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Dave Pelzer’s memoir A Child Called “It” is a harrowing meditation on child abuse, embodied in Dave’s mother, Catherine Roerva (usually referred to either as Mother or “the bitch”). For many years, Mother abuses Dave verbally, physically, and psychologically, until, thanks to the intervention of Dave’s teachers, the police finally free him from Mother’s home. Child abuse is by far the most important theme in the memoir—indeed, the other themes we’ll discuss are particularly important aspects of the overall theme of abuse.
Above all, Pelzer’s memoir discusses the substance of child abuse; in other words, the specific actions that Mother perpetrates on Dave, and the physical and psychological effects that her actions have on Dave. Some of Mother’s abuse is purely physical: she beats Dave, whips him with chains, forces him to eat feces and vomit, and commits countless other atrocities. But as horrific as Mother’s physical abuse is, however, it’s arguably milder than the verbal and psychological abuse to which she subjects Dave. Whenever Mother hurts Dave, she forces him to repeat, “I’m a bad boy,” essentially brainwashing him into believing that he deserves his hideous abuse. Over the course of many years, this form of psychological abuse takes its toll on Dave’s self-respect—even when he knows that Mother is an evil, abusive parent, he can’t help but think that, on some level, he’s “bad” and deserves his abuse (See “Trauma” theme.) Mother also goes to great lengths to isolate Dave from his classmates and family. She forbids Dave from eating or playing with his brothers, and forces him to wear the same smelly clothing to school every day, until his classmates grow to dislike him. By isolating Dave from other people, Mother makes Dave weaker and more dependent on her, while also limiting the possibility that a friend’s parents might notice that Dave is being abused. In all, Mother’s abuse is reckless and yet eerily cunning. She subjects her son to tortures so horrifying that they seem to be the product of pure, unthinking rage, but she also seems to plan his abuse very carefully, in order to maximize his suffering.
Although Pelzer discusses his abuse in chilling detail, he says little about why Mother behaves the way she does—put another way, A Child Called “It” says a lot about the “what” of child abuse, but almost nothing about the “why.” For many years, Dave acknowledges, Mother is a model parent, who loves entertaining and cooking for her family, and who treats Dave with love and warmth. Then, very abruptly, she becomes abusive. Even more bizarrely, Mother abuses Dave but still seems to treat her other children, Dave’s brothers, kindly. Pelzer cannot explain why his Mother became so cruel. He mentions that Mother begins drinking heavily around the time that she becomes abusive, and seems to take out her anger with Dave’s Father on Dave. But of course, there are millions of heavy-drinking parents who don’t abuse their children (nor would alcoholism explain why Mother hits Dave but not Dave’s brothers).
Pelzer is well within his rights to depict the “what” of child abuse without delving into the “why”; he shouldn’t necessarily be expected to explain why Mother abuses him. Nevertheless, the absence of any “why” arguably limits the book’s insight into child abuse. A Child Called “It” portrays Mother—and child abuse itself—as a force of pure, incomprehensible evil, so that, in effect, readers see Mother through the eyes of the young Dave Pelzer himself. Some critics (including writers for Slate and The New York Times) have used the word “pornographic” to describe Pelzer’s depiction of child abuse, implying that Pelzer is trying to “arouse a quick, intense emotional reaction,” rather than help his readers understand the psychology of abusive parents, recognize abusive parents, or do anything else to prevent actually child abuse. In short, some critics have suggested, by concentrating on the “what” instead of the “why,” Pelzer is trying to shock, thrill, and even entertain his readers, instead of educating or empowering them.
However one feels about Pelzer’s depiction of child abuse, one cannot deny that he provides a sobering account of a little-discussed side of life. Furthermore, by writing and lecturing across the country, Pelzer has increased awareness of child abuse and inspired people to speak out against abusive parents and come to terms with their own histories of abuse.
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Child Abuse ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Child Abuse appears in each chapter of A Child Called It. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Child Abuse Quotes in A Child Called It
Below you will find the important quotes in A Child Called It related to the theme of Child Abuse.
Chapter 1 Quotes
After I count her steps, making sure she’s gone, I breathe a sigh of relief. The act worked. Mother can beat me all she wants, but I haven’t let her take away my will to somehow survive.
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In the first chapter of A Child Called “It”, Pelzer establishes one of his most important themes: the refusal to submit to cruelty. In the 1970s, Dave Pelzer is a small, defenseless boy, living with an abusive mother. Mother wields almost total power over her child; she can deny Dave food, force him to clean the house for hours, and beat him senseless, seemingly without any fear of punishment. But in spite of Mother’s power, Dave finds small, personal ways of resisting Mother. Although he’s too young to fight back, Dave refuses to give in to despair. No matter how Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam
The police officer and I walk outside, past the cafeteria. I can see some of the kids from my class playing dodge ball. A few of them stop playing. They yell, "David's busted! David's busted!"
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At the end of Chapter One, which takes place in 1973, a police officer escorts Dave Pelzer away from his school. Dave, still a young child, thinks that he’s being arrested. In reality, Dave is being forcibly separated from his abusive Mother—after years of cruelty, he’s finally free. It’s interesting that, as Dave walks away from school with the police officer, his classmates yell that he’s going to jail. First, this reminds us that Dave is an unpopular student (thanks largely to Mother’s manipulations—she starves him and forces him to wear the same clothes day after day, alienating him from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corr
Chapter 2 Quotes
From above, I felt someone hug my shoulders, I thought it was my father. I turned and became flushed with pride to find Mom holding me tightly. I could feel her heart beat. I never felt as safe and as warm as that moment in time, at the Russian River.
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In Chapter Two, Dave talks about his early childhood. Strangely, Dave’s early years with his Mother are idyllic: she’s a model parent, who seemingly treats her children with nothing but affection. The chapter closes with this passage, in which Dave and his siblings go to the nearby Russian River and look out at the water. Dave feels warm and secure as Mother embraces him. (Notice that, in this chapter, Dave refers to his mother as “Mom,” perhaps suggesting that, at this point, he had a much more intimate, loving relationship with her.) The passage is baffling because, only a few Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus cor
Chapter 3 Quotes
Mother would simply grab me and smash my face against the mirror, smearing my tear-streaked face on the slick, reflective glass. Then she would order me to say over and over again, "I'm a bad boy! I'm a bad boy! I'm a bad boy!"
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As Dave Pelzer grows older, Mother begins to abuse him more and more harshly. She begins hitting him in the face, smashing his face into the mirror, and forcing him to repeat that he’s a bad boy. Although Mother’s physical abuse is harsh, her psychological abuse is arguably even harsher. By forcing Dave to repeat that he’s been bad, she effectively forces him to accept that he deserves his punishment and, by extension, that he’s an inherently bad person who doesn’t deserve happiness or kindness. As Pelzer makes clear toward the end of the memoir, he’s spent years trying to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaeca
While I was cleaning the bathroom, I overheard an argument between Mother and Father. She was angry with him for "going behind her back" to buy me the paintings. Mother told Father that she was in charge of disciplining "the boy" and that he had undermined her authority by buying the gifts. The longer Father argued his case, the angrier she became. I could tell he had lost, and that I was becoming more and more isolated.
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In this passage, which takes place shortly after Christmas, Dave overhears his parents arguing about his Christmas presents. Mother, who’s begun to abuse Dave very harshly, has told Dave that he won’t be receiving any Christmas presents because he’s a bad boy. Father, on the other hand, has purchased a few gifts for Dave; however, after an argument with his wife, he seemingly agrees to submit to her authority and continue to treat Dave as a bad child. Throughout the book, Father is the family member who Dave loves best. However, Dave also acknowledges that Father is a weak, spineless Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati e
Chapter 4 Quotes
When I returned from school the next afternoon, Mother smiled as if she had won a million-dollar sweepstakes. She told me how she had dressed up to see the principal, with her infant son Russell in her arms. Mother told me how she had explained to the principal how David had an overactive imagination. Mother told him how David had often struck and scratched himself to get attention, since the recent birth of his new brother, Russell. I could imagine her turning on her snake-like charm as she cuddled Russell for the benefit of the principal.
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In Chapter Four, Dave’s teachers begin to notice that he shows signs of serious abuse—his clothes are always torn, and he’s covered in bruises and scratches. However, as Pelzer explains it, Mother is able to alleviate Dave’s teachers’ concerns by lying and claiming that Dave hurts himself to get attention, and that he’s jealous of the new baby, Russell. After this chapter, Dave’s teachers don’t raise any serious concerns about his condition until 1973, when they finally call the police and ensure that Dave won’t live with Mother anymore. The passage paints a disturbing picture of life in the 1970s, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta.
The more I tried to focus on my options of what she might do to me, the more my inner strength drained away. Then an idea flashed in my brain: I knew why Mother had followed every step I took. She wanted to maintain a constant pressure on me, by leaving me unsure of when or where she would strike.
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At the end of this chapter, Dave goes to a neighbor’s house to beg for food; to his horror, the neighbor is one of Mother’s friends—he’s sure that the friend will call Mother, and Mother will end up beating him for daring to ask other people for food. When Dave gets home from school that day, however, he finds that Mother is unusually quiet and passive. Gradually, he realizes what Mother is trying to do: knowing full-well that Dave is terrified of her, she’s trying to overwhelm with the anticipation of punishment waging psychological warfare on her son. The passage Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo.
Chapter 5 Quotes
I stuttered, "Father . . . Mo . . . Mo . . . Mother stabbed me."
He didn't even raise an eyebrow, "Why?" he asked.
"She told me if I didn't do the dishes on time, she...she'd kill me."
Time stood still. From behind the paper I could hear Father's labored breathing. He cleared his throat before saying, "Well . . . you ah . . . you better go back in there and do the dishes."
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In Chapter Five, one of the most famous (and notorious) parts of the book, Mother stabs Dave with a kitchen knife while Dave is doing the dishes. Mother has been drinking heavily, and she staggers toward Dave, driving the knife into his chest. Both in the book and in interviews, Pelzer has insisted that the stabbing was, technically, an accident—Mother was very drunk and, in spite of her record of abusiveness, wasn’t trying to cut her son with the knife. In this passage, however, Dave tells Father that Mother has stabbed him. Outrageously, Father seems unfazed by this news. Instead Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor aspe
Chapter 6 Quotes
To survive her new game I had to use my head. Lying on the tiled floor I stretched my body and, using my foot, I slid the bucket to the door. I did this for two reasons: I wanted the bucket as far away from me as possible, and in case Mother opened the door I wanted her to 1et a snoot full of her own medicine.
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In this passage, Mother has forced Dave to clean a bathroom with Clorox and ammonia. She locks the door, meaning that Dave has to inhale the rough, toxic fumes of the cleaning chemicals. While cleaning the bathroom, Dave makes a point of pushing the bucket of chemicals as far away from him, and as close to the door, as possible—partly because he wants to limit the fumes he’s breathing, and partly because he wants Mother to inhale some of the fumes. The passage is a great example of how Dave finds small ways of resisting Mother’s authority, even as he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi ne
At times when I laid in the tub, my brothers brought their friends to the bathroom to look at their naked brother. Their friends often scoffed at me. "'What did he do this time?" they'd ask. Most of the time my brothers just shook their heads, saying, "I don't know."
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By this point in the book, Mother has become much more overt in her abusiveness. At first, she made a point of punishing Dave only when Father and Dave’s brothers were out of the house. Now, after years of abuse, she punishes Dave when he’s surrounded by family. Furthermore, Dave’s siblings are so used to seeing their brother’s suffering that they don’t bat an eye at the sight of Dave sitting naked in a cold bathtub for hours. Even more disturbingly, Dave’s siblings ask their friends to come to the house to look at Dave being punished—the neighborhood children seem Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. S
Mother's hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. "'Well, tell her, sweetheart," Mother said, smiling again. "Tell her that I starve you and beat you like a dog," Mother snickered, trying to get the lady to laugh, too.
I looked at the lady, My face felt flushed, and I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I didn't have the guts to tell the lady the truth. "No, it's not like that at all," I said. "Mom treats me pretty good."
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In this passage, Mother has treated Dave kindly for weeks. She’s assured him that she’ll never beat or starve him again, and that, from now on, she’ll love him unconditionally. However, Dave eventually realizes what’s going on: Mother is only pretending to be kind to Dave, so that Dave won’t tell the social services officer that she beats him. In the scene described in the passage, Dave has an opportunity to tell the social services officer that Mother abuses him. However, Dave is so intimidated by Mother’s presence that he doesn’t take advantage of his opportunity. Dave has been conditioned Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Moles
Chapter 7 Quotes
As I sat alone in the garage, or read to myself in the near darkness of my parents' bedroom, I came to realize that I would live like this for the remainder of my life. No just God would leave me like this. I believed that I was alone in my struggle and that my battle was one of survival.
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Chapter Seven starts on an especially miserable note. Dave has been the victim of child abuse for many years now; after so many years, he’s beginning to give up all hope that his life will get better. Dave has come to accept that beatings and starvation are regular parts of his life; furthermore, he’s largely given up praying to God for salvation, or even hoping that his life might improve someday. Surely, he reasons, no God would allow him to treated so horribly. Although Chapter Seven begins with utter misery, it ends more optimistically. Dave regains his optimism (indeed, the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus
"Get one thing straight, you little son of a bitch! There is nothing you can do to impress me! Do you understand me? You are a nobody! An It! You are nonexistent! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were dead? Dead! Do you hear me? Dead!"
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Here, Dave has just returned from school with a letter from his teacher, explaining that he’s done a good job on an assignment. Instead of being proud of her son for succeeding academically, Mother tears up the letter and yells at Dave, insisting that he’ll never be more than an “It” in her eyes—a worthless waste of space. The passage is important for a couple reasons. It explains the memoir’s striking title: Mother dehumanizes Dave, to the point where she claims not to think of him as a human being anymore (and, rather, an inanimate “it”). Furthermore, the passage emphasizes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam of
As Mother drove out of the McDonald's parking lot, she glanced back at me and sneered, "You are all mine now. Too bad your father's not here to protect you."
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In this passage, immediately after Dave says goodbye to Father for the last time, Mother confirms Dave’s worst fears. Just as he’s suspected, Mother is going to abuse him even more harshly than she did before. Gleefully, Mother tells Dave that he’s at her mercy from now on—nobody’s going to protect him from her wrath anymore. (However, in the previous chapters, it had seemed that Mother was abusing Dave more overtly and that she was no longer concerned with hiding her behavior from Father—suggesting that Father wasn’t really “protecting” Dave in the first place. However, Pelzer doesn’t really address this Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Oc
Epilogue Quotes
I marvel at the wood how it reminds me of my former life. My beginning was extremely turbulent, being pushed and pulled in every direction. The more grisly my situation became, the more I felt as if some immense power were sucking me into some giant undertow. I fought as hard as I could, but the cycle never seemed to end. Until suddenly, without warning, I broke free.
I'm so lucky. My dark past is behind me now.
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In the Epilogue, Dave Pelzer takes a moment to count his blessings. He thinks back on his traumatic childhood, during which his parents pushed him around like an inanimate piece of wood. Then, quite unexpectedly, Dave’s fortunes turned: the police took him away from his abusive Mother and placed him in a foster home (which Dave discusses in his other memoirs). Afterwards, Dave learned to work hard for his dreams, and became a pilot in the Air Force, and later a successful author. In short, he broke free. Perhaps the key word in this passage is “cycle.” Pelzer seems to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus
Even now, as salty tears run down my face, Stephen smiles, letting me maintain my dignity. But be knows why I'm crying. Stephen knows my tears are tears of joy. "Love you, Dad."
"Love you, too, son."
I'm free.
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In the final sentences of the Epilogue, Dave Pelzer talks about his beloved child, Stephen Pelzer. It’s a tragic truth that many child abuse victims grow up become abusive parents, perpetuating an endless cycle of abuse. Dave has broken “free” of the cycle of abuse, showing his child nothing but love and kindness. In interviews and speeches, Pelzer has often claimed that raising a happy kid is his proudest achievement in life. It’s also worth noting that Dave’s child, Stephen, is named after Dave’s father, Stephen Joseph (at least in the memoir; Dave changed the names of several characters, including Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi neces
Perspectives on Child Abuse Quotes
Once exposed, the causes of child abuse can be understood and support can truly begin. Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.
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In the final portion of A Child Called “It”, Dave Pelzer and a handful of other people offer their perspectives on child abuse. Pelzer writes about his personal experiences with child abuse, but also emphasizes a broader point: although his own experience with child abuse ended happily (with Pelzer’s removal from Mother’s house and with Pelzer’s subsequent success in life), most instances of child abuse end miserably: often, children run away from home and end up living on the streets; in other cases, the children grow up to become abusive parents themselves. By adding a chapter on “Perspectives on Child Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati
My mind returned to the Thomas Edison School in Daly City, California, September, 1972. Enter little David Pelzer as one of my fifth-grade students. I was naive back then, but I was blessed with a sensitivity that told me there was something terribly wrong in David's life. Food missing from other students' lunches was traced to this thin, sad boy. Questionable bruises appeared on exposed parts of his body. Everything began to point to one thing: this kid was being beaten and punished in ways far beyond normal parental practice.
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In this section, Steven E. Zeigler, the teacher who, in 1973, helped free Dave Pelzer from his mother’s abusive household, offers his own unique perspective on child abuse. At the time of this writing, Ziegler has been teaching for more than twenty years, and he’s gained a lot of important knowledge about child abuse—both how to recognize it and how to respond to it. In a way, Ziegler’s experience with child abuse parallels the changes surrounding child abuse in America between the 1970s and 1990s: just as Ziegler became less naïve and more informed on the matter, so, too, did Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus
