As a result of emotional abuse, children are left feeling worthless and unloved. Physical abuse refers to attacking children resulting visible bodily injuries from either being burned, pushed, punched, slapped, or whipped. Sometimes physical abuse can be extremely severe that children have broken bones, fractures, or hemorrhaging. Sexual abuse occurs when a person forces, tricks, or threatens children to have sexual contact. These acts of child abuse could prevent children from living a normal adulthood. In order to deal with such a traumatic childhood, adults abused as children should rid themselves of such burdensome, painful memories.
Stereotypically speaking, the image I carry of a Miss America is one who is amazingly beautiful and portrays themselves to be the closest thing to perfect. For crying out loud, you’re being crowned Miss America. Someone who represents this remarkable country we live in. That was an image I think she portrayed flawlessly. To the world she was beautiful, smart, intelligent, and a notorious motivational speaker who spoke in more than 225 cities. She was a picture-perfect successful woman. But what people didn’t realize or even see was the internal fight she had to conquer to even display the idea that she was only living a blessed life. Behind the mask of Miss America was a woman who felt guilt, shame, someone who wasn’t worthy of anything. In “Child, Family, School, and Community: Socialization and Support,” Roberta M. Berns explains how children who were sexually abused end up experiencing embarrassment and look at themselves as being filthy. More severely, children who are victims of incest find it very difficult to trust people, but at the same time are very vulnerable in trusting people easily (146). When the key concept Child Maltreatment of Abuse and Neglect came into context, it was very differing in the ways it impacted Marilyn. Being traumatized by the late nights her father came into her room and always having to feel a tense body, it made her
Since the case of Mary Ellen Wilson in 1874, child abuse has seen it’s share of light in published news. It is disheartening to read countless stories of future generations being harmed to the extent of psychological damage or even death. Child abuse as a whole has been addressed multiple times in various news blogs, however, nothing has been done to work towards abolishing it at a larger level. The future of America is in jeopardy based on the level of abuse that children endure. Childhelp states that approximately 5 children die every day at the hands of child abuse. America struggles to find equality, and by bystanding the stripping of its youth, continual prolonging is inevitable. Raising this nation’s children in means of nurturing and care is the first step to uplifting America as a whole. In 2012 alone, 1593 of America’s children died at the hands of child abuse, 70.3% of which were younger than the age of three (Safe Horizon). In order to prevent further child abuse, the American government should address stricter child protection laws, psychological stability, and an increase the recognition of those that have released their stories.
Psychological maltreatment, like many other forms of abuse can also be passed down through intergenerational transmission. It is not unlikely for parents to psychologically mistreat their children due to their own past or childhood experiences with psychologically abuse. For example, it is not uncommon during the course of an investigation of physiological maltreatment that it is discovered that the perpetrator had their own form of abuse history in the past. Often time’s people look at psychological maltreatment as a consequence resulting from some other form of abuse, mainly physical and sexual, but tend to overlook the fact that it may also occur as an individual form. Psychological maltreatment can take more than one form. During the course of researching for this paper I learned that there are three typical forms of behavior in which people follow when displaying this type of abuse against children. The three types are acting in an aggressive, rejecting, and lessening
There are many forms of childhood maltreatment. All of which can and do cause both physical and mental issues to the victims. Childhood physical abuse can cause grave physical injuries and even death. Children who are physically abused are more likely to experience cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems as they grow up, such as depression, anxiety, misbehavior, substance abuse problems, and can grow up to be abusers themselves. Many people have a hard time understanding why anyone would hurt a child. Most abusers love their children, but they have less patience then other parents. But the truth is that many children learn violent behavior from their parents and then grow up to be abusers themselves. There is evidence that physical child
Author Hornor argues that children being sexually abused respond differently by stating “Not every child reacts to sexual abuse in the same manner.” Additionally, she argued that boys and girls deal with the impacts in various ways by stating “Boys and girls cope differently with the stressor of sexual abuse. Girls are more likely to exhibit internalizing behaviors, such as depression and disordered eating …. Externalizing behaviors such as delinquency and heavy drinking are more likely exhibited by boys.” (Hornor 2010) However, even though she stated the different reactions among boys and girls, she just mainly concentrated on the effects for girls. From the list of effects she mentioned (including Psychiatric disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, substance abuse), she only focused on the internalized consequences that affect the victims themselves. I argue that the author did not include any deep explanation about externalized behaviors led by the abuse, as well as the effects to the victim’s offspring. The babies are usually premature if their mothers experienced sexual abuse, and the mothers are usually teenagers. Most of the results are only focusing on the female, which left out the things that could happen to male. When we
Child sexual abuse is defined as “the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared, or else that violates the laws or social taboos of society” (Ajduković, Sušac, and Rajter 470). In Bastard out of Carolina, Ruth Ann “Bone” Boatwright started experiencing sexual child abuse from her stepfather at the age of twelve, which changed aspects of her life forever. Coincidentally, it was proven through research that young girls between the ages of 13 and 16 suffered sexual abuse by adult men that they knew previously (Ajduković, Sušac, and Rajter 475). While it could be a family member, an acquaintance, or a friend, the feelings of betrayal remain the same.
Molestation is the first type of sexual abuse that’ll be discussed. Molestation is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Most people think sexual abusers are strangers to their victims. But the truth is most abusers know their victims and use their stand in their relationship to try to make the victims do what the abusers want them to do. Most children who get molest are by family members. “More than 90 percent of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way.” (Snyder, Howard). According to Dr. Elizabeth Forsyth and Margret Hyde, research done in the 1980s and 1990s suggests that almost all abusers are males who are known to their victims and that most abuse occurs within the family. (pg. 21) One in three girls and one in five boys get sexually abused before the age of eighteen. (Arta, C)
Child abuse, while having many different forms and levels of severity, can be basically defined as the maltreatment of a child by a parent or other adult. When one thinks of child abuse, usually the first thing that comes to mind is physical harm, but the issue is actually much more complex. The abuse of a child can also be manifested in verbal and emotional forms, as well as in sexual molestation. All forms of child abuse generally result in similar emotional disorders and behavioral issues, but the major consequences of sexual abuse, such as mental or emotional scarring, promiscuity, and the tendency of former victims to become sexual abusers, cause it to be the most severely damaging form of child abuse.
Sexual abuse as a child maltreatment became a social issue in the 1970 is through the efforts of the child protection movement and the feminist movement. Historical changes occurred, whereas the perceptions of children changed from property to individuals with rights. Sexual abuse is a traumatic event for the children and the impact felt throughout the life span. Because of the secrecy of this exploitation, the true number of victims is unknown.
Family plays a major role in a child’s life and his or hers social and emotional development. When abuse and neglect take a toll on a child’s life at such a young age, it can affect them physically and emotionally. When a child is maltreated, it affects their education, behavior, relationships, etc. and most likely follows them throughout life. According to the article “Effects of Chronic Maltreatment and maltreatment timing on children’s behavior and cognitive abilities,” over 900,000 children in the United States alone were victims of abuse and neglect in 2006(184). There are many factors that may alter the outcomes of a child who is or was abused, for example, the age the abuse and neglect began, how long it went on for, or if it was physical or emotional abuse.
Having faced either physical and/or sexual maltreatment, young people who are maltreated tend to have impaired physical and emotional social functions.
A proportionate number of victims do not exhibit behaviors that make them likely to be victimized (Woods & Porter, 2008). Evelyn’s young age and relationship to her offender is what created the heightened risk of victimization and ultimately influenced the offense behavior. Additionally, contributing factors include, Evelyn’s father having plenty of access to her whenever he wanted. Him taking her on an educational trip though her grades were not good created access for him to abuse her (Laureate Education, 2012). Evelyn’s many gifts received from her father (Laureate Education, 2012) were a part of his grooming process and probably also done to prevent Evelyn from disclosing the abuse to another. Instead of disclosing the abuse to another adult, Evelyn wrote in her diary about the abuse from her father, indicating that if anyone knew both her mother and father would be taken away (Laureate Education, 2012). This shows that her father used the threat of her parents being taken from her by law enforcement which in turn made Evelyn remain silent about the abuse. When a victim has a close relationship with the offender the abuse is often not disclosed to anyone (Woods & Porter, 2008). Evelyn’s father did not receive any punishment to prevent future abuse due to Evelyn not disclosing the abuse. Per Faupel (n.d.), continued sexual