A Child Called “It”

1. A Child Called “It” By: Dave Pelzer

2. Dave Pelzer • Born December 29, 1960 • Joined the Air Force at age 18 • He is a part of the alumni group • (John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Anne Bancroft, Orson Welles, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney and Nelson Rockefeller) • Dave was the only United States citizen to be awarded as one of the Outstanding Young Persons of the World in Kobe Japan. • Buckcherry dedicated ”Rescue me” and “A child called it” to Dave Pelzer's book

3. Characters • Dave Pelzer • Catherine Roerva (Dave’s mother) • Stephen Pelzer (Dave’s father) • Ronald Pelzer (older brother) • Stan Pelzer (older brother) • Kevin Pelzer (younger brother) • Mr. Ziegler (fifth grade teacher)

4. Protagonist • Dave Pelzer • Worst child abuse case in California • His mother abused him • Smack, hit, burn, starve, stab, etc. • His father was never there • His brothers would go along with their mother

5. Antagonist • Catherine Roerva • An alcoholic • She abused her son • Make him clean to possibly get some food • Make him strip down and burn him on the stove • Have him eat dirty dippers from his younger brother • Be in a “gas chamber” of Clorox and ammonia

6. Favorite Character • Dave Pelzer hands down • He suffered through a lot of abuse • He tried to save himself • Delaying his abuse • Steal food from school, trash cans and stores • Try not to do anything “mother” didn’t like • He stood up to his mother

7. Least Favorite Character • Catherine Roerva • Abused Dave • Made excuses for Dave’s bruises • Had Dave be the families slave • Made him sleep in the basement with an army cot for a bed • Etc.

8. Plot Summary(Exposition) • His family once was happy • Described as the 1960’s Brady bunch • Daly City, California • They had many pets • Dogs, cats, fish, and a tortoise

9. Plot Summary(Rising Action) • Dave’s mother and father begin to drink and both become alcoholics • Dave’s mother began to abuse him little by little • Dave’s father never abused him physically but mentally

10. Plot Summary(Climax) • Dave’s mother changes • She went from putting Dave into a corner to more drastic punishments • Examples: • Forcing ammonia down his throat • Smashing him into objects like mirrors, tables, etc. • Stabbing him with a knife • Starving him for days • Burning him on the kitchen stove

11. Plot Summary(Falling Action) • The teachers and nurses start to realize the truth • They begin to try and help Dave • At first it only made things worse • His mother abused him more when she got phone calls from the nurses and principal

12. Plot Summary(Resolution) • Dave is rescued • He was taken out of the house at age 12 • Mr. Ziegler was the main one who helped David out • Dave Pelzer was put into foster care

13. Setting • 1960’s • Daly City, California • Most of the abuse took place in his home • His parents would take the family to Chinatown, San Francisco for vacation

14. Themes • Ability to overcome remarkable odds • “Mother” would abuse David yet he lived through it and is teaching the world about child abuse. • Alcohol abuse • Dave’s parents abuse their body with alcohol and things turn out extremely bad. • Hero figures • Dave was saved by his teachers, nurse and principal. He will never forget the day he was free from his mothers abuse.

15. Rating • I give this book a 10 • This book was extremely emotional • It shows that people should notice more about child abuse and not let it pass you by • Dave is an amazingly strong person to be able to overcome this abuse at such a young age

16. Child Abuse

17. Statistics • Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in the United States alone • About five children die everyday • Three out of four are under the age of four • A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds • Estimated annual cost of child abuse in the United States is $104 billion. • All from (Childhelp,1959-2009)

18. Statistics

19. Statistics • 36% of women in prison were abused as a child • 14% of men in prison were abused as a child • Over 60% in drug rehabilitation centers were abused as children • About 30% of abused children will abuse their kids as well • About 80% of 21 year olds that were abuse have one psychological disorder • All from (Child help,1959-2009)

20. Consequences of abused children • 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy • 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile • 2.5 times more likely to develop alcohol abuse • 3.8 times more likely to develop drug addiction • All from (Child help, 1959-2009)

21. Consequences of a child abusers A state may require a parent to accept parenting training or assistance • The state may remove the child from the parent’s home • The state may have the child go to an adoption center instead of foster care or a relatives home • All from (Legal Research, 2010)

22. Physical signs of child abuse • Unexplained burns, cuts, bruises, etc. • Bite marks • Anti-social behavior • Problems in school • Fear of adults • All from (Child Welfare, 2010)

23. Emotional signs of child abuse • Apathy • Depression • Hostility or stress • Lack of concentration • Eating disorders • All from (Child Welfare, 2010)

24. Sexual signs of child abuse • Nightmares and bedwetting • Drastic changes in appetite • Over compliance or excessive aggression • Fear of a particular person or family member • Inappropriate interest or knowledge of sexual acts • All from (Child Welfare, 2010)

25. Child abuse video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv52n2jmGlY

26. Work Cited "Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions." Child Welfare Information Gateway. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. Dave Pelzer's Official Website. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. "Legal Consequences of Abuse - Lawyers.com." Family Law Attorney, Lawyer, Attorneys, Lawyers and Legal Research Information - Lawyers.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. "National Child Abuse Statistics - Childhelp." Welcome to Childhelp - Childhelp. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. Pelzer, David J. A Child Called "it": One Child's Courage to Survive. Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, 1995. Print. Welcome to the Official Website of Catholic Charities of Dallas, Texas. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. "YouTube - Don't Look Away: A Child Abuse Awareness Video." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.