Damaging Effects of Child Abuse on Children Leaving Home
Damaging Effects of Child Abuse on Children Leaving Home
Child abuse has a devastating effect on the victims of the crime. The abuser may be parents, a teacher, a co-worker, a neighbor or a total stranger. The law provides for criminal prosecution of the abuser since 1960s. However, before this time period, children have no protection from getting abuse, and it even seems the right for men to do so. Leaving Home is a good example of how not to treat the children. Inside the play, there are two particular examples illustrating what not to treat the children: the relationship between Jacob and Ben and the relationship between Minnie and Kathy.
One of the good examples in the play is the relationship between Jacob and Ben. First, this relationship illustrates verbal abuse of Ben by Jacob and its effect on Ben. During the play, Jacob always attacks Ben verbally. Once Jacob is home, he doesn’t let Ben to get his suit, which has left in the truck. Even though Ben tries to be a good boy Jacob still puts him down. After Ben has come back in the house from outside, Jacob starts to look for a fight with him for the reason of not inviting to his graduation the night before. Then, Jacob starts the argue by trying to make his son, Ben, drinks alcohol with him and showing how much more he is a man than Ben, and insults Ben when he turns away from Jacob. Finally, Ben can’t stand it anymore and starts to fight back for himself. “The same shit over and over, and it never stops.” (French 30) However, the more he says for himself, the more he is into his dad’s trap. While Ben is defending for himself, Jacob either says how tough he is and how Ben is a mother’s boy, or emphasizes how much tougher Jacob is than his own son. “Dad, you don’t want me to be a man, you just want to impress me with how much less of a man I am than you. (French 30) It is because Jacob’s altitude towards Ben is such offensive, it forces Ben to leave home only not to fight with Jacob anymore. “I need to…you know that. Either Dad goes, or I do.” (French...