English 101

In English 101 students learn essay writing techniques such as brainstorming, organization, identifying the audience and purpose, and developing a thesis.  Types of papers written during the course include cause and effect, illustration, compare and contrast, and argument essays.  Emphasis is placed on comma usage, MLA citation format, and avoiding plagiarism. 

The image I chose to represent me was an old WWII poster of Rosie the Riveter.  It depicts Rosie in her blue collar shirt, sleeves rolled back, baring her muscles.  Her red bandana secures her brown locks in a no-nonsense style.  Her jaw is set and her eyes stare purposefully, free of fear or inhibitions.  Against a yellow background, a navy blue bubble reads, "We can do it!"

I chose this image because it stands for female strength, androgyny, and assertiveness.  It represents women's ability to be strong. I grew up with many women who embodied these traits, and these are women I admire and whose character traits I hope to encompass.  My mother was a very strong woman.  She taught me that women are capable of incredible intelligence, strength, and humility. This poster defines the kind of character I want to be, a strong, independent, androgynous female. 

Effects of Child Abuse

                        The effects of child abuse do not subside after the bruises fade, and the child grows.  Child abuse can occur as physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological/ emotional abuse.  Crippling memories of child abuse linger throughout the lives of the victims, infiltrating their thoughts and affecting their everyday lives.  Child abuse can have many devastating effects on an individual including low self-esteem, mental illness, and abusive behavior.  Abusers often purposefully induce low self esteem in their victims.  Mental illness is more or less the residue of confusion felt by the victim about why he or she was treated in such a way.  Abusive behavior by previous abuse victims is a learned approach for dealing with relationships among family, friends, and the opposite sex.  All of these effects make life very difficult for children with an abusive past. 

            Children who experience abuse may feel that they are not worthy of love or care.  Abusers teach their victims how they “deserve” to be treated through the language and actions they use.  Abusers demean their victims verbally and physically to keep the victim’s feeling of self-worth low and to ensure their acquiescence.  They frequently deplete their victim’s self-esteem to create dependence and assurance that the abused cannot function without the abuser.  While the abuser may only need temporary compliance of the victim, the humiliation and anguish stay with the child for most of his lifetime.  Generally, the child is unable to come to the realization that he or she is not at fault for the abuse; thus, the child is often continually plagued with guilt.  This leaves an ever-present scar on the mindset of the victim.  The lessons learned by children from their abusers are ingrained in their minds, and in their thought-processes, affecting everything from body image, to motivation, to the inability to develop healthy social skills.  This inability to integrate socially often supplements the mental illness that can plague abuse victims. 

            Mental illness is very common among those who were abused as children.  This is often a result of the confusion, apprehension, guilt, and heartache brought about during, as well as long after, the abuse occurs.  Memories, manifested as flashbacks, nightmares, and night terrors, often aggravate already disturbed patterns of thought.  This can result in post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and in extreme cases even multiple personality disorder.  Throughout adolescence and adulthood the victim may need to seek counseling from a psychologist or even a psychiatrist to deal with his or her traumatic past.  Even after seeking professional help, and perhaps even medication, there is still little that can be done to dismiss thoughts, flashbacks, and memories that bring on the anxiety, guilt, and humiliation felt by the victim that leads to mental illness.  These mental illnesses caused by child abuse can lead to blatant disregard and aggression towards him/herself and others. 

            Those who experience child abuse often go on to become abusers themselves.   This can be a trait learned from the abuser him/herself, or it could be due to defense of the victim’s low self esteem.  It could also be a result from mania or depression which had been brought on from the initial abuse.  Since it is human nature to take lessons you have learned throughout your childhood and apply them to life as an adult, it is not illogical for abused children often grow up to abuse others.   Such victims may find it excusable, as well as effective, to abuse others.  To prior victims, abuse is seen as assertion of control, dominance, and power.  They see it as an easy way to get others to succumb to their needs.  They may make victims of friends, family, boyfriends, or girlfriends.  Again, they may abuse victims because they need someone to be dependent upon them because having someone to abuse helps them to forget their pasts.  They gain that dependence through abuse.  The cycle of abuse is likely to continue until a victim gets help, preferably before he or she becomes an abuser.     

            The long lasting effects of child abuse are devastating.  Low self esteem, mental illness, and the tendency to follow in the footsteps of his or her abuser will ultimately lead to a tragic life of depression, angst, and guilt.  Abusers intentionally degrade and debase their victims.  This low self esteem induced by child abuse will wreak havoc on the life of the victim.  The abused child plagued by mental illness will suffer a lifetime of counseling and medications, assuming that he or she is lucky enough to get treatment.  Child abuse will often times lead to the abused becoming an abuser.  Unfortunately, these effects of child abuse have an infinite impact on the lives of victimized children. 

Reflection on "Effects of Child Abuse"

This was one of the first papers we wrote for ENG 101.  It was kind of a hard paper to write because I have witnessed the effects of abuse firsthand.  However, it helped me learn and understand some things better than I previously had.  I was able to better grasp the concept of cause and effect and it helped me when I later had to write a paper for Sociology on how cause and effect differs for English and Sociology.  I learned how child abuse has affected certain people in my life, including myself and why it had those effects.  I was really proud of this paper because I felt that because I had a personal connection to the subject I really made an effort to make it my best work.  I learned from this that if I can make personal connections to an assignment I will be more motivated to do my best.