Antwone Sexual Abuse

Sexual Abuse.
Antwone’s babysitter Willenda repeated sexual abuse and molestation on him. When in her care, Willenda would make Antwone come downstairs. She would take his clothes off, smack him around, and make him give oral sex to her. It was a continuous nightmare to him that made him terrified of woman. Finkelhor and Brown (1985) suggest that sexual abuse has four types of traumatic sexualization, betrayal, powerlessness, and stigmatization. Traumatic sexualization is the result of a child’s exposure to sexual behavior that is inappropriate to the level of development. The sense of betrayal is felt by the developing adolescent and can contribute to self-abuse or rebellious behavior. Being violated over and over the child feels a sense of …show more content…
Pickett felt he was being disrespectful in any manner. Physical abuse is often the most recognizable form of abuse, as visible physical indications may be evident. It is defined as “an injury or a pattern of injuries to a child that is non-accidental.” (novabuck) “The next thing I remember was being in my bedroom naked, tied by my arms to the end of the cot, and she was whipping me with a switch made from a thin green branch from a bush in the backyard. The whipping continued until welts popped up on my skin and began to open. This was the day Mrs. Pickett would brag about for years to come, the day when I was eight years old that she beat me unconscious.” (Finding Fish p.80) There was a point when she lit a newspaper on fire and whooped him with it which could have caused burns. The physical indicators were not recognized because no one was aware of what was taking place. But if the social workers maintained communication with Antwone a few behavioral indicators could have been present. Sometimes a child's behavior can be an indication that something is wrong. Such as his absences from school, His shyness, being withdrawn, passive and uncommunicative. Regardless of all the abuse inflicted upon him, he remained tough. He continued to do things he enjoyed and was good at, like drawing and poetry. His self-esteem and self-concept was affected by the …show more content…
Profit gave Antwone the praise he needed at school. She taught him things such as the importance of grooming and was there to answer any question that he had. He reflected on how she treated all the children fairly and with respect. “She gives each of us a chance to do well and help with special jobs like clapping erasers. This is what helped give Antwone a better self-image of himself and helped to boost his self-esteem. He began to want to do better in school and for once in his life was being praised with positive reinforcements. She was patient with him and helped when he would stutter. When Antwone was 16, he was kicked out of the Picketts home. Antwone finally started standing his ground and not backing down from her abuse and her name calling. Mrs. Pickett could no control him with the abuse she always inflicted on him. Antwone learned how to care for himself and along with the guidance of a few others throughout his homelessness. Once he turned 18, he enlisted in the Navy. Being in the navy and confiding in the mentors along the way taught Antwone self-confidence and opened his mind to communicating with others. Although he ran into a few bad times throughout his time in the Navy, he was able to overcome each obstacle and use it as a lesson to do better. Those vivid dreams he envisioned as a child of having a loving family finally came true. He began to travel the world and learned how to love and trust again. He was able to find his family