A Comparison and Contrast Essay Between the Book A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer, and Three Other Articles on Child Abuse and Neglect.

The book, A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer is an astonishing inside look at the life of an abused and neglected child. His journey allows the reader to see a horrible situation through the eyes of a helpless child, and has a profound impact on the emotions of his audience. After reading this book I felt compelled to read a bit more about the subject of child abuse and neglect. I have reviewed three different articles, which can be compared and contrasted with the writings of Pelzer. The articles that I read covered topics such as attachment styles and aggression in children who are abused, child maltreatment as a precursor to peer rejection, and the importance of neighborhood-based child neglect reporting. Each one of these articles touched upon topics that were significant issues in Dave Pelzer's story.

The first of the articles that I read, entitled "Attachment Styles and Aggression in Physically Abused and Neglected Children.",

"The mother"

David Pelzer.

original National Geographic article A BEDOUIN MOT...

dealt with the issue of increased aggression and development of a healthy attachment style in children who are victims of child abuse and neglect. The results of study that was conducted indicate that the tendency toward physical aggression is significantly increased in physically abused children. "According to a model positing aggression as a mediator between maltreatment and peer rejection, experiencing maltreatment leads children to become more aggressive, and their aggressive behavior in turn causes them to be disliked and rejected by peers." (Bolger 550). The model of social conflict resolution, which is displayed to the child through the parent, is a template that the child uses in their future social conflicts. They have learned

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to solve problems through physical violence or force, and use this method in their own social interactions. This theory, though it holds water as indicated by...