Child Abuse Does Not Discriminate

Child abuse is a sensitive subject. It seems to be the subject that most people just want to sweep under the bed and forget about. For some people, it hurts too much to picture a wounded child. For others, it just creates an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Either way, this is what creates the biggest challenge in raising awareness.

Everyone generally agrees and feels that the Holocaust and persecution of Jews was a terrible thing. Very few people delineate the Holocaust as an event that was beneficial for society. That being said, a lot of people of the time in the United States had the attitude of, well it’s not affecting me, so why should I really care? This is the type of attitude that needs to be eliminated in regards to child abuse. Just like the Holocaust, most people agree that child abuse is an awful practice. Unfortunately, there are few people willing to raise their voices to put an end to it.

Despite the average negative connotation towards child abuse, there are still skeptics out there who ignore the fact that child abuse is a daily occurrence. In the United States, 4 children die every day as a result of child abuse. In Norwalk alone, 149 children were abused in the past year. This statistic only represents the number of reported cases, which means that the actual number is probably much higher. Child abuse does not discriminate against any race, gender, or sexuality—it is everywhere.

            I’m not here to lie and make up some story about how I was abused as a child. The truth is, I wasn’t. I can’t explain to you exactly how it felt when my father hit me, because it has never happened. But, just because it hasn’t happened to me, it doesn’t mean that thousands of other children aren’t affected by child abuse. Although I am not a victim, the issue of child abuse holds a special place in my heart. I will never, ever, be able to justify to myself why an adult would abuse a child, knowing that he is completely defenseless. I had a perfectly happy childhood, and to be frank, I think it is not only unfair, but also wrong, for any other child in this world to have anything less than that.

           

             

Awareness Can Save Lives

          A faint bruise, a black eye, a broken arm, a constant frown, a child who is too scared to speak up. There is more than one way to identify a child who has been abused. It is unfortunate that many only recognize these signs in hindsight of the child’s death. It is hard to imagine what would possess someone to hit a child. What could possibly be running through the mind of an adult whose big fist is making contact with such a small face? But, maybe the more important question we should be asking ourselves has to do with why the images of these children don’t make the front page of magazines and headlines on the news. Awareness is key—awareness can save lives. Maybe if more people knew the type of abuse that was occurring, there would be more people standing up to stop it.

           I’m sure the majority of you can recite the most famous celebrity couples, the hottest fashion trends, and even where your favorite celebrity most recently vacationed—but, when it comes to child abuse, not one statistic comes to mind.  Most of the time this is not completely your fault. The media distracts your mind with the seemly important celebrity news. This is what the media shows you, it is what the media wants you to see, it is what the media thinks will make them money. They have the ability to broadcast a meaningful message to millions of people, yet this opportunity is often wasted.

The story of the baby who was killed by her parents always seems to escape the attention of the public. You can be the one to make the change. Demand the media start showing what really matters. The ability to raise awareness lies within every person, and the difference between the life and death of a child can lay in your hands. The priorities of the media are twisted. As much as everyone wants to know about the latest celebrity gossip, the little boy who thinks getting slapped as punishment is normal, needs a little attention too. 

Standardized Testing: The Difference Between Life and Death

        "In Antigua, people speak of slavery as if it had been a pageant full of large ships sailing on blue water, the large ships filled up with human cargo—their ancestors; they got off, they were forced to work under conditions that were cruel and inhuman, they were beaten, they were murdered, they were sold, their children were taken from them and these separations lasted forever, there were many other bad things, and then suddenly the whole thing came to an end in something called emancipation. Then they speak of emancipation itself as if it had happened just the other day, not over one hundred and fifty years ago. The word “emancipation” is used so frequently, it is as if it, emancipation, were a contemporary occurrence, something everybody was familiar with."
Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place, Pages 54-55

        In the United States, most colleges treat standardized testing as if it were the difference between life and death, they tend to forget the other things student’s do—there are many; they work for good grades, many play sports and put a lot of effort into the success of the team, they have jobs, they have friends, they have responsibilities at home, they are put under enormous amounts of pressure and given many expectations, there are many other things as well, and then on top of all of those activities there is the stress of doing well on the SATs. Then colleges neglect that not everyone excels in test-taking and may not be able to afford prep classes, this fact does not seem to be accounted for.  The phrase “standardized testing” is used so often in the college application process, it is as if it, standardized testing, measured the character of a person, which is something it clearly does not do.

It Turns Out I'm Easily Bothered

The College Process:

·      Applications make you identify yourself as one ethnicity—I’d rather not be referred to as “other.”

·      Often in the sports world, more importance is placed on athletics opposed to academics.

·      So much emphasis is put onto SAT scores and standardized testing, when these tests do not reflect the work ethic of a student.

·      Hard for students who come from middle class families who don’t qualify for financial assistance or receive scholarships to afford college without going into major debt.

·      Students who place more weight on the prestige of the college name rather than the program in the college they are interested in.

Brien McMahon High School:

·      The most crowded hallways are the skinniest.

·      We aren’t allowed to leave within ten minutes of the beginning of the class and within the last ten minutes of class, which tend to be the times of the least activity.

·      The fact that student government doesn’t have the power to change anything in the school, other than prom.

·      Almost none of the bathroom stalls lock.

Media:

·      People care more about celebrities than current events and politics.

·      Issues such as child abuse, teen dating violence, and human trafficking (among others) aren’t publicized as much as they should be.

·      Media focuses more on the “drama” between celebrities rather than the philanthropy they have done.

·      The media distorts the truth to make it more entertaining.

Teenager Stereotypes:

·      Teenagers try to fit into the stereotype that they must be “rebellious” or “emotionally unstable.”

·      The fact that the teenager stereotype tends to lead to wasted talent.

·      Many adults discredit teenagers because of the stereotype that they are unstable.

·      Adults who think teenagers are all the same.

Private School:

·      The fact that I have to justify to my whole hockey team (where everyone goes to prep school) why I still go to public school.

·      People pay more money to go to private school, and they end up going to school for less time.

·      They often act like they are above everyone else just because they pay money for school.

·      Students who say that AP classes in private school are harder than AP classes in public school.

Racial Stereotypes:

·      People who make assumptions based on race.

·      Those who mock cultures and think that it is funny when it’s actually offensive.

·      Those who are ignorant towards other’s race and culture.