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Molly Anderson
Jan Webb
English 112-52
27 February 2013
The Pain that Follows
Five children die every day due to abuse. Approximately 80 percent of
children that die from abuse are under the age of 4. Every year roughly 3
million child abuse cases are reported, involving nearly 6 million children.
The definition of Child Abuse, according to the San Francisco Child Abuse
Prevention Center is any act that endangers a childs physical or emotional
health and development. There are various kinds of Child Abuse, including:
emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Although these types of abuse are
labeled differently, all of them contain long-lasting physical and emotional
effects. These effects can consume someones life, even after years of the
abuse has stopped.
I should be dead now from the things that were done to me. I truly
believe it is because of God that I am still here, (Childhelp). This quote
comes from a man named Ron, who is still experiencing the long-term effects
of abuse. By his friendly personality, and his average life, no one would
know that for almost 15 years he was neglected, abused and molested. The
abuse began during bath time when Ron was very little. His mother would

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hold a bath towel over his mouth until he begged her to stop. She would
then remove the towel, but do it over and over again, during the course of
bath time. In then became a part of his everyday life, when his mom put a
padlock on his bedroom door and would lock him in his room for hours on
end. Ron was even forced to relieve himself on the floor, when his mother
would not let him out. It wasnt just the physical abuse he received from his
mother, though. She would curse at him, and tell him that he wasnt his
fathers son. Rons everyday life consisted of sleeping in the car and digging
for food out of the trash.
Ron was one of 5 children, so the abuse didnt begin and end with him.
His two youngest siblings never received any neglect or abuse, but Ron
along with his two older siblings did. Wed be in bed and hear my mother
walking in the hallway and pray that she wasnt coming to get us, Ron says,
(Childhelp). What a horrible way to live life; constantly anticipating the cruel
abuse from a mother who is supposed to love and care for her children.
Ron was moved to various family members houses, but time and time
again, he would always end up back living at his parents house. By the time
he was 13, he finally was free of his mother, but unfortunately, that didnt
necessarily bring peace to his life. Ron was living with his 20 year-old cousin,
and a friend of his cousins was constantly found hanging out in the
apartment. The cousins friend was roughly 300 pounds and bullied Ron to
the point of even touching his genitals sometimes, (Childhelp). This friend

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and Rons cousin knew that he had come from a broken home and that he
didnt have anywhere to run, or anyone to tell about how they treated him.
Ron had already experienced the abuse of a lifetime, but one day he
was subjected to the most horrific thing he would ever experience. Ron and
his cousin went to go visit the cousins friend at the gas station he worked at,
across the street from their apartment. Saying that things got out of hand
was an understatement. His cousin then proceeded to pull Rons pants down
and spread his ankles apart. The friend then sodomized Ron with an air hose
that was used to put air into tires. Ron began spitting out vast amounts of
blood, and his gallbladder and appendix were damaged so severely that they
had to be removed, (Childhelp). According to the doctors, Ron shouldnt
have even survived from this tragic event. Ron now suffers from health
issues including the requirement of wearing an adult diaper during any
strenuous activity, and seeing a therapist each week, to cope with the
mental and emotional scars of his abuse, (Childhelp).
This horrific story is a detailed description of the long-lasting effects of
abuse. The abuse continued on for years, and even now, after its all over,
he is reminded everyday by the tragic events that took place in his past. Not
only is he mentally and emotionally reminded me, but also by the physical
scars that he was given. What Ron experienced may have been avoided if
he was able to get help. Ron believes that the key to ending is abuse is
telling someone, (Childhelp). It can be hard to trust someone, when one is

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experiencing such traumatic events, because he/she is afraid that someone

will tell the wrong person and that they will receive that much more abuse.
Rons various family members knew he was getting abused but didnt say
anything, for fear of getting their own family into trouble. This is true for
many people who are aware of abuse happening around them, and it is truly
heartbreaking. The world we live in today is selfish, and only ever worried
about their well-being and reputation.
Not only are there the physical effects as in Rons story, but the most
major effects are usually the emotional effects. Babies with mildly severe
emotional deprivation can become insecure children that are slow to
develop. Much of the time, the visible signs of emotional abuse can go
undetected. The hidden scares of this type of abuse manifest in numerous
behavioral way, including insecurity, poor self-esteem, destructive behavior,
angry acts (such as fire setting and animal cruelty), withdrawal, poor
development of basic skills, alcohol or drug abuse, suicide, difficulty forming
relationships and unstable job histories, (American Humane Association).
This list accurately describes many of the long-term emotional effects of
child abuse. Not only does the child suffer from the effects of the abuse, but
other people around them can too. For example, the list contained
destructive behavior, and angry acts. Both of these harm the emotionally
abused child, as well as the people that come in contact with that child. This
directly proves why the long-lasting effects of child abuse are crucial and

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relevant to the entire world. These abused children need help from all
around the world, especially the community they live in.
A question that people might ask is, Who is able to say what should
be considered child abuse, and what shouldnt be? This is a hard question
to answer, because there is a fine line between disciplining a child and
abusing a child. According to the American Humane Association, physical
discipline is an inappropriate form of disciplining children. Disciplining by
spanking does not facilitate learning. Instead, it may halt the unwanted
behavior only while the child is in the adults presence, or it may scare a
child into submission, (American Humane Association). I believe that there
is some truth to this statement, but not to the point where physical discipline
(spanking, striking, etc.) should be completely opposed. It does often scare
a child into submission, but that isnt always a negative effect. Children
should feel that they live in a safe and loving environment, but should have a
sort of fear or respect for their parents and care takers. The American
Humane Association also states that physical discipline (spanking, striking,
etc.) fills a child with anxiety, directly relating to the fear. The anxiety that
overcomes a child before being physically disciplined is a part of the whole
process. That piece of nervousness is sometimes more effective discipline
than the actual spanking or striking. It reminds them to think more carefully
next time, before they display the bad behavior. While it may teach a child
what not to do, it fails to teach a child what is expected of him or her and
what is an alternate behavior, (American Humane Association). I find this

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statement to be partially true, in the fact that parents should not just
physically discipline there child without explaining to them why they are
getting in trouble, and what they did to deserve it. Physical discipline isnt
just about slapping a child across the face, or spanking him/her when a
parent is upset, its about helping make the connection between the bad
behavior and the physical pain he/she feels. Physical discipline is not an
inappropriate form of discipline, unless it is not followed by communication
between the parent and the child about why the discipline had to take place.
The list of emotional effects goes on and on when children are inflicted
with any and all types of abuse. According to the South China Morning Post,
60 percent of adults seeking counseling for emotional or family problems,
through Caritas Family Services, had been sexually abused as a child.
Twelve percent said that as a child they had been coerced into sexual
intercourse by an adult, and a quarter of those abused said they had suffered
unwanted touching or fondling by adults, (South China Morning Post).
Although these percentages may seem low, that is still hundreds and
thousands of children that are being put through abuse on a daily basis. The
effects are not always short, and slim to none go unscathed by the sexual,
physical or emotional abuse they endured.
Adults are leading insecure lives today due to the long-lasting effects
of Child Abuse. The fine lines between discipline and abuse make it difficult
for children to be rescued from these harmful environments. Communities

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need to always keep their eyes open, and heart strong to stand up for these
children who so badly need to be protected from the effects of abuse.
Physical, sexual or emotional, all these forms of abuse will play a major role
in someones life, as they grow up. The act of Child Abuse needs to be
stopped before it can even begin.

Works Cited
American Humane Association. "Emotional Abuse. American Humane
Association, 2013. Web. 6 March 2013.
<http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/factsheets/emotional-abuse.html>.

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American Humane Association. Child Discipline. American Humane

Association, 2013. Web. 6 March 2013.
<http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/factsheets/child-discipline.html>.
Childhelp. National Child Abuse Statistics. Childhelp, 1959-2013. Web.
27 February 2013. <http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics>.
Childhelp. Neglected, Abused, and Molested; Ron Couldnt Escape.
Childhelp, 1959-2013. Web. 27 February 2013.
<http://www.childhelp.org/stories/entry/neglected-abused-andmolested-ron-couldnt-escape1/>.
Rhonda Lam, W. A. N. (1996, Apr 02). Survey reveals child abuse effects.
South China Morning Post. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/265308980?
accountid=39473
San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center. Information About Child
Abuse & Prevention. San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center,
2011-2013. Web. 27 February 2013.
<http://sfcapc.org/press_room/information_about_child_abuse_and_pre
vention?gclid=CNujhtWn17UCFa9aMgod9wMAIw>.