The Victim Of Severe Abuse - 3513 Words

David Pelzer was the victim of severe abuse by his alcoholic mother. He suffered from her abuse for eight years before he was rescued by his school nurse and the police. Now he is a successful author, husband and father (Abernethy, 2011). However, some who are abused, are not as successful in their adult lives as he is. Many of those who are or have been abused as a child are greatly impacted by the abuse. As an adult, they must find where they fit into the social world, while still being true to themselves and coping with their past. Though many feel as if they are alone, it has been shown that 14% of adults between the age of 18 and 54 have been mistreated as a child. Low-income families have a higher likelihood of abusing their†¦show more content†¦Society has grown and changed in many ways, which in turn changes how the victims themselves adapt to the world around them. According to David Zielinski, poverty and abuse unfortunately go hand-in-hand. Lack of money and resou rces can greatly affect how a parent raises their child (2004). Some parents of abused children may not have been abused, however, struggling to find ground may cause them to have trouble getting a job and making ends meet. Having a rough time at the beginning of their adult life can impact how they continue their life and the hardships of paying for everything a child needs, when they might not even have enough money for food anymore. Already stresses parents feel even more stressed and frustrated when they don’t have money, needing to find an outlet for themselves. This can be helpful or hurtful, depending on the family and the parents’ moral standards and childhood upbringing. Even though poverty and abuse go together, some families could choose a different lifestyle, finding a helpful outlet for their frustrations, such as a night out with friends, rather than abusing their child. According to Karin Lee from the National Institute of Mental Health, negative early l ife experiences can adversely affect a person’s physical and mental health in adulthood (2009). This states that if a person is abused in their childhood, it can affect their adult