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Courtney Cole
Professor Campbell
08 November 2015
UWRT 1103-H
Black and Blue: The Cycle of Child Abuse
Bumps and bruises turn to emotional scars, emotional scars turn to horrid
memories, and horrid memories become a harsh reality. These feelings take over the
places that should be filled with Saturday morning cartoons, kids movies, games, and
childhood innocence and joy. Child abuse has the power to disrupt, dismantle, and
destroy the life of a young child. It has the power to cripple the mind, body, and spirit,
sucking away their joy, playfulness, and curiosity. It infects them with depression,
anxiety, and relationship issuesto name a few. Individuals that should be protecting the
children are instead attacking them physically, emotionally, verbally, and even sexually.
There are such instances when the victim grows up and abuses others due to dissociation
and the inability to cope with their past traumatic experiences. In this instance the cycle
of abuse ensues and the lingering effects of child abuse run wild, as the victim becomes
the victimizer instead of the survivor. Men and women are both prone to certain instances
of child abuse; however, it has been shown that more women are likely to be sexually
abused a child, which can later affect the relationship between the she as a mother and
her child. I would like to explore the cycle of the abuse including it misconceptions,
truths, and the lingering effects of child abuse that plague individuals in adulthood.

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At an early age we learn the idea of cause and effect. One thing happens which
then causes another and so forth. In this case, the effect is trauma and a cycle of abuse
that can linger on into adulthood, but what about the cause. Before moving forward, it is
important to dissect the causechild abuse. Child abuse in essence is any form of
physical abuse including but not limited to sexual mistreatment of a child. Child abuse
can also be verbal, but all forms do leave the emotional damage that can plague a child
for many years to come. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services statistics for 2006, approximately 905,000 U.S. children were found to have
been victimized that year (Babbel). Im not data collector or statistics guru, but that
number is outrageously high and should not even be existent. The same article by Babbel
also goes on to say that roughly 16 percent of those children were physically abused with
the remainder either being sexual abuse or neglect. Most children are expected to live
and lead happy lifestyles, going to school, being involved, and making new friendsthe
last thing that they should be worried about is the maltreatment from another individual.
In most instances, the perpetrator of the abuse is a family member, family friend, or other
individual that has familiar ties with the child. In television shows and movies we often
see a young child being abused by a parent or in some cases a distant relative like an
uncle or aunt. It could all start as a slightly raised voice, followed by physical abuse (not
to be confused with corporal punishment); in any instant, it seems as if the child is made
to think that it is their fault as the abuse ensues. Its important to note that when it comes
to gender, there are no exceptions. Im sure many people think males are the main
perpetrators or that females may be the only victims; however both genders are equally

Courtney Cole 11/26/2015 12:00 AM

Comment [1]: I would break this up so
it is not an entire sentence of just
quotefami

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likely to be on either side of the spectrum, it is just a matter or what incidents are
reported. Child abuse is often a repetitive sequence of violence, normally the perpetrator
will strike multiple times but even if its only once, the violent behavior consequently
leads to detrimental effects down the road.
At this point, Im sure youre wondering how could an adult ever abuse a child?
While theres no exact answer for that, there are some theories that tie in to the cause of
this situation. Interestingly, I have found that there is a gene for violence. Combinations
of the MAOA (Monoamine Oxidose A) gene and the CDH13 (Cadherin) genes have been
found to explain the ideology behind violent behavior in individuals (Deans).
Predominately, the MAOA genes plays a major part in violent behavior and has been
pronounced the warrior gene. It has been said that the low amount of enzymes
compared to the large amount of neurotransmitters including dopamine, epinephrine, and
norepinephrine lead to lower levels of depression but increased likelihood for violent
behavior (Deans). With that being said, it is likely that the perpetrators of child abuse
may have some history of the warrior gene in their family or may have inherited it
themselves. For example, John may have a history of violent behavior in his family and
it just so happens that John himself is a violent person and perpetrator of child abuse on
his own child; it is likely at this point to assume that the erratic and violent behavior in
the cycle of abuse is caused by the genetic code for violence. This same article further
goes on to clear further assumptions about the genetic code in relation to violence. It
will never be accurate to say that there is a particular gene for violence or any other
specific behavior (Deans). With that being said we must recognize that violent behavior

Courtney Cole 11/26/2015 12:01 AM

Comment [2]: condense

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varies per individual and while for some it may be genetic, circumstance and
environmental factors motivate others. In contrast to John mentioned earlier, James may
be violent and aggressive towards his child due to his failing marriage and stress on the
job. He would choose to physically harm his child as therapeutic measure because in this
case the child is helpless and cannot defend themselves in the same way that an adult
could. James behavior in this instance would not be influenced but his genetics but his
circumstances and inability to cope with them. In the end, there is no definite cause for
child abuse because the situation varies on a case-by-case basis; however, the effects of
child abuse on the victim and the cycle that follows have similar correlations.
A childhood lead by hopes, dreams, and childish desires become replaced by the
damaging and lingering effects of child abuse, childhood bliss and games are terrorized
by a harsh hand and foul words, happiness, joy, and creativity are shadowed by
compulsive behaviors, post traumatic stress disorder, and depression. One of the major
effects of child abuse includes the development of PTSD, which is the instance when a
child remembers traumatic events that occurred in the past. According to the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry some symptoms of PTSD include:
frequent memories or talk of traumatic events, extreme emotional reactions, irritability,
anger, and/or violence (Babbel). In addition to this, the child can experience severe
forms of anxiety, grief, self-blame, and guilt (ASCA). Children that should be enjoying
their childhood are at this point helpless and left to cope with the traumatic experiences
of the past. Symptoms like depression and PTSD can and will affect the day-to-day
activities of the child. Depression could lead to nervousness, extreme sadness, thoughts

Courtney Cole 11/26/2015 12:02 AM

Comment [3]: I would break this
sentence up to make the reading a little
more effortless

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of suicide, and guilt. With PTSD they will constantly be reflecting on the one time soand-so hit them or so-and-so molested them. The memories of school plays, after school
activities and friendship are replaced with nightmares of bruises, hard knocks, and
negative encounters with the individual(s) they thought they could trust. Its important to
note that during this stage following the abuse where therapy could be implemented
could be a turning point when the victim overcomes the abuse and becomes a survivor
versus one that is unable to accept the harsh realities of their past and remains a victim or
unfortunately become a perpetrator later on in life, thus leading to the cycle of abuse.
Add information related to the depth of abuse (duration, etc.)
Now we know that some children who experience child abuse overcome their
struggle and become survivors; however, there are some who for some reason go from
being victims to victimizers. With that being said, I must ask: why do some children that
were abused grow up and abuse others? There must be some level of disconnect between
those that survive and those that victimize. Going back to trauma and recovery, at a
young age and also depending on the circumstances surrounding their situation, the child
experiences trauma induced repetitions due to PTSD. Due to their inability to overcome
the trauma of the past coupled with the repetitive and harsh reminders of PTSD, these
children reenact their victimization experiences in play and in their relationships with
others (Green 1334). As sated earlier, in contrast to the individuals that overcome their
child abuse experiences, these children at some point during the period following the
abuse, are unable to fully grasp what has happened to them, and then inflict their
experiences on another person. Green mentions the idea of dissociation as it relates to the

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cycle of abuse, dissociation obliterates the memory link between the parents own
childhood abuse and the maltreatment they inflict on their child. Whether the child has
attended therapy or not could play an active role in their recovery, how they accepted the
helpful information, and the relationship they had and still have with their abuser play a
vital role in how they deal with their experience. For instance, if Tom is abused by his
uncle that spends considerable time with the family, Tom will still have to see his uncle
which then creates a distaste for him. Over the years depending on how long the abuse
occurred, and Toms attendance in therapy or counseling will affect his future
relationships with others, especially his family. As states earlier, child abuse negatively
affects the relationships that children and later adults have with those around them. They
develop a distrust for others and can shut themselves out from the world around them
while at the same time being engulfed by the emotions and traumatic experiences of their
past.
Add more related to the cycle and actions