Child abuse and the need for foster care

I had read this book, “A Child called It”, for the first time around nine years back and I do not feel ashamed in saying that that I cried my heart out with every turn of the page. My roommates used to look at me in wonder but my voice used to be so broken I could hardly explain to them the horrors that I was reading about. That time I was just hit by the fact that this is a true story and a young child had to endure so much and still fought for survival and today is an amazing person. My heart went out to that lonely child who was subdued by abuse, torture and terror, but who still didn’t say anything for the fear of putting his mother in the wrong light or misunderstood.

The struggle against abuse

Today when I read the book again, I still cry, though thankfully the horror of it does not hit me as hard. Today I take the book as an inspiration and am determined to stop any form of child abuse and keep a lookout around me to help where it is needed. Dave Pelzer, the child called It by his mother during his years of torture, was helped by his teachers and school and then placed in a foster care. The courage shown by the school administration to take matters into their hands was and is worthy of respect as the saved a child’s life. At the same time the major role in saving his life and giving some meaning to it has been of the foster home that he was placed in, because there is where he got the love and attention that he had been deprived of and the confidence returned, that he is more than just an “It” and just as important and special as any other child.

Child abuse today

Child abuse does not necessarily mean the extremes that is visible in the book, but can be a form as this is a true narration. Child abuse can be just mental torture too, where the child is mentally made to look at angles of his life that may not be true. A frustrated parent in the world of competition today may degrade their child by repeatedly telling them that they are worth nothing and a black mark on the family. At their tender age, children look up to their parents for direction and would believe everything they say. Parents should be careful of what they say to these young minds. And then there are those extreme parents who are so lost in their own abuse that for them whether their kids exist or not, hardly matter to them.

But the important question to ask is why the other parent keeps quiet when they see their partner mistreating their own kids? They should realise when things are going beyond a certain limit and feel no shame in admitting that maybe it is their partner who is need of some help. This kind of education is also an important lesson in parenting. At the same time school authorities and teachers should be trained to recognise and take initiatives to help students that they see sudden changes in. Abuse at home may not be the reason behind every change in behaviour but it is always worthwhile to check as a favour to the child and the society.

Foster care

Children that have been saved from abuse at the hands of their supposedly loved ones need a lot of love and care to get out of the mental torture that they had to endure. It is essential that the mental get up of a child receives the nourishment that it requires. Even if a child is difficult he still needs that attention because he has been deprived of a lot more over the years of his abuse. Foster parents should be selected very stringently so that they are able to understand the dilemma that the foster child they are looking after has gone through and in turn help him to start anew with their help, support and love. Providing foster care is a challenging role for the whole family and needs full dedication. But at the same time more people need to take up the responsibility and help thousands of kids who have not been able to live the life that they deserved and need just as much love as your kids. Volunteer and help a child in need and I am sure that that would be more satisfying than anything else in this whole world.