Child abuse is no joke, and is not something to play around with. All over the world children are sexually, physically, verbally, and mentally abused.
Another form of abuse is domestic abuse, which happens to adults that are abused by their partner. This action mainly happens in small families. The main characters in “Forged by Fire”, were abused since they were born. Their whole lives all they felt like was nothing, like they were never whole.
The novel takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cleveland.com tells us, “In Ohio, more than 78,000 kids yearly are abused, neglected, or witness violence at home.”- (Brie Zeltner, 2015, Pg.1). All around the world kids suffer, including Gerald and a young girl named Angel that never really experienced love by anyone but Gerald and Aunt Queen.Child abuse is when a child is physically maltreatment or sexually molested by another. As people might guess child abuse happens to children from ages newborn to age seventeen.
After most children are abused they are scared for life. They don’t know what to feel, they feel embarrassed. American Psychological Association says, “Children who had been psychologically abused suffered from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and suicidality at the same rate and, in some cases, at a greater rate than children who were physically or sexually abused.”- (October 8, 2014). People have reasons to abuse their children, but this is still not okay.
LiveStrong.com and HelpGuied.org says, “Some people enter into parenthood with unrealistic expectations and they may be surprised at the amount of care and attention that infants and children need. Because parenting is stressful, parents without support from family and friends may be more likely to abuse their children, according to HelpGuide.org. Adults who suffered abuse or ill treatment in childhood are more likely to abuse their own children because the family model they grew up with is flawed, according to HelpGuide.org. ” – (Bauer, Mary,2010,Pg.
1) Angel was a young girl who just wanted to have a good time. But, almost everyday she was abused. “Forged by Fire” says, “Angel was beginning to feel dizzy.
Jordan lurched forward and grabbed her arm. “You think you pretty cute, don’t you?” “No, Jordan, just let me go. Let me fix you something to eat.” “I ain’t hungry. I want some .
.. some female companionship.”- (Sharon Draper, Pg.
67). At this point Angel was finally recovering from the previous time she got sexually abused. After this she was hopeless even almost lifeless. She felt like nothing, nothing at all. When a child is abused it doesn’t only affect that child. This issue affects many, and it is not something to joke or play around with.
I affects how the family sees the world and how families see others. The text says, “He opened Angel’s door, expecting to find her huddled under the bed or screaming at the window. Instead, what he saw made him forget the fire, forget the danger, forget the fears of the past. Angel lay on her bed, barely conscious. Jordan was walking slowly toward the foot of her bed. So intent was he that he didn’t even notice Gerald. “Don’t you touch her, you perverted bastard!” – (Sharon Draper, Pg.
70). In this not only Angel is scared but Gerald is too. This affected him just as much as it hurt angel. This will most likely haunt them for a long time like it did the first time she got raped, and like most kids that get abused.
As you already know this text takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio. “There are about 3,000 substantiated claims of child abuse and neglect each year.”, Says Cleveland.com.
This is how many children suffer everyday. “Studies show that one in four girls and one in eight boys are sexually abused before the age of 18, and that approximately one in 20 children are physically abused each year.” – (Psychology Today, 2017, Pg.
1). This is not okay. Children have to live in these conditions everyday. The novel conquered the topic of child abuse. They took care of the topic in a way that everyone could relate to. It opened people’s eyes without scaring them.
This action can be avoided in so many ways. First you could start off with saying no. If this doesn’t work like it didn’t work for Angel then yell for help.
Another great resource is telling a parent or someone of high authority. This is what Gerald did when he and Angel was abused by Jordan. There are so many ways to stop this. You just have to stay strong, and you need to believe. You can’t live your life in fear, and you need to be you.