Daley Scott |
Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality.
Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality
This is a reflection about the honors seminar that I took during the 2015 spring semester called Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality. I have also included one of the nine reflections I was required to write for the class.
During the 2015 spring semester, I took the honors seminar called Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality taught by Dr. Billie Dziech. Throughout the class, we discussed all types of adolescent and child abuse. We were able to explore this complex topic through two books, articles, documentaries, and guest speakers. I originally took this class because it was one of the only honors seminars to fit into my busy semester schedule; however, it turned out to be one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. I was able to learn so much about the abuse that is happening in the world, the United States, and right here in Cincinnati. I know that I will be able to apply some of my knowledge from this class into my career as a nurse by being able to identify signs of different types of abuse, how to handle abused children, etc. Coincidentally, I was also able to learn more about my sorority’s (Kappa Alpha Theta) philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA is an organization of volunteers that helps abused kids going through the foster care system. CASA volunteers are assigned to specific children and stay with them throughout all of their time in different foster homes, time in court, and everything they have to go through. I knew what CASA was before taking this class because of my sorority, but I was able to read about all the great work CASA volunteers do in the book Invisible Kids. Holly Schlaack, author of Invisible Kids, came and spoke with our class about all the true stories she wrote about in her book. Holly was a social worker and dealt with many cases of child abuse throughout her time working, but she talked about just how impactful the CASA volunteers truly are. I think CASA is a great organization that I hope to continue to support with Kappa Alpha Theta and even after I graduate.
Reflection 5: "Poor Little Rich Kids"
This is the 5th reflection I wrote for this class. This was one of my favorite reflection because we were supposed to read an article about how upper-class children can be abused too and then write our thoughts about the situation.
After reading, “Poor Little Rich Kids,” my eyes were opened to the problem that there is child abuse in affluent families. Many of my friends from school, soccer, and work are from higher-middle class and upper class families, so this article is something that I could really relate to. This article also brought back memories of when a girl in my grade school class told a teacher that she was hit by her mom, and my teacher had to call child services. This girl in my seventh grade class came from a nicer neighborhood than mine, and I was completely shocked when she came into school one day with a huge bruise on her back from where her mom hit her. This was such a shock to me and all my friends. I knew she did not have a great relationship with her mom, but I would have never guessed that her mom would physically abuse her. My young brain could not process that she came from a better neighborhood than I did, and her mom would hit her. This problem seemed like something that I would never have to deal with. Even when my mom got very angry at us, she would never abuse me or my brothers. I remember I went home from school that day so upset and distraught. My mom and I had a long conversation about why some children are abused, types of abuse, and much more. I felt better after talking to my mom, and I have always been more aware of abuse at any class level because of this incident.
Before my eyes were opened to child abuse in all class levels, I only believed that kids in lower class neighborhoods with awful parents were the only ones getting abused. I believe that this is partially due to the fact that the media always portrays child abuse as something that happens with lower class families in poor neighborhoods. The white, rich kid in the movie is never the one that is being abused. I think reading articles like this and bringing more light to affluent children being abused will remind people to look for signs of abuse in anybody. Regulations should be put into place for all school districts about screening for child abuse, not just the poorer neighborhoods. Also, if the news reported child abuse in affluent families as much as they did in the lower class families, more people would be made aware of this issue.
As the article stated, many well-off families neglect their children just like lower class families neglect their children. Lower income families might have different problems such as not having enough food or clothes for the children. High income families might neglect their children in a way of always having a babysitter there while the parents are on business trips or vacations and not paying enough time to their children as they do to their social lives or high-power jobs. Both these instances affect the children in a negative way and can be considered neglect. Neither the rich child nor the poor child has it better off than the other.
Another thing that the article talks about that I found interesting was that kids from more affluent families were often placed back into the home with their abusive parents. Even though the parents might be more educated and have more money, this does not make them more loving and change the way they treat their children. I also thought it was interesting how these kids are more verbally abused because their parents are successful individuals and have very high standards for their children. I see this example of abuse within my friends and their parents. Obviously kids need to be held to a high standard with everything they do, but if children are trying their best, then the parents cannot abuse them in anyway. Some of my friends and girls that went to my high school were often reprimanded and verbally abused by their parents for not earning straight A’s on their report card. It is almost impossible to receive straight A’s and be perfect all the time, but my friends were trying their best.
The last thing that really stuck out with me in the article is the line that says, “People of all economic backgrounds fear repeating their parents' mistakes. The most affluent are doing more harm than good if they overindulge their children, experts say — buying them a car as a reward for good grades, for example, or giving them credit cards and absurdly high allowances instead of what kids really need: parental guidance, love, and limits.” The quote really stuck out in my head because I truly believe that I am a better person because my parents were not rich and did not spoil me. I have to work for everything I have, and I think this will make me a better person and parent in the long run. Instead of wanting to avoid being like my parents, I strive to be more like them because I believe that they truly raised me well with parental guidance, love, and limits.
This article reminded me again about how all children can be victims of abuse. Although their circumstances might be different, all child abuse victims feel hurt and need somebody to advocate for them and catch the subtle signs of abuse. People’s eyes should be opened up to the fact that all children can be victims of abuse, and people should not judge a family based on their income or what neighborhood they live in. This might be a very hard bias to overcome, but articles like this one will bring more light to these types of situations.
This is a reflection about the honors seminar that I took during the 2015 spring semester called Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality. I have also included one of the nine reflections I was required to write for the class.
During the 2015 spring semester, I took the honors seminar called Adolescent and Child Abuse in Literature, Film, and Reality taught by Dr. Billie Dziech. Throughout the class, we discussed all types of adolescent and child abuse. We were able to explore this complex topic through two books, articles, documentaries, and guest speakers. I originally took this class because it was one of the only honors seminars to fit into my busy semester schedule; however, it turned out to be one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. I was able to learn so much about the abuse that is happening in the world, the United States, and right here in Cincinnati. I know that I will be able to apply some of my knowledge from this class into my career as a nurse by being able to identify signs of different types of abuse, how to handle abused children, etc. Coincidentally, I was also able to learn more about my sorority’s (Kappa Alpha Theta) philanthropy, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA is an organization of volunteers that helps abused kids going through the foster care system. CASA volunteers are assigned to specific children and stay with them throughout all of their time in different foster homes, time in court, and everything they have to go through. I knew what CASA was before taking this class because of my sorority, but I was able to read about all the great work CASA volunteers do in the book Invisible Kids. Holly Schlaack, author of Invisible Kids, came and spoke with our class about all the true stories she wrote about in her book. Holly was a social worker and dealt with many cases of child abuse throughout her time working, but she talked about just how impactful the CASA volunteers truly are. I think CASA is a great organization that I hope to continue to support with Kappa Alpha Theta and even after I graduate.
Reflection 5: "Poor Little Rich Kids"
This is the 5th reflection I wrote for this class. This was one of my favorite reflection because we were supposed to read an article about how upper-class children can be abused too and then write our thoughts about the situation.
After reading, “Poor Little Rich Kids,” my eyes were opened to the problem that there is child abuse in affluent families. Many of my friends from school, soccer, and work are from higher-middle class and upper class families, so this article is something that I could really relate to. This article also brought back memories of when a girl in my grade school class told a teacher that she was hit by her mom, and my teacher had to call child services. This girl in my seventh grade class came from a nicer neighborhood than mine, and I was completely shocked when she came into school one day with a huge bruise on her back from where her mom hit her. This was such a shock to me and all my friends. I knew she did not have a great relationship with her mom, but I would have never guessed that her mom would physically abuse her. My young brain could not process that she came from a better neighborhood than I did, and her mom would hit her. This problem seemed like something that I would never have to deal with. Even when my mom got very angry at us, she would never abuse me or my brothers. I remember I went home from school that day so upset and distraught. My mom and I had a long conversation about why some children are abused, types of abuse, and much more. I felt better after talking to my mom, and I have always been more aware of abuse at any class level because of this incident.
Before my eyes were opened to child abuse in all class levels, I only believed that kids in lower class neighborhoods with awful parents were the only ones getting abused. I believe that this is partially due to the fact that the media always portrays child abuse as something that happens with lower class families in poor neighborhoods. The white, rich kid in the movie is never the one that is being abused. I think reading articles like this and bringing more light to affluent children being abused will remind people to look for signs of abuse in anybody. Regulations should be put into place for all school districts about screening for child abuse, not just the poorer neighborhoods. Also, if the news reported child abuse in affluent families as much as they did in the lower class families, more people would be made aware of this issue.
As the article stated, many well-off families neglect their children just like lower class families neglect their children. Lower income families might have different problems such as not having enough food or clothes for the children. High income families might neglect their children in a way of always having a babysitter there while the parents are on business trips or vacations and not paying enough time to their children as they do to their social lives or high-power jobs. Both these instances affect the children in a negative way and can be considered neglect. Neither the rich child nor the poor child has it better off than the other.
Another thing that the article talks about that I found interesting was that kids from more affluent families were often placed back into the home with their abusive parents. Even though the parents might be more educated and have more money, this does not make them more loving and change the way they treat their children. I also thought it was interesting how these kids are more verbally abused because their parents are successful individuals and have very high standards for their children. I see this example of abuse within my friends and their parents. Obviously kids need to be held to a high standard with everything they do, but if children are trying their best, then the parents cannot abuse them in anyway. Some of my friends and girls that went to my high school were often reprimanded and verbally abused by their parents for not earning straight A’s on their report card. It is almost impossible to receive straight A’s and be perfect all the time, but my friends were trying their best.
The last thing that really stuck out with me in the article is the line that says, “People of all economic backgrounds fear repeating their parents' mistakes. The most affluent are doing more harm than good if they overindulge their children, experts say — buying them a car as a reward for good grades, for example, or giving them credit cards and absurdly high allowances instead of what kids really need: parental guidance, love, and limits.” The quote really stuck out in my head because I truly believe that I am a better person because my parents were not rich and did not spoil me. I have to work for everything I have, and I think this will make me a better person and parent in the long run. Instead of wanting to avoid being like my parents, I strive to be more like them because I believe that they truly raised me well with parental guidance, love, and limits.
This article reminded me again about how all children can be victims of abuse. Although their circumstances might be different, all child abuse victims feel hurt and need somebody to advocate for them and catch the subtle signs of abuse. People’s eyes should be opened up to the fact that all children can be victims of abuse, and people should not judge a family based on their income or what neighborhood they live in. This might be a very hard bias to overcome, but articles like this one will bring more light to these types of situations.