Group+6


 * Child Suffering and Abnormalities** [[image:http://www.getintouch.dk/data/media/Children_Church.jpg width="227" height="181"]]

"The number of U.S. children living in poverty increased in 2007—continuing an upward trend dating back to 2000: In 2007, 13.3 million children were living in poverty, up from 11.6 million children in 2000.2 The  percentage of children living in families with incomes below the poverty line has increased from 16.2 percent  in 2000 to 18.0 percent in 2007.3 __**Thus, a large number of children—nearly one in five—are poor**__. A  Child poverty merits attention because a substantial body of research links poverty with lower levels of  child well-being. For a variety of reasons, when compared with children from more affluent families, poor  children are more likely to have low academic achievement, to drop out of school, and to have **__health, behavioral,__**  **__and emotional problems__**. These linkages are particularly strong for children whose families experience  deep poverty, who are poor during early childhood, and who are trapped in poverty for a long time."


 * -Behavior research shows that children from impoverished homes develop psychiatric disturbances and maladaptive social functioning at a greater rate** **-These children are more likely to have social conduct problems, as rated by both teachers and peers over a period of four years**


 * "Predictability, security, and familiarity all seem to go together to help young children handle a world they do not understand very well...Factors that support excellent development--- like opportunities for secure relationships with consistent, sensitive, responsive adults--- are the factors that help ensure child mental health, and that help to contribute to mental health as the child grows to adulthood."**

An example of the effect of suffering on a young child from "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," by Ursula K. LeGuin: **"Perhaps it was born defective, or perhaps it has become imbecile through __fear, malnutrition, and neglect__"** (pp. 4).

** Emotional Child Abuse **
emotional abuse devastates a child mentally, leaves emotional scars that can last for as long as they live, damage their mental health, and slow their social development. Examples of emotional child abuse include:


 * Constant belittling, shaming, and humiliating a child
 * Calling names and making negative comparisons to others
 * Telling a child he or she is “no good," "worthless," "bad," or "a mistake."
 * Frequent yelling, threatening, or bullying.
 * Ignoring or rejecting a child as punishment, giving him or her the silent treatment.
 * Limited physical contact with the child—no hugs, kisses, or other signs of affection.
 * Exposing the child to violence or the abuse of others, whether it be the abuse of a parent, a sibling, or even a pet.

Neglect
This is abuse that comes from the child is not being taken care of properly. There are many different things that can qualify as neglect, such as: not providing adequate food and shelter, clothes, or necessary supervision. Sometimes a parent may become physically or mentally unable to care for a child, such as when a serious injury occurs, untreated depression sets in, or anxiety problems emerge.

Physical abuse
Physical abuse involves physical harm or injury to the child. This can be either intentional or unintentional on the parents part. In some cases, the parent is disciplining the child to hard, or using a punishment that is inappropriate to the child's age. But intentional of not, it is still abuse.

Effects of Abuse
Although the trauma of physical abuse can be devastating to a child, the long term emotional damage that these events leave can be as bad or worse. Here are three of the most common psychological issues that abused children face through out their lives:
 * **Lack of trust and relationship difficulties.** If you can’t trust your parents, who can you trust? Abuse by a primary caregiver damages the most fundamental relationship as a child—that you will safely, reliably get your physical and emotional needs met by the person who is responsible for your care. Without this base, it is very difficult to learn to trust people or know who is trustworthy. This can lead to difficulty maintaining relationships due to fear of being controlled or abused. It can also lead to unhealthy relationships because the adult doesn’t know what a good relationship is.
 * **Core feelings of being “worthless” or “damaged.”** If you’ve been told over and over again as a child that you are stupid or no good, it is very difficult to overcome these core feelings. You may experience them as reality. Adults may not strive for more education, or settle for a job that may not pay enough, because they don’t believe they can do it or are worth more.
 * **Trouble regulating emotions.** Abused children cannot express emotions safely. As a result, the emotions get stuffed down, coming out in unexpected ways. Adult survivors of child abuse can struggle with unexplained anxiety, depression, or anger. They may turn to alcohol or drugs to numb out the painful feelings.

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Some Facts

 * Every day, about four children die in the U.S. because of abuse or neglect, most of them babies or toddlers.
 * For every incident of child abuse or neglect that gets reported, it’s estimated that two others go unreported.
 * Neglect is by far the most common form of child abuse, accounting for more than 60% of all cases.
 * Of all prison inmates, 84% were abused as children.

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Oedipus Rex Brief Summary which leads to Freud's Oedipus Complex media type="youtube" key="iVF_56WiXMI?fs=1" height="401" width="511" align="center"

Freud's Oedipus Complex. States that at a young age a child develops an intense desire for the parent of the opposite sex. This mainly occurs with males and their obsession with their mothers. This then causes them to develop an intense jelousy of their father. Thus encouraging the murder of the father to remove him from the picture. This Complex can also occur with females although not as common, called the Electra Complex.

media type="youtube" key="X0mNd5U8QiY?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center"

= Chuck Palahniuk's **Snuff.** = The protagonist male in this story suffers from the Oedipus Complex. Freud would say this is because he was taken from his mother at an unacceptable age, and did not develop past this stage of growth. The male knew he was adopted his entire life, his adoptive family entirely honest. What he did not know was he developed an intense obsession with his birth mother. At the young age of 7 he bought his first pocket vagina, Cassie Wright's perfect replica. Next he purchased a latex breast replica. When that was not enough he purchased a life sized blow up doll. He dresses the doll as his adoptive mother, also an Oedipus' move. Why would he dress a proxy as his adoptive mother, with intent to molest the doll's every orffice? He must really have mother issues if he can imagine having sex with his adoptive mother as well. This is a snip it reading by Chuck Palahniuk, the revealing of his birth mother. This is the Optimus Prime reading, the life changing moment for this young male. media type="youtube" key="BGWcKVHVztI?fs=1" height="385" width="480" align="center"

Works Cited
 * Moore, Kristin Anderson; Redd, Zakia; Burkhauser, Mary; Mbwana, Kassim; Collins, Ashleigh. "CHILDREN IN POVERTY: TRENDS, CONSEQUENCES, AND POLICY OPTIONS." April 2009. Web. 4 Dec 2010. >http://www.childtrends.org/files/child_trends-2009_04_07_rb_childreninpoverty.pdf<
 * Saisan, Joanna. "Child Abuse & Neglect: Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse." //Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges //. Web. 08 Dec. 2010.
 * "11 Facts About Child Abuse | Do Something." // Volunteer | Do Something //. Web. 08 Dec. 2010.