For this assignment, you will write a critique of the Pelzer Book. Write a paper on your thoughts/reactions to this book.
The paper is to be in APA Format and can be completed with a minimum of 6-8 pages plus references. The assignment must include:
• A discussion of how this book impacted you emotionally and cognitively. (Be specific about the particular points that caught your attention and your reactions to them).
• A discussion of the instances in this story where people could have stopped the maltreatment but did not. Why do you think these individuals did not report? What are your reactions to the individuals/organizations who failed to offer assistance? Could you envision yourself in a similar circumstance?
• A discussion of your thoughts on what prevented help from being given to this child at different points in time; and, your ideas on whether and under what circumstances any of these reasons is sufficient for failure to protect the child;
• Your thoughts on how this society is doing in terms of protecting children. What are our strengths and weaknesses?
• Things we might do individually and collectively to prevent this from happening to other children.
• Discuss how this story will impact your professional responses to children and families who are facing similar issues. In other words, how might this story impact your future responses in your roles as a teacher, social worker, law enforcement officer, psychologist, counselor, etc?
•Select two scholarly articles from the annotated bibliography that relate to the issues presented in this book (such as, mandated reporting, scapegoating, mental illness and child maltreatment, effects of abuse on children, the role of teachers in reporting, etc.). Present a short review of the main points of each article and discuss how the articles relate to this story.
• Finally, what did you learn from reading this book that you did not know previously?
Solution Preview
Critique of the Pelzer Book
Introduction
To have a further understanding of a book it will be important that one carries out an analysis of critique. The critique of a book helps in the understanding of the book including the themes of the book and the tone that the author has used in the book. This analysis will focus on various aspects discussed in the story by Pelzer (1995). The analysis will indicate how the book had an impact on my emotions, the instances that the issue of child abuse could have been prevented, the factors that could have led to the prevention of help from being offered, the way the society is protecting children, and the lessons learned in the book.
How this book impacted me emotionally and cognitively
Upon reading the book it has affected my emotions in that I have had a challenge in understanding why anyone could influence the child in this case. There are instances that I have had to shed tears while reading a book in that the mother is limiting the severity of the abuse at the time that the mother is home. The child called David out and makes him a subject of the cruel punishment among his brothers.
The mother is seen to be showing David’s face in the mirror and has forced him to stand in front of the mirror and has been forced to repeat that he is a bad boy all through. The other thing is that the child is left in his aunt’s house without being given any explanation. The affected me in that I am seeing the extent that the child is lonely and the challenges that the child is facing.
The family goes on vacation while David is left and beaten at the time that he tried to run away and join his family. Irrespective of the fact that he is seen to be lonely he is not able to join his family members. The brothers of David get a dozen of gifts, unlike his brothers. The abuse that he faces is becoming extreme one day when his arm is held in the flame of the stove and forced to lie on top of the stove.
Instances in this story where people could have stopped the maltreatment but did not
There are various instances that the child could have been able to help David in avoiding the extensive challenge of being affected by the way that his mother. The one thing that is seen is that there is a challenge in the way that people respond to the things needed by others. When left with his aunt, it could have been an opportunity for the aunt to help him avoid the beatings that he is getting. The child could have been able to get some relief from the beatings but this is not the case. ..
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