Category: Child

The study problem

It has been observed that there has been an increase in cases of raping underage children in major urban centers in Florida (‘Child Sexual Abuse | Florida Council Against Sexual Violence,’ 2019). This situation has been prevailing for the last five years.

The variables discussed

The study is concerned with getting the factors that have resulted in increased cases of infant rape in developed urban centers. The overall objective of the research is to get the best solutions that can be enacted not only to reduce child abuse but also to reduce the increasing spread of sexually transmitted infections like HIV and Syphilis (‘Child Sexual Abuse | Florida Council Against Sexual Violence,’ 2019). The study approach techniques include conducting interviews with the victims, where they will explain the difficulties they are facing. Other discussions will also be performed with the villagers as well as social health professionals who will speak on behalf of this vulnerable group and propose the anticipated solutions that should be enacted to restore normality in these towns. The community will also expand the topic to include all the stakeholders in this child abuse scenario.

Fundamental data and specific targets

As earlier indicated, the instances of child molesting have accelerated in the last five years. Although some of these incidents have been reported to the nearby medical centers, most of the sexual acts remain untold as a result of the shortcomings that affect the victims. This situation has resulted in the urgency of unearthing the causes of such behaviors as well as formulating the necessary solutions to minimize the impacts of the transmitted diseases on these children (‘Resources,’ 2019). The general community describes the leading cause of these cases as the fact that street children are always roaming less illuminated parts of the town, which serve as active sites for sexual activities. However, our study goes beyond validating such claims to finding other factors that may have triggered this increase in rape cases to enforce the law.

The main goal of the research is to generate solutions that can be harnessed to ensure that the incidences of rape are minimized. This will be attained by continually reducing the assaults from society on street children by all means as well as to reduce the number of street children who are living street lives (‘Resources,’ 2019). The core aim of the research is to see to it that these unethical acts have declined significantly and follow up to ensure that these victims restore their emotional, social as well as economic wellness in addition to emotional support.

Study Techniques and Methodology

The study will harness both correlational as well as photographic study techniques. This will entail full observation of these street children in their living places to unearth the reasons why they have been traumatized in society (‘Resources,’ 2019). A sample of the entire community of street kids will be researched for a specific duration with the target of unearthing every detail about their lives, how they socialize with the community as well as the effectiveness of both night and day protection. Information gathering will entail interviewing the victims, the entire society as well as society medical practitioners. Other methods will include capturing several street kids through photos and videos and putting down the findings (2019). The analysis and interpretation of the gathered information will be done via machines as well as panel discussions, which will give a framework through which the evidence can be transferred to the local authorities.

Importance of the research

As a nurse in the medical field, I will be in a position to describe give a helping hand to these street children by fighting for their rights by drafting a proposal. By forwarding this bill to the authorities, it will eventually be passed into law and secure the rights of the concerned (2019). Not only will this bill advocate for the rights of such kids, but will also expand to include the rights to proper academic education in addition to appropriate parental guidance. The involvement of society in the study will open the ways to protect the kids from sexual assaults and also learn the channels to use to report such circumstances.

The period and budget of the study

The entire process will take place for four months where gathering, analyzing, as well as interpreting data will be made (2019). The findings, as well as the conclusions, will be drafted for further legislative actions. An expenditure of $600 will be incurred for shooting videos, traveling expenses, photographs, information analysis as well as a personal expenses by the researchers.

Children despise rules and just want to do whatever they please to do. I mean who would want a parent commanding them what to do? no one. Discipline is a teaching method that parents and teachers use on children when misbehaving or being disobedient. Many people discipline kids and teach them from wrong to right. Even though kids need to know there are consequences for misbehaving and insubordination, Discipline becomes abuse when physically hurting the child and when affecting the child’s mental health.

It becomes abuse when intentionally hurting the child physically, As stated, When the laws are on the side of the child, the definition of abuse usually involves willful and intentional harm to the youth that could lead to physical, mental, emotional, or sexual injury (When Does Discipline Cross the Line to Abuse, n.d.) This explains that when you purposely harm the child, and when bruises or cuts are on the child it is automatically abused, It also tells you that it could affect the child in other ways as well.

Additionally, When a child experiences many emotions, mostly anger, confusion, and fear. Due to evidence that traumatic experience impacts the brain, the body (concerning sensory sensitivity), and the mind. (Psychol)This evidence tells us that it could damage the child’s mental health greatly. A child desires comfort and security from a parent, and the response to the abuse is confusion most of the time. As they grow older they start to realize.

The child could have after-effects of the abuse, like disorders in most cases. Children who experience parental abuse or neglect are more likely to show negative outcomes that carry forward into adult life, with ongoing problems with emotional regulation, self-concept, social skills, and academic motivation, as well as serious learning and adjustment problems, including academic failure, severe depression, aggressive behavior, peer difficulties, substance abuse, and delinquency. (Behavioral consequences of child abuse. n.d.) People don’t know if a child is being abused until they see how they behave around others and how they are to themselves. Children lose that sense of security with their parents, and It has a big effect on the child’s life. They struggle in so many ways just to feel cared about by their parents.

As some may say, Kids, need to know when they are wrong and they need to learn to not do it again. Although aggressively hitting or yelling at them will teach them to not do it again. However, you don’t have to involve hurting the child either physically or mentally. You don’t have to shame them for their mistakes. Therefore, there are better ways to teach the young and guide them through it.

Discipline turns into abuse when it causes physical harm to the child or has a negative impact on the child. When a child is intentionally physically harmed, it is considered abuse. When a child is confronted with a wide range of emotions, the most common of which are rage, bewilderment, and fear. In many cases, the child will suffer from the abuse’s aftereffects. It’s necessary to be aware of this since it can be stopped, and there are alternatives to violence.

Work Cited

1. “When Does Discipline Cross the Line to Child Abuse ?” HG.Org, www.hg.org/legal-articles/when-does-discipline-cross-the-line-to-child-abuse-50043.
2. HR.Org. www.hg.org/legal-articles/when-does-discipline-cross-the-line-to-child-abuse-50043.
3. “Brain and Mind Integration: Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors Experiencing Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment and Psychotherapy Concurrently.” Leanna Bautista, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02535/full.

A child under the age of 18 who is intentionally harmed or mistreated is considered abused. Child abuse accounts for the majority of childhood morbidity and mortality causing the community and the victims’ families to lose a fortune. There are many different types of child abuse, which often occur all at once. A child may be abused through physical, sexual, emotional, and medical abuse, along with neglect. Children are often abused by someone they know and trust, usually a parent, family friend, or relative. The use of radiography and medical imaging nowadays plays a big part in identifying as well as evaluating child abuse. This essay will examine the role of radiography and its contribution to child abuse.

Whenever a child suspected of abuse is brought into the radiology department, members of the radiology team are required to follow specific protocols, and by utilizing these protocols it will be possible to determine the form of abuse that the child has been exposed to.

Types of child abuse

The first step is to identify the different types of abuse that a child can experience. Child abuse can take many forms such as:

Physical Abuse:

The term physical abuse is used broadly to describe any act of physical violence that is committed on a child, or anyone else associated with the child, by his or her parents, guardians, or anyone who has a responsibility to provide for that child. In addition to being the deadliest form of abuse, physical abuse is the first form of abuse that can be identified. Emotional Abuse:

In many cases, a child is subjected to emotional abuse when an adult ignores their needs. This is because the adult fails to provide psychological care, or permits a child to take drugs or drink alcohol. Moreover, children who experience domestic violence or who are raised by a sex offender can be categorized as having been abused emotionally. In other words, emotional abuse, which can sometimes be referred to as psychological abuse, is a form of aggression that negatively impacts a child’s sense of self-worth and interferes with their psychological development in a negative manner

Sexual Abuse:

The act of sexual abuse occurs when an adult or another child forces a child to perform sexual acts. As a way to abuse the child, the abuser may use physical force, threats, or manipulation to gain an advantage of the child’s limited understanding of sexuality. Child sexual abuse is often perpetrated by a trusted person, and not by a stranger. It is also possible to abuse children sexually by taking photographs of them or showing them pornography through magazines, movies, and the internet.

Neglect and Medical Neglect:

A child is said to be neglected when he or she is deprived of basic needs by a parent or other caregiver, which results in physical or psychological harm to the child. Neglect affects young children the most, and girls are more likely to suffer from it than boys. Apart from neglecting a child’s emotional and psychological needs, neglect involves abandonment, lack of appropriate supervision, insufficient education, nutritional and medical care, shelter, and clothing. Medical neglect can be due to neglect and it is when a parent fails to provide suitable medical care to their child or children.

It is critical to acknowledge the fact that not all forms of child abuse can be seen radiographically. However, radiographs are of substantial help in indicating abnormal internal changes that may be a result of abuse. That is why child abuse radiology examination protocols were established. Another significant note is that even though the radiology department team is often the first to spot signs of child abuse, they are not responsible for filing an abuse case. Nevertheless, they are obligated to report the case to higher hospital authorities.

There are certain modalities that fit the type of injury that is caused by child abuse. When it comes to lesions and head injuries, CT is considered the most efficient modality. CT can also be used for spotting fractures. Furthermore, MRI is of great use in diagnosing subdural hematomas along with concussive, and shear injuries. Meanwhile, epidural hematomas are detected easily through both CT as well as MRI. Scintigraphy is also considered to be one of the most effective methods of detecting child abuse injuries. While it is more expensive than conventional radiography, it is extremely sensitive in diagnosing fractures, and approximately 10 percent of fractures can only be seen through scintigraphy. Nevertheless, scintigraphy is not a suitable option when it comes to skull fractures. Scintigraphy may be effective in detecting fractures. However, it has a higher radiation dose than Conventional radiography and requires experience in achieving proper positioning, and for the child to be sedated. In addition to conventional radiography being the more affordable as well as being and easily assessable option, it is the modality of choice when it comes to the musculoskeletal system. Ultrasonography is another modality that can be used in child abuse, it is used commonly for abdominal and retroperitoneal visceral injuries.

A very critical step to assure that there are no lost findings in skeletal survey studies is to repeat the survey two weeks after the study has been evaluated. It has been found that around 27 percent of the time that a skeletal survey study follow-up is performed, it results in an increase in the number of definite fractures that are found.

Types of injuries caused by child abuse:

Skeletal Injuries:

There are multiple types of injuries that abuse can cause a child to have. Skeletal injuries can occur through the action of grabbing, shaking, and pulling of a child. Skeletal injuries are quite common and can range from 11 to 55 percent. It is frequently seen in infants and children under the age of 3.

Metaphyseal Lesion fracture:

It was recognized that the metaphyseal lesion resulting from child abuse is virtually pathognomonic. This injury happens mostly in locations such as the knee, lower leg, femur, and humerus. It is when a fracture spans transversely through the wide portion of the bone, where it separates a disk of bone from the primary spongiosa of the metaphysis. The edges of this disk are usually thicker than the center, and it may be seen as a transverse fracture line. The injury to the metaphyseal bone is rarely accompanied by periosteal reaction; vascular injury and obstructions to growth may also result in bowing of the extremity. Metaphyseal injuries are commonly seen in children who are not yet walking, and they are not caused by normal care, aggressive play, or accidental falls. Previously terms like ‘Corner fracture’ and ‘Bucket handle fracture’ were used to describe the metaphyseal lesion fracture patterns. The radiographic appearance of these patterns differs according to the fragment size, in addition to the X-ray beam’s relation to the extremity’s position. The Metaphyseal lesion can be difficult to detect on plain film at first, which is why it is critical to use proper techniques. In a tangential view, the fracture may resemble a corner fracture at the periphery where it extends toward the metaphysis. Radiographically, the metaphysis appears as a small corner separated from the metaphyseal border by very faint linear radiolucency. Nevertheless, the true nature of the fracture can only be seen when viewed with a slight cranial or caudal angulation. There is a slight curvilinear ossific density above the abscissa, which is partially detached from the metaphysis and separated by thin radiolucency, giving the impression of a classic bucket-handle fracture.

Long bone fractures:

Long bone fractures in children are unlikely to be caused by abuse, it is mostly seen in older children resulting from accidental trauma. However, it may be an abuse-related injury in infants. Fractures such as Spiral and transverse long bone fractures are usually seen in abused infants. To have a correct interpretation of the injury, it is necessary to understand the normal structure of the metaphysis in young children. The metaphysis widens gradually into the physis. Near the physis is a straightened bone ridge measuring about 1 to 2 mm in length. It represents a subperiosteal bone collar that encompasses the primary spongiosa and the physis. A groove of Ranvier is located at its epiphyseal end. This groove is responsible for the ossification of the bone bark, allowing the metaphysis to meet the width of the epiphysis. As the metaphysis expands to conform to the end of long bones, it produces an abrupt vertical interruption to the slope of the metaphysis. The collar is often visible at the distal radial metaphysis. The collar may result in a small spur surrounding the unossified physis, causing confusion. Spurs should not cause a periosteal reaction or linear lucency underneath the provisional calcification. in this case, oblique views can be very informative. There is focal cortical irregularity at the distal femoral metaphysis, which is usually associated with a small excrescence. From a lateral view, it may appear triangular and at times fragmented. Similar findings are seen at the medial proximal tibial metaphysis. Possibly caused by the normally bowlegged varus of toddlers’ legs or asymmetric weight-bearing. A high level of bone turnover occurs at the medial proximal tibial and humeral metaphysis. A dynamic process of bone resorption and formation occurs at these bone-modeling sites, where the metaphysis flares dramatically towards the epiphysis. There can be a small concavity where the metaphysis meets the subperiosteal collar at the cutaway zone that resembles the shape of a small beak. The periosteal reaction usually highlights the fracture line. Furthermore, the subperiosteal reaction does not occur in areas where the fracture is intraarticular. Infants 1 to 5 months of age undergo physiologic subperiosteal bone formation. The most common sites are along the diaphysis of the humerus, femur, and tibia. It is usually bilateral, but not always, and is related to infant growth. The appearance of physiologic subperiosteal new bone formation usually progresses after 5 months. The subperiosteal new bone is characterized by the presence of a thin hazy area where there is an increase in density separated from the cortex by a thin lucence area.

Rib Fractures:

Rib fractures occur a lot more than long bone fractures. This type of fracture is difficult to see at first but becomes easy to spot when it heals. Posterior rib fractures are the type of fractures that can be seen in abused children, it occurs as a result of compression to the chest. Rib fractures that are seen laterally are caused by front-to-back compression. It should be taken into account that posteromedial rib fractures do not occur when the back is laid flat because it helps rule out that the fracture is posterior. In rib fractures, the fracture always begins on the outside rather than on the inside. Radiographs of an acute rib fracture can identify a linear lucency in the bone. The degree of lucency varies with the angle of the fracture relative to the beam, fracture age, and the amount of displacement. It can be difficult to acutely diagnose a rib fracture if it is nondisplaced or only mildly displaced. In the healing process, callus forms and identifies the fracture as a narrowing segment of fusiform underneath the rib contour. As a fracture heals, the linear lucency of the fracture becomes less evident. Furthermore, there may be subtle linear sclerosis. Radiographically evident radiolucency around a healing fracture can be explained by medullary trabecular resorption about the fracture. Because ribs are curved, the rib neck is posteromedially hidden behind the denser mediastinum. Oblique views of the chest are therefore very helpful in diagnosing rib fractures. Rib fractures can be easily detected using scintigraphy and it can be easily spotted in CT scanning with all its soft tissue changes. In addition to a standard skeletal survey, multidetector-row CT is a valuable modality, and it is often prescribed after large soft tissue injuries have occurred in infants in the thorax or abdomen.

Skull and Intracranial injuries:

Skull fractures:

The consequences of accidental head injuries in children are rarely severe. In most cases, linear fractures from baby chairs, tables, and sofas do not result in intracranial damage. It is common for children less than 2 years old to suffer serious head injuries as a result of abuse. It is mandatory to obtain a cranial CT and a skull X-ray in this situation. If there were no CT findings found, an MRI of the brain may be needed to aid the diagnosis. It is the radiologists’ responsibility to accurately identify non-accidental cranial trauma.

Intracranial injuries:

A major component of abusive head trauma is intracranial injury, which includes subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage, intracerebral and intracerebellar hemorrhage, and massive edema. Naturally, there can be combinations. Separate consideration should be made for any case involving a complex skull fracture and any neurologic finding in an infant or child after a fall from a height believed to be 90 cm or less to be considered incidental abuse. The presence of a severe or complex skull fracture that is clearly indicated by radiography should be followed up with a CT or MRI immediately. Even without a skull fracture, a CT or MRI should be ordered if other findings strongly suggest child abuse.

Shaking injuries:

Shaken Baby Syndrome:

A serious brain injury caused by shaking an infant or toddler too violently is referred to as shaken baby syndrome. Which is also recognized as abusive head trauma, shaken impact syndrome inflicted head injury, and whiplash shake syndrome. This is a form of child abuse where it causes a child’s brain to be deprived of enough oxygen and is subject to brain cell death. A child who is subjected to this type of abuse can suffer permanent brain damage and even die as a result. When it comes to Shaken Baby Syndrome It can be challenging to make a correct diagnosis. An X-ray of the entire body can be performed to highlight new fractures or those that have consolidated. To investigate the involvement of the Central Nervous System (CNS) in infants with suspected Shaken Baby Syndrome, computed tomography (CT) of the head and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine are required. Due to its high sensitivity in investigating bone tissue, CT is decisive in detecting fractures as well as ischemic areas, brain edema, and blood collections. However, MRI offers a better understanding of brain parenchyma than CT scanning and is recommended for those who have Shaken baby syndrome with no CT findings. Children with neurological impairment should have an initial CT scan with 3-D reformatted images of the calvarium followed by a full series of MRIs of the brain and spine as soon as possible. Children with neurologic intactness should undergo their first MRI immediately. It is often recommended to repeat an MRI because timing parenchymal and extra-axial injuries can be tricky.

In conclusion, it is known that whenever someone mentions investigating child abuse, not many will think that radiography has a hand and a role in evaluating the injuries that are caused by it. Therefore, learning how each injury can be identified using different medical imaging modalities will let others understand the big part that radiography plays in child abuse. It is also crucial to keep in mind that radiography will assist in not only diagnosing the injury but will also aid in recognizing the form of abuse that caused it.

This study will explore the harsh and various forms of abuse a child faces in Nigeria. A child is cherished and chastised in Nigeria by the parents or those who care for the child. Adults in Nigeria do not know that there is a thin line between chastising a child and abusing a child. A child is exposed to some form of chastisement or abuse which might include physical violence, sexual abuse, severe beatings, emotional and verbal abuse, child labor, and underage help. Child abuse violates the rights of a Nigerian child.

Child abuse has for a long time been recorded in literature, art, and science in many parts of the world. Reports of infanticide, mutilation, abandonment, and other forms of violence against children date back to ancient civilizations. The historical record is also filled with reports of unkempt, weak, and malnourished children cast out by families to fend for themselves and children who have been sexually abused.

In most instances, a parent’s belief system and perception play an important role in the way that a parent abuses the child under their control. The idea of teaching children right and wrong is part of child-rearing, and parents use different methods to accomplish this goal. The extent to which the physical punishment of children is understood in the Nigerian context in comparison to other countries and the cultural beliefs, values, and norms that exist within the Nigerian community helps shape the way parents train a child; which helps to encourage abuse and all forms of ill-treatment on a child. For the Nigerian parent and for the Nigerian child, culture is the important factor that contributes to the incidences of child abuse.

A Nigerian child should be protected from inhuman treatment that arises as a result of abuse. A child in Nigeria faces abuse from his parents and from anyone that is older than the child in terms of age. In Nigeria, a child is told that he should respect his elders and those in a position of authority over the child, and at no point should the child question or disrespect the elders and those in authority. In some instances, a parent punishes the child if it gets reported to the parents by someone older than the child disrespected the elder or someone in a position of authority without first inquiring from the child about the circumstances that led to such disrespect.

Nigeria is a signatory to several international instruments relating to child rights. Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, recommended the abolition of all physical punishment of children. Despite this recommendation by the United Nations and Nigeria has signed and ratified this treaty, Nigerian parents continue to utilize physical punishment and abuses as part of their child-rearing process and continue to adhere to it. A Nigerian child is faced with abuse both at home and outside the house. A child is abused in the public space by the parent spanking the child or verbally abusing the child and the adults present in the public space would find nothing bad with what was melted to the child but will go ahead to encourage the parents on the job well done.

Physical punishment is prevalent in Nigeria and even condoned by the judicial system. Caning and whipping have been the most prevalent methods used to punish juveniles in court, and the use of a ruler or a cane has been used in schools. Although corporal punishment was discouraged in the Nigerian Child’s Rights Act, it has been documented through empirical research that secondary school students are punished by “caning or whipping, slapping with bare hands, hitting with objects, kneeling down for a long period of time, raising up of both hands for a long period of time. The disciplinary tactics used by Nigerian parents indicate that the cultural belief in Nigeria is that parents should use abusive and harsh punishments on the child and any parent that refuses to use abusive punishments on the child were seen as negating the child-rearing process in Nigeria.

Terms related to abusive punishment for clarity purposes in this study are defined as follows:

• Physical punishment: The term physical punishment is used interchangeably with the term corporal punishment in this study. Black’s Law Dictionary defines corporal punishment as “any kind of punishment of or inflicted on the body, such as whipping or the pillory”.
• Spanking: Spank, as a verb, is defined as the use of an open hand to strike a child on the lower extremities of the body such as the buttocks. It is a form of physical or corporal punishment.
• Child abuse: Child abuse is used interchangeably with the term child maltreatment. It is a broad concept with many definitions, some of which incorporate physical or corporal punishment. Black’s Law Dictionary defines child abuse as “the often violent and inhumane behavior that an adult shows toward a child”. It normally is separated into physical, sexual, emotional, and neglectful abuse, but it can also include child labor and child marriage.
• Parents: Parents are considered to be the mothers and fathers of children or caregivers.

Nigeria is a conglomeration of the Northern and Southern Protectorates created in 1914 through obtaining independence from Britain in 1960. It is a federal State and as a result, there exists both federal and State legislation. Due to the differences among states and varying degrees of their independence, politically, culturally, and economically, different laws and circumstances apply to different states, causing a great degree of disparity between them.

The Nigerian Child’s Rights Act (CRA 2003) was passed into law by the National Assembly and Child’s Rights Laws were subsequently passed in 18 out of 36 state assemblies. The Nigerian Child Rights Act is a document that reflects many international conventions and therefore tries to mirror certain Nigerian legislation relating to a child in terms of their rights and corresponding duties of obedience and respect by the state and the public necessary for their protection.

Nigeria is a signatory to a number of important international conventions affecting the rights of the child, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Nigerian Child Rights Act are important documents in enforcing the protection of a child. For example, it recognizes the right to the dignity of a child and prohibits the use of a child for exploitative labor.

In a bid to survive the hard times in the economy, some families have resorted to giving out their children as child laborers so as to earn income for subsistence. This phenomenon has scuttled efforts aimed at human capital development thereby increasing juvenile delinquency while perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty. This study has its theoretical framework on the theoretical model of child labor supply and examined the impact of child labor on human capital development in Nigeria with a specific focus on Onitsha Metropolis, Anambra state. It is descriptive survey research. Non-probability sampling was employed and the sample was drawn using quota and purposive sampling techniques. The Interview schedule was used as the instrument for data collection and the data collected were analyzed using the qualitative response regression model (binary probit). The study established, from the regression analysis, that child labor has a negative impact on the school enrollment rate, mental well-being, and physical fitness of children in Onitsha. The study recommended amongst other things, the enforcement of free compulsory education to children in Onitsha. Also, child labor education should be introduced in school curricula to help create awareness of the rights of the child and the consequences of child labor on the mental, physical, and social development of children to reduce the menace of child labor.

Child labor involves works that are harmful to a child’s health as these include any work that violates children’s fundamental human rights and is life-threatening to the child. It also includes works that exhaust children’s strength, damage their bodies, and prevents children from going to school to gain basic skills and knowledge for their future development. Over eight million children manage to stay in school and work in their spare time to pay education fees. Due to high demands at work, these children often skip classes. Missing out on education makes it impossible to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation and this prevents children from having a better life and a safer future. According to Olatunji, NAPTIP was able to find out that there were five major states where child labor was prevalent. These states were Ogun, Kano, Kaduna, Anambra, and Edo states. In Anambra State, a prevalent situation made the Anambra State Government ban children from working during school hours. Most child workers in Anambra are in domestic service and hawking. Such laborers have been called ‘the world most forgotten children’. Ordinarily, domestic service needs not to be hazardous. Nevertheless, it often is as children in domestic servitude, living with or without their parents are poorly cared for while some of them are trafficked. They are, in most cases, deprived of affection, functional schooling, and other social activities. Most of the major cities in Nigeria face this problem and Onitsha, which is one of the major cities in Anambra state, is not left out. Onitsha rates are high in the incidence of child labor because of the concentration of the population of people under the poverty line. A lot of children residing in Onitsha are seen hawking sachet water, oranges, and corn, engaging in prostitution, and working in restaurants, performing such chores as babysitting, fetching water, sweeping, splitting firewood, and cooking as a laborer. With this, it is clear that these children are not in school and this is a threat to human capital development and the potential of developing economies. The existence of a large number of child workers hampers the possibility of growth by perpetuating the existence of unskilled labor. Basu is of the opinion that child labor at the individual level impairs the physical and mental development of children. This situation according to him brings about an increment in the number of lay-about, mentally demented, and stunted persons in society. This condition spells doom as Basu maintained that there is a “child labor trap’’ that the family is likely to fall into. His contention is that an increase in child labor frequently causes a decline in the acquisition of human capital. This research, therefore, is intended to find out specifically the mechanism through which this happens. The evidence of child labor in Onitsha and the seeming dearth of studies on its effects on human capital development provides the justification for this study. The major objective of this study is to find out the impact child labor has on the human capital development of children in Onitsha while the specific objectives are to find out the impact child labor has on school enrollment, mental well-being, and physical fitness of children in Onitsha.

Just like how in life or before a person starts a business venture, such a person first counts the cost by considering the advantages and disadvantages of engaging in such a venture. Child labor was not an abused notion at the beginning when child labor started. Child labor was a form of expression of belonging given to a child by the family. The child is expected to contribute to the development and advancement of his immediate family by engaging in activities relevant to a child of that age and stature. Child labor as of old was seen as a form of training a child and impacting on the child the necessary tools for survival. The child relied on the advice and expertise of the parents to learn and engage in certain activities as a child. However, as a result of changes in traditional practices and modernization, parents crossed the thin line between child abuse and child labor. A child is no longer given the workload meant for a child but rather is given the workload meant for an adult.

Nowadays, we often heard news on child abuse. Newspaper, television, radios, and many other media platform remind us daily about child abuse. Even our own beloved country, Malaysia is now happened to have a lot of child abuse reports. Sometimes it happens between the victims’ families. These cases scared us the most because we trusted our own family more than any other thing. That is why we need to be more careful each day to avoid bad things happening to us.

Child abuse is defined as when a child had been physically, mentally, or even sexually harassed or neglected in terms of food, shelter, medical, and others (Dr. Irene G., 2016). Child abuse also can be defined as children who look physically or mentally exhausted due to the actions towards them that make them feel a little discouraged. In everyday life, we should observe the environment to see if any children had an injury or are mentally exhausted because they might be the victims of child abuse. If seen, quickly call or contact the responsible or gain help from society. This is to avoid the children from getting any further injuries.

Some children may have trauma that can affect their future. The effect of trauma can be permanent or sometimes just a pass-by. For children, having trauma at such an early age makes them fear being in public or society in the future. Parents should always ask their children if anything happens because children tend to not share their personal problems with them because it will upset them (Hordvik E., 1997). As a parent, they should not let their children be the victims of child abuse. Frequently, ask them about their daily activity in school, with friends, and when alone. Avoid letting them figure out their own way out because they are just not matured enough to think wisely.

Based on statistics, the number of children in the world population kept decreasing in the past years. These statistics show that the elderly are much more than the youngsters. Statistics also show that even the decreasing number of children but the number of children who were a victim of child abuse increased. Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) states that in the upcoming 10 years, there will be more than 10000 child abuse cases happening in Malaysia (Othman A., May 2012) These numbers kept growing and could become a threat to all Malaysian.

If there is a will, there is a way. That is why the law was created. It is to defend the innocent people who did nothing but were affected the most and to take down the one who has the intention to do bad things. This law will make sure all the victims and their family safe under the protection of the law. Children need safeguard care including appropriate legal protection before and after birth (Kahar R, 2011). This shows that the laws are ready to protect the victims.

Even if there is a law, the family is still the first. Everything starts from home. If the family ignores one another, then there is no solution to their problems. Family members need to communicate often and share thoughts to create a better bonding. A happy family is a family where everyone can rely on each other strongly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, child abuse is a serious matter that should get attention all over the globe. It is not a regular case that should not be taken seriously. The causes and effects that have been discussed show that child abuse can affect their present time and their future which we do not know what will happen. If we going to ignore this habit, I assure you that more victims will suffer from it. The solutions that we discussed tell us that humanity can change. Change to a better person with a better lifestyle. Many people have given a second chance to the child abuser to apologize and regret things they are doing so that they will not do the same bad habits again. Stop harassing and stop child abuse.

Early childhood is the age of innocence and vulnerability. It is a period to observe what piques children’s interest and giving them the liberty to explore it.

I had a wholesome childhood to a great degree but there is one part of my early childhood which has left a slightly unsettling impact on me. It was a common practice for children of ages ranging from 2 to 4 years old to attend a ‘playgroup’ in my area. I was also admitted to one near my home but I did not show much enthusiasm for attending it. The main contributing factor for being dispassionate was the condescending attitude and favoritism exercised by teachers there. The age in which I was supposed to feel appreciated and valued, I was neglected by my teachers only because I was not confident enough to actively respond in the class. The time my teachers should have had spent in assisting me to overcome my problems and fears, and encouraging me to further develop the skills I was good at, they spent it on focusing on what I could not do and sidelining me and motivating only the ones who were already excelling.

Adults often think that a child is not wise enough to notice how he is being treated, but in my opinion, this notion is wrong. A child is sensitive and capable of noticing even a marginal shift of attitude towards him. When going through different theorists, I came across Freidrich Froebel’s theory and it resonated deep within me. He deduced that a child should be given a sound ground to evolve and should be provided guidance where necessary along with giving him the room to experiment things on his own. According to him, a teacher must lay stress on a child’s capacity to do something and appreciate him rather than on what he is unable to do and make him feel terrible. He gave an example that some children know how to play with paints and some are not good at it. That doesn’t mean they are incompetent in other fields. They might be good at learning how clay or sand reacts with water. The air and mood of any center should be inspiring and supportive, in contrast to being judgmental and disapproving. He proposed the idea of acquiring understanding through playing with objects, and for this purpose, he introduced play materials like ‘wooden cubes’ etc, and a new learning system called ‘Kindergarten.’ To sum up, if adults are inexpert in comprehending that every child has his speed of development and mental capability, then they might not be able to give a child the kind of attention he yearns for.

Does childhood experience influence personality development? This question literally made Freud significant and different from the other theorist, upon reading the theory of Freud I can say that he was progressively convinced that sexual conflicts were the primary cause of all neuroses (which was also introduced by Horney in Chapter 6). If you only knew that the father of Freud is dead strict with him and by that he develops resentment towards him. Whilst, his mother was very loving to her children but yet Freud wants attention from his mother and developed envy towards his siblings. Through the resentment of Freud toward his father he once developed the feeling of eradicating his father, and due to the passionate feelings toward her mother, he once also developed an attachment to her and this could be referred to us as Oedipus complex or the feelings towards the opposite sex. This complex refers to a sexual attachment, especially to the parents. For instance, female children get attracted to their fathers, and male children get attracted to their mothers.

According to the definition, heredity is passing over qualities to the possible offspring while on the other hand, the environment is a factor not living around the individual. I think that Freud was optimistic about human nature when he contended that a man is from a dark cellar conflict that continuously battled. He viewed the relative influences of both heredity and environment as that he sees that a man is represented through pessimistic conditions destined to struggle with inner forces lost always. Moreover, their theory position of Freud was determinism it is because he believed that determinism does not accept the free will and definitely all of our actions are not under our own control but instead determined by other forces.

Freud’s theory was considered to be the foundation of all theories and theorists. Another reason is that he became the first theorist referred to formulate the “Grand Theory” which was also the cause of the emergence of all other theorists. I believe that the theory of Freud was prominently used in all research and influenced a lot of the researchers -or even the latter theorist proposes their theory was also influenced by Freud’s works-. His influence is profound over centuries from proposal and remains as a framework of personality. In terms of psychotherapy, as you only knew, he was considered to be the father of modern psychology. His psychotherapy is a theory of psychopathology and treatment for mental disorders and this paradigm had a great influence on the teaching of the field of psychiatry. But, today his psychoanalysis has been marginalized and is struggling to survive and yet Freud was still relevant but only as a reference point.

It is undeniable that Freud’s work especially his theory was great, he proposes it certainly and had a great impact on his days. But the fact is, there were two critiques that Freud criticized in his method he was not able to understand women, gender, and sexuality, and the other one was he kept pondering if he was a scientist. Former one, upon reading his theory I see that he was unable to understand women because he was a product of his times and those days were dominated by men –even by his group (Wednesday Psychological Society)-. As Freud stated, he considered women as the “tender sex” and a “dark continent of psychology”. The prior one was mean that the only function of women is to care for, love, manage the household, and nurture children which could not be equal to the privilege of men. The latter one simply means that Freud was sexist and this made him biased in terms of opportunity. Also, later mentioned above Freud was not acknowledged as being a scientist but instead according to some scholars, he was a humanist or human scientist instead of a natural scientist.

Every theory was reflected on his/her childhood experiences that proceed their work into their remarkable framework. Basically, the major differences between Freud and Jung, are that Carl Jung disputed libido as broad life energy, not sex, Jung argued personality that was shaped by the future as well as the past and Jung had an emphasis on the unconscious. Anyways, Jung’s childhood experience was miserable. In their early years, he was introduced and exposed to myths, beliefs of religion, and also classics. Jung absolutely had a closer relationship with his father whose qualities were benevolent, weak, and powerless. Just as so you know, Jung’s mother remained a commanding parent. However, constant emotional instability made her behave abnormally. Carl Jung really thought of her mother that she has two personalities with different extremes. When Jung entered at the age of 9, his sister was a small influence on his development as it eased his loneliness. As he created his theory he believed that a generalized source of psychic energy motivates a range of behavior. In addition, Jung explored the unconscious mind, which lies beneath the surface of behavior and he focuses on the inner growth of individuals rather than on relationships with other people.

Accordingly, a complex is an unconscious, organized set of memories, associations, fantasies, expectations, and patterns of behavior or trends around the core element that is accompanied by heavy emotions. It is derived from prior development experiences, which have to be a problematic or even traumatic character in the context of unresolved needs, wants, and issues. For instance, power is the central theme of mind when you wish to become the president, beauty queen, or have a luxury car. Power, able you to wish that lies in your personal unconscious to organize a common theme.

Individuation is indeed our journey to self-understanding. It involves becoming the most integrated, whole version of our unique self. Individuation is the art of personal transformation at its highest phase. Our archetypes depend on the interplay and synthesis of opposites such as conscious and unconscious. The fact is, if we have to achieve individuation we must work with our archetypes that reflect motifs and characters. We owned some dominant archetypes inside and it leads to self-actualization the ability to learn and recognize and work with them. It helps us in the fulfillment or purpose of our capability and capacity as individuals.

In terms of human personality, Sigmund and Jung had a alike perspective. They embraced the fact that the unconscious mind played a heavy role in the development of personality. Accordingly, like Freud, he stated that the unconscious mind is the reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside conscious awareness. Whereas, the personal unconscious according to Jung is the topmost layer of the unconscious psyche because it is filled with content derived from the experience of a person’s individual subjective life. Carl Jung differs from Freud such as Carl failed to hold a deterministic view, however, he strongly agreed that our personality is partly determined by childhood experiences.

Adler became my favorite theorist because he emphasized the very nature of humans and that each individual possesses feelings of inferiority which I strongly believed is true. His childhood experience reflects his theory of personality that Alfred experienced with a lot of illness which make him feel jealous of his brother and this experience helped him develop a theory at his later age and give importance to the role of inferiority and birth order. When Adler during his childhood he was ill and a sick child. He developed jealousy toward his brother that is fined healthy and Adler took it in a positive way and strive for superiority by showing excellence in academics. Adler contended that based on birth order the middle child will always try to beat the first child and that he believes that social interest is a major driving force.

The difference between inferiority feeling and inferiority complex is that the former is a constant motivating force in all behavior in which it has two types, the organ and psychological while the latter is the problems that occur when the feeling are not properly managed which leads to an inability to overcome feelings as they intensify. The feelings of inferiority developed may be brought about by the upbringing of a child that is being compared to another. An inferiority complex occurs when the feelings of inferiority are intensified in the individual through discouragement and failure. Superiority, according to Adler is a drive for perfection or completion of one’s life goals. A superiority complex is when an individual overcompensates to hide inferiorities. The concept of striving for superiority was built on our drive for excellence.

The self will develop by using the style of life. The style of life is the strength to create ourselves, our personality, and our character. For example, according to Adler, when we feel encouraged we feel capable and appreciated that will generally act in a connected and cooperative way. I think it’s not about passive or active because it is something that has to be inculcated in one’s mind. It is developed on its own by the things viewed by them often.

Our earliest recollection and our memories from the period indicate the style of life that continues to characterize us as adults. According to Adler, an individual lifestyle is shaped by his/her early life. Adler’s earliest recollection was he is being unhappy with the situation of being compared to his older brother according to Adler his brother was a good industrious fellow that always ahead of him and yet still ahead of Adler.

The childhood experiences of Horney were later her reflection on what she formulated. I felt pity for her not just because she was longing for love and security but because her birth was unplanned and unwanted. Horney childhood experiences were found to be pathetic like she did not get affection and love toward her father and mother. Horney had an older brother who Horney’s brother was charming and attractive and his parents showered fully on him that felt Horney unloved. Karen Horney’s brother was charming and attractive whereas she was only smart and she molded herself to just become smart.

The belief is that social experience in early childhood influenced the development of personality where safety needs, such as freedom from fear, are a direct outcome of parental care. A parental behavior parent could be the one to lean on the children as they are the basic individual that children need to develop their personality and also a first base that a child will later develop an attachment to social life. A high-level need for protection and freedom from fear helps establish normality in the development of personality, and apparent preference also for a sibling. Horney suggested that kids understand whether the love of their parents is genuine. Kids are not easily fooled by false demonstrations and insincere expressions of affection.

A normal realistic person’s idealized self-image involves being slightly better than one being compared. A neurotic person may involve having a few issues, for instance, in a competition, a neurotic individual may feel the need to win in the competition. On the other hand, a realistic being, having in a competition is slightly quicker time on a race. Thus, the self-mage of a normal person changes based on the current realistic situation faced.

Tyranny of the should is an attempt to realize an unattainable idealized self-image by denying the real self and acting in terms of what we believe we should do. For example, “I should be this!”. Conversely, the process of externalization is a way to protect the conflict created by the difference between an idealized image and a real image of oneself by transferring the conflict to the outside world.

Upon exploring the biography of Erik Erikson he was well-known for his major and only problem that led him to his framework. This problem he encountered lasted until his death and that is identity crises. It keeps reminding him that he had to seek his biological father for his mother to teach him the wrong one and that he even didn’t convince by her mother. Erikson believed that an identity crisis is a turning point in one’s life that may either strengthen or weaken personality. Thus, his childhood experiences made him theorize that a person should have a balance that every stage he/she has been through.

Accordingly, the epigenetic principle is a term borrowed from embryology that development implies a step-by-step growth of fetal organs. In that case, a fetus does not begin to be completely formed and he/she must undergo a fixed sequence. For example, the eyes, it doesn’t develop during the critical period for their development that he/she will never attain proper maturity. Also, the epigenetic principle is analogous to the development of children like it crawls before they learn to walk and walk before they are able to run and run before they jump.

Every psychosocial stage or development has an opposition and core pathology that might develop children either to achieve basic strength or not (antithesis). The role of the conflict, for instance, a syntonic (harmonious) that a child achieved basic strength and dystonic (disruptive) that also develops if children couldn’t satisfy their needs. Conflict to be exact is the barrier that children would encounter at every stage and that he/she is necessary to surpass this obstacle to avoid an unhealthy connection to self and to others.

Adulthood is the time when people begin to take their place in society and assume responsibilities for whatever society produces, which is considered to be the longest stage of development. Care is the basic strength of adults it is a wide commitment to take care of the person and the ideas one has learned to care for. Whilst, objectivity is the antipathy of care which means it is the unwillingness to take care of a person or group. Accordingly, care is not a duty or an obligation but it is a natural desire emerging from the conflict of adulthood.

Erich Fromm proposed a personality theory based on two main needs: the need for freedom and the need for belonging. In order to deal with the anxiety created by the feelings of isolation Fromm suggested an unproductive and productive orientation. He claimed that personality is something that stems from both our genetic heritage and our learning experiences. Biographically, he witnessed a girl who committed suicide in order to accompany her father to the burial, and that made Fromm wander off his existence. Also, he was too young to witness such war which made him to become strong despite what he experienced.

Freedom means to be alone and happy, to be isolated and gay. It is to be isolated and free to do something. But to Fromm, people become less secure as they have achieved greater become because freedom can lead to isolation, and isolation can lead to basic anxiety in this world. Achieving greater freedom means having a greater burden. People who experience freedom also experience the other side of its meaning.

A productive orientation is that most healthy individuals have this character type that through this productive activity people can solve the basic human dilemma; that is, to unite with the world and with others while retaining uniqueness and individuality. Biophilic people are concerned with the growth and development of themselves as well as others. In addition, this individual wants to influence people through love. Biophilia is a passionate love of life and all that is alive and this could be considered a syndrome of growth according to Fromm. On the other hand, this character type explained that an individual held psychologically disturbed is incapable of love, and has failed to establish a union with others. They are considered an unhealthy individual that failed to love productively, this could be referred to as our syndrome of decay. Necrophilic, are mostly hate humanity, racists, and bullies and love to talk about sickness and corpses. Necrophilia is a generalized sense of any attraction to death and can be considered a sexual perversion in which a person desires sexual contact with a corpse. The basic example of necrophilia is Adolf Hitler, he was necrophilic in the sense of destroying buildings and cities, like his order to kill people. Biophilia example would be referred to us as a heroic one where he/she is eager to sacrifice his/her life in order to save humankind from any harmful phenomenon.

Sullivan was considered to be unpopular and a loner boy has no friends in childhood like he was different from the other child. During his childhood, he had three mothers that supported his growth including his grandmother and maiden-aunt that able to share in child-rearing duties. Sullivan has an imaginary playmate and this is considered as a chum or friend. Moreover, he met Clarence who’s his neighbor that brought a great impact to his existence and awakened his power of intimacy he developed an ability to love another who was more or less like himself and a reason for transforming effect on Sullivan’s life.

Sullivan’s theory of personality was based on the belief that the interactions of people with others are significantly important that assessing one’s feelings of safety, sense of individuality, and the dynamism that motivates behavior. To Sullivan, personality is the product of long phases in which a person develops a “good feeling” unto others and a sense of goodness towards oneself.

Both childhood experiences Klein was unhealthy and tragedic. She unluckily witnessed the death of her parents including her sister and brother. On the other hand, she psychoanalyzed her children and she had resentment toward her daughter Melitta. Klein furiously disliked Melitta it was because her daughter married her foe and even had a connection to Freud. This resentment occurs in Klein a mother-daughter relationship that was very important and that she places it as the center of personality development.

Klein’s theory of the unconscious focused on the relationship between the mother-infant rather than the father-infant. The theory of object relation had less emphasis on the biological drives that she sees human contact and the need to form relationships as the prime motivation of human behavior and personality development, not a sexual pleasure she contended.

‘Every Child Is Special’ is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced and directed by Aamir Khan, which tells the story of Ishaan Awasthi, an eight 12 months historic baby stuffed with joy and creativeness is having a difficult time with his life. His dad and mom are extra centered in Ishaan’s brother who is plenty smarter. They really don’t show up to admire Ishaan’s brain in creativity and art.

Ishaan is also having a tough time in coping up in school, he just can’t even examine nor write. The letters he sees are transferring, and when he writes, his letters and numbers are from time to time inverted. Because of his difficulties in university and family, he grew to come to be depressed and confused. His mother and father then determined to pass by him to a new college that will educate him better and some distance away from home, which, they did no longer understand, will make Ishaan more depressed. Ishaan is having a challenging time coping and adjusting and his only stress reliever is via painting.

Out of the blue, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a new art coach came to the scene that defies traditionally practiced teaching. He set his university students on hype furnace encouraging them to use their imagination. He noticed Ishaan and his difficulties. He discovered that Ishaan’s mistakes are due to the fact that he has dyslexia, a disease that consists of difficulty in analyzing to study or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not have an effect on not unusual intelligence. Nikumbh reminisced his previous as he additionally has the equal trouble as Ishaan before. He decided to aid the kid.

While staring at Ishaan, Nikumbh viewed the kid’s genius in art. He realized the kid’s potential. Nikumbh acquired right here to go to Ishaan’s household and described to them the kid’s trouble why he is different. His mom and father were ashamed of themselves no longer grasp their son’s potential.

Nikumbh helped the child have a look at and write properly. they made a magnificent bond together.

Nikumbh approached the school’s major to have a match of portray to show the college that Ishaan is now no longer what they appear to think he is. On the event, Ishaan is confronted off with one of a form artist in faculty including his very personal mentor, Nikmubh. When the selection got here to who gained the eyes and hearts of the judges. He is tied with his trainer Nikumbh, then again solely one ought to be the winner. And that anybody is no other than Ishaan himself. He gained over his very own mentor which made him, Nikumbh, and his family very blissful and proud.

Ishaan’s victory helps him discover himself which made him a better person in school, household and community. His grades grew to grow to be larger and persona accelerated and made him a very smart and joyful child.

The movie tells us that young people are like stars on earth, they are all one-of-a-kind in their private ways.

A disruption in a child’s moral upbringing can be partially originated by how they are treated by their parents, whether this is being brought up surrounded by a negative environment or without filial love. In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and The Phantom of the Opera (1910), both authors present their main characters engaging in criminal behavior due to disruptions in their moral upbringing. Wilde’s character, Dorian Gray, begins his moral demise through his jealousy of Basil Hallward’s portrait which makes him more attractive than he already is presented to appear, ultimately leading him to commit murder and deceit.

Leroux, alternatively, based his character on a true story about Erik, a facially deformed man who intends to reveal his talents by manipulating Christine Daaé, a woman who recognizes not only his talent but his kindness which is reserved only for her. Readers may interpret these two characters similarly due to their lack of moral upbringing, and the extent to which their actions and behavior have been affected by this disruption. Both Wilde and Leroux present these altered behaviors explicitly through the lack of connection with their parents. As mentioned in Chapter Three, Dorian’s mother Margaret caused controversy in her family by ‘eloping with a poor man of a lower class’, leading to her father killing her husband before she dies herself.

Wilde’s verb for Margaret’s actions implies a partially realistic attitude of a Victorian woman as Margaret had explicitly rebelled against being forced to marry a superior man, choosing whoever she liked without parental consent. As Greg Buswell (2014) states that ‘No matter how vile Dorian’s behavior…he remains ever youthful and beautiful, while the picture of him…bears every visible scar, line, and stain of his corrupt behavior’, his mother’s decision to marry a man of lower-class partially mirrors Dorian’s own controversy in sexuality, as both actions scandalize society and cause corruption in their positions within the high-class. Not only would the disturbing truth of his parents lead to a life of despair as an orphan, but his parents’ death also foreshadows Dorian’s scandalous life later on in the novel, as the discipline that an archetypical teenager would receive from their parents would not bother him, therefore leading him towards a corrupt life without fear of discipline.

Lord Kelso became Dorian’s guardian, who potentially placed a negative influence upon him with his quarrelsome behavior, especially as he previously planned to ‘insult’ Dorian’s father for marrying Margaret and increasing the tension between him and Dorian. Similarly, Erik grew up around a lack of appreciation from his birth, due to his parents being mortified with his deformed face as his father ‘never looked upon me’, as well as Erik’s mother refusing to kiss him, instead advising him to ‘cover [his] face’ with a mask. The mask can symbolize for his separation from society as his command to wear the mask could also support the ideal society that he was forced to live in, which would not have been supportive of his alienated appearance. This would have placed a large amount of psychological pain upon him as a child, as the realization that his own parents despised his face made him seem unworthy as their child.

Erik describes his mother as ‘poor’ and ‘wretched’ whilst revealing his feelings to Christine, accepting that his parents rejected him for his appearance, further implying that families during this time would be ashamed about raising an unattractive child. Because Erik partially grew up surrounded by a lack of affection from his parents and a society that stared at him in horror, his attitude towards other people changed for the negative, as Erik admitted ‘To be good, all I ever needed was to be loved for myself’. However, this could be considered ironic, as it is Erik’s immoral behavior, that causes him to be hated, not his appearance. Despite his character personifying corruption and darkness, the book-reviewing blog Dead End Follies (2012) states that Erik’s ‘darkness is always longing for a little bit of light’. Therefore, he restricted himself from love, developing disbelief that anybody could love him, and acted tempestuously towards anyone who feared him, except for the only character who was willing to accept him: Christine Daaé. As parents are the most influential role models that a child needs, without their encouragement to adopt respectful behavior, Dorian and Erik are brought up with a lack of respect and honesty. If society accepted Margaret for her husband’s class and loved Erik for his personality, both characters could have been raised differently.

Linking to the subject of influential role models, the absence of Dorian and Erik’s parents affects the lack of moral upbringing implied in their criminal behavior. In a psychoanalytical view based on Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis (1917), a disruption in the breastfeeding stage after the death of Dorian’s mother, Margaret, would affect the emotional bond between Dorian and his mother. Furthermore, Lord Henry’s uncle describes Dorian as a ‘child born in pain’, implicating a lack of emotional love and security from Margaret due to her heartbreak and loneliness after his father’s murder, resulting in her death. Therefore, her despair would have provided Dorian with fright, resulting in becoming familiar with this emotion and therefore creating an anxious personality. For Erik, the reader could determine that he was likely never breastfed as ‘his ugliness filled his parents with horror and fear’, so he would develop an extreme case of oral fixation in order to seek the pleasure and comfort that his mother denied him during infancy, given that his looks would have deterred her from loving him. Therefore, Erik’s lack of understanding of love would have developed without a source of filial love. However, Susana Valdes (2016) argues that the absent relationship between Erik and his mother supports his obsessive behavior toward Christine’s love, as he ‘never received the love of his mother’ so it’s ‘easy to say that Erik’s obsession with Christine stems from that’. If our behavior is mainly shaped by the influence of the environment we’re surrounded by, we can determine that Dorian repeated the substandard influences of Lord Kelso, and Erik never found evidence that love could truly exist within his life.

The relationships that Wilde and Leroux present between Dorian and Erik and other characters highlights their differences in personality, revealing their authoritative or rebellious characteristics. Because of the lack of guidance in his younger years, Dorian is presented as a retentive character through Lord Henry’s influence during their first meeting when his words had ‘touched some secret chord that had never been touched before’. This metaphor reveals the eventual dynamic characterization that Dorian provokes as Lord Henry’s speech becomes an eye-opener to Dorian, juxtaposing his manipulative attitude with the innocent influence of Basil Hallward as he tells Dorian to ‘turn [his] head a little more to the right…like a good boy’. As Dorian is first introduced to a greater insight into life by Lord Henry, this gives significant detail about Basil’s friendship with Dorian, which has resulted in his sensible behavior and lack of commitment towards criminality. Therefore, Lord Henry’s perspective concludes with Dorian becoming obsessed with the extraordinary beauty and youth in Basil’s portrait, before mindlessly declaring that he would give his soul to be young forever as the painting will be. Contrasting this, Erik developed an expulsive personality after experiencing his parents’ negative reactions towards his appearance, which affected his sensitivity and therefore led to him thinking he should be punished.

In the novel, Christine can be explicitly viewed as the character that Erik confides in the most, as her acceptance of his monster-like appearance amplifies the expected reaction that Erik wished for in his youth. Leroux uses a paradox when Christine states, ‘the black holes of his invisible eyes…had given me the full measure of his passion’, which is ambiguous as the connotations of his eyes imply an unknown existence inside his character — whether it may be his inner personality of kindness that his sadistic qualities have overcome or an empty space for a potential future for Erik. Both Dorian and Erik’s characters partially are unable to associate with the Oedipal Complex, as both characters would have lacked the emotional connection and love with their mother and jealousy of their father. Dorian had no reason to be an exception, and thus must have begun his life with an intense desire for his mother. This desire is no doubt further intensified by the death of his father and the consequent lack of emotional connection with his mother when she dies as well before he is even a year old, leaving his desires unfulfilled without a concluded decision. Because Dorian knew ‘he had got from her his beauty’, he views her in himself and thus becomes the desired object for his own mother. With his narcissistic personality, Dorian Gray necessarily seeks out self-pleasure with little regard for the reality of the world.

Comparably, Erik’s alienation from his family and society leads to an unresolved Oedipus Complex: he felt no love for his mother and had little to no attachment to her. However, some may argue that describing his ‘poor, wretched mother’ expresses a melancholic tone that blames himself for not being the son that she wanted or possibly emphasizes a sarcastic tone that supports his inability to believe in love. Furthermore, because of this father’s reaction toward his appearance, Erik would have already developed a hatred for him, so he had no parents to identify with. Therefore, he was incapable of moral internalization, leading to his catharsis through emotional outbursts and lack of remorse after he murders two innocent characters. As both characters are implied to have lacked real friendships and moral education, Dorian and Erik would have lacked the development of ethical skills and broadened knowledge alongside other children their age, as they would have searched for friendship with similar-aged male children. Dorian’s experience witnessing the attic after years affects him in the way that, ‘every moment of his lonely childhood came back to him as he looked around’, which allows the reader to sympathize with Dorian as he would have been isolated within a dark room with a lack of communication with others. The thought of keeping his ruined portrait among the surroundings of Dorian’s childhood purity concerns him.

A regretful tone radiates from his character, potentially because of his attempts to hide a sinful object within a room where he wished to be seen as innocent like his mother. Yet, Dorian discovers his identification with Lord Henry, which had potentially been triggered by Basil’s morality leaving Dorian in a state of ennui, lacking excitement and purpose in his life until he speaks to Lord Henry. Contrasting this, after receiving emotional abuse from his parents, Erik eventually ‘ran away at an early age’, finding himself in an alternate environment with a guardian who accepted his appearance. His mask also symbolizes the facade he presents during his moments with Christine, especially as he insists, ‘You have no better nor more respectful friend in the world than me’, making him appear like he’s desperate for acceptance for being the opposite of who he really is. It could be viewed how receiving acceptance during a later point in his childhood led to Erik’s psyche being impacted by the normalization of murder, depicted through his employment as an assassin. Furthermore, being surrounded by an environment that alienates murder from being a crime potentially served as a starting point for Erik’s view of morality. Because of the lack of relationships in their childhood, Dorian and Erik, therefore, struggled to maintain appropriate romantic or sexual attractions towards others – in this case, Sibyl Vane and Christine Daaé. Given that Dorian is noticeably bisexual in the novel, he would have lived his childhood focused partially on Lord Kelso as a moral influence. However, there is a multitude of different reasons for developing sexuality rather than being surrounded by a single gender – one source suggests that parental mental illness or the presence of an alcohol problem could potentially affect this factor, which implies the harshness in a discipline that Dorian might have potentially suffered. Furthermore, these origins that Dorian was surrounded by during his childhood are, as suggested by Paulo Augusto Wagatsuma, ‘related to crime and sin, which means that symbolically Dorian would be condemned to an equally sinful life’.

Some readers may align Dorian’s obsessive behavior with Sibyl when witnessing her as a complete failure as a sign of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Compared to Basil and Lord Henry advising him to ‘drink to the beauty’ of Sibyl, Dorian expresses his inner feelings for her personality and not just her looks as he expresses how he loved her because she was ‘marvelous’ and ‘had genius and intellect’, which is a similar characteristic to how Erik believes love should be determined. However, for Erik, any reader could simply conclude that his overtly sexual desires develop from manipulating Christine and taking advantage of her talent by blackmailing her through the words of her father by claiming he’s her ‘Angel of Music’. Ironically, this could be an allusion to Lucifer, who was also given this title before his fall. Furthermore, as the novel shows Christine talking secretly with Erik as he tells her, “Your soul is a beautiful thing, my child”, it increases the disturbing intentions of Erik confiding in a female who appears to him as a younger woman. However, we could view this as Erik finding solace within a woman who acts similarly to himself. He had never interacted with children his age, yet he acts vulnerable as he and Christine ‘wept together’ after discussing his past, further supporting Erik’s discovery of a loving relationship that unstably develops his relationships with the opposite gender.

Erik unconsciously identified himself with Christine – as he understands his talent would not outperform his appearance but could share his talent through Christine, who was accepted publicly as a talented actress. The time-span difference between the two texts does not make an impact on the arguably similar events that inspired them. Both Wilde and Leroux presented their curiosities on critiques in their time period, reflecting in their main characters how their immoral behavior is presented through the treatment and corruption of the upper class and their attitudes towards the supernatural. The Victorian Era introduced a new wave of Gothic literature, focusing mainly on the supernatural apart from disturbing settings. As authors began publishing more supernatural novels, readers began believing in the concept of Spiritualism through literature, which increases the chances of readers learning the morals of participating in the evil which Dorian Gray and Phantom effectively present. However, for readers to fully understand the Gothic elements, their failed parental relationships would also have to appeal to Post-Modern readers. Furthermore, readers could interpret alternate endings or viewpoints that these novels might have presented if written in the Post-Modern era. Dorian’s mother would not have ‘made all the men frantic’ for marrying a man of the lower class, as our society is implied as against discrimination against classes. Therefore, Dorian would have been raised by both parents, avoiding an isolated childhood. It would have also been unwise to doubt that society would reject Erik, and unlikely for ‘nobody [to] dare speak to’ Erik whilst he was feared as the ‘Ghost’, as the discrimination towards talented and disadvantaged individuals has partially decreased. Therefore, Erik would have received the similar amount of respect that parents cherish their children with from his own, and possibly could gain a career without having to manipulate someone else. The question is not explicitly answered by both texts, but both provide enough evidence about Dorian and Erik’s parentage to conclude that Victorian ways of parenting impact their behaviors on a large scale. Both novels follow similar reasonings towards criminal behavior within Dorian and Erik, as both characters were raised without love and support. Surrounded by a negative environment that encouraged immoral individuality and harsh discipline, Wilde and Leroux explicitly stress the need for parental affection and guidance in order to refrain children from learning that murder and deceit are positive.

In this essay, I will discuss child observation that I completed for six weeks. This essay will narrate my experience and reflections on how the theory and practice of compliance will be helpful in social work practices. This essay will also discuss the importance and effect of seminar group discussion. I will also explore Child’s world in the narrative part of this essay which consists of Appendix 1 and 2

According to Daniel Goleman 2018, pg1, self-awareness can have a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives. The attribute that makes each unique social workers are that we don’t just need to understand our characteristics alone but also be open-minded and adjust our thought processes and sensitivities to respond to individuals’ specific needs and realities. It has broadened my understanding of the use of reflection in action as it allows me to measure the quality of my meditation and gave me a detailed assessment. Also, it enlightened my understanding of conscious and unconscious processes. Howe,2009, p.171 emphasized that reflective practice requires that you learn from experience and be self-critical to analyze your thinking, and feeling and learn from what you interpreted.

The child observation task was a new learning experience for me. In my first observation, I will address the child as Baby D. while watching the video clip of Baby D., I noticed that she was playing with toys all by herself, and immediately I assumed she was Autistic. This thought was unconscious; after that, I find it hard to focus due to lots of background noise and children running around. As I observed Baby D, I realized that I responded based on mother instinct because if that was my child, I expect the nursery to put her in a bubble with other children with a keyworker that will be in charge, not just to be let alone by herself. I become aware that there was a lot of thought about the emotional impact of the observation on myself as the observer. As I continue with my compliance with Baby D, I was so anxious to understand what is going on in her world because I can relate her situation to my son’s when he was her age. Due to the pandemic, we observed based on video clips and articles not like face-to-face contact.

The child observation broadened my understanding and enabled me to explore a children’s world. It is vital to understand the meaning of observation. According to Le Riche 1998, observation is part of looking, seeing, and understanding reality. I had great concern about my lack of experience in observing children. I had my first placement with the leaving care team, they are children from sixteen to 21, and I have never worked with children in the past. My placement experience gave me knowledge about observation. I question my role as an observer, especially with children, whether I will perform a good observation. According to Trevithick 201, pg.169 emphasized that we learn a lot by observing others and thus understand what is transmitted by the tone of voice, the intonation of the volume, body language, and gesture. I kept on watching Baby D, and I was able to see and understand that children develop in different ways. Also, I realize there was a connection between my son’s situation when he was Baby Ds age. I realized I was able to detach myself from assuming Baby Ds interpretation.

At the beginning of the course, I found it challenging to apply observation into practice until my first placement experience. Furthermore, I learned that observation is a skill acquired with training and practice. The observation supports the observer to gain adequate knowledge of the child’s internal and external world. Fawcett, M 2009, p17 emphasizes that we know a lot from our observation, but we must learn to accept that the interpretation we acquire from our observation is the tip of the iceberg.

In seminar discussions, sharing my thoughts and hearing other people’s thoughts, ideas, and approach they use for the task broadened my understanding of how important observation is as a whole in social work. Stogdon and Kiteley 2020, pg147, state that contributing to the discussion and making notes is the beginning of acquiring skills.

Transference and countertransference are the processes to identify children’s world. Tudor and Mary 2006, p 143 describe transference as moving an emotion or behavior from one person to another. Sometimes, it could be positive or negative, and our emotions can hinder our assessments as social workers, which is a form of transference. On the other hand, countertransference is a reaction to transference towards the clients, and the client may respond with countertransference. This method is essential during therapy sessions. For instance, during my observation of Baby D, please see Appendix 1 she engages well when she sees a keyworker and is excited to participate in activities with the keyworker. At one point, the keyworker left the exercises. You can see Baby D goes back into her shell with a sad look, but another critical worker immediately came and started engaging her in activities; she was excited and active again. The observation with Baby D shows a high level of attachment with growing up in the setting. Affection is a deep and enduring emotional bond that links one person to another, Ainsworth, 1973. Bowlby,1969. There are different types of attachment, and the kind of attachment that Baby D share with the grown-up in the setting is a secure attachment. The secure attachment shows a warm bond between individuals to one. Baby D’s reaction when she is with growing up in the setting brings out confidence in her interactions and happy face, and with the presence of an adult, she can communicate with other children.

Every week we present our observations on a weekly task; I realized many unconscious interpretations occur when sharing our understanding of children’s world. I learned a lot from the seminar; the only disadvantage I can pinpoint is not having face-to-face contact with the person you observe. The video clip didn’t give full details that one needs to base a child’s world.