Candidate name: Shantel Thomas School name: McGrath High Centre number: 100074 Candidate Number: Teacher name:

Miss Cobourne Date Submitted: January 24, 2013

Table of Contents

Page # Acknowledgement.. Introduction Preface. Reflective Piece. Analytical Piece.. Appendix. Bibliography I II 1 2 5 7 12

Acknowledgement

Firstly, I would like to greatly acknowledge God for his divine guidance and wisdom to do this internal assessment and secondly, to my Communication Studies teacher, Miss Cobourne for her invaluable service in helping me to complete this assessment. I would like to thank the persons who answered the questionnaires as well as the office of the Childrens Registry for showing the increasing rate of physical abuse in Jamaica. Last but by no means least, I would also like to thank my Mother for her support throughout my assessment.

Introduction
Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the childs health, survival, development or dignity, in the context of a relationship of responsibility trust of power. To be more specific to my topic, physical abuse is any act which results in non-accidental physical injury such as bruises and fractures that result from punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing or burning. Physical abuse is a worldwide problem affecting children from birth to 18 years of age and has been brought to light through several information media such as newspaper, radio, television and so on. In Jamaica since 2007-2009, 2,688 cases of Physical Abuse were reported to the office of Childrens registry (OCR) in Jamaica (see appendix). The high levels of abuse in the Caribbean and in Jamaica have taken what Mustapha (2009) describes as a toll on the children of the region. In Jamaica for example over the last two years, approximately [100 hundred] children were murdered each year. Children need to be protected by their parents, the government and also by the world at large. Living with abuse, coping with abuse and surviving abuse are not easy for a child. The seriousness of the case and the lasting impact on children and the society at large makes this topic one of urgency.

This theme does not relate to my academic or work-related interest I just want to learn more about the topic. On the other hand my personal interest is that I dont like when children are being mistreated or abused by instruments that will affect them in the future. The theme is shown in the reflection and exposition by the way of using a story to show how persons can be abused.

Preface
Physical abuse is highlighted as a worldwide problem affecting children from birth to 18 years of age and has been brought to light through several by reports on television or radio, newspaper, internet and other information media. A topic of this nature is of relevance due to the growing increase and the lasting impact it has on children. The main reason why I chose this topic is that I hope that an increased awareness will cause individuals to become sensitive of the needs of children as well as the detrimental effect that physical abuse can have on a child. The data gathered can provide statistical data for analysis and allow all stakeholders (parents, guidance counselors, social workers and policy makers) to see the relevance of dealing with this urgently. My intended audience is to the world at large: parents, guidance counselors, social workers and policy makers, but to be more specific, it is intended to children of the society who are being abuse, this is because children are the ones that are being abuse and are afraid to speak up and out to the general public about being abuse. This topic will allow children to become educated about physical abuse and seek help to deal with being physically abuse. My intended audience will be aware of this topic in many different ways such as: by putting up posters and notices, making announcements, publishing it in the youth-link or other teenage magazine and using one of the social media that children are always using, face book.

Reflective Piece The life of being physically abuse

Gal guh tek out the chimney out a mi room! shouted Melina. But its not my chimney, I already took out mine, cant you take it out? You told me to do something and thats what I am doing explained Shanty. A back answa yah back answa mi? cum yah gal! Boom! Boom! Echoes resounded in Shantys back from a big piece of board. That fi show yuh seh u nuh fi back answa mi, go tek out the chimney now and fi dat mi nah give u nuh breakfast and mek sure u reach a school early less u dead in yah if u mek nuh baddy cal mi pan mi phone from yuh skool, and mek sure u reach yah before 3 p.m! shouted her aunt. Shanty hurried to her aunts room to take out the chimney and finished sweeping up the yard and carrying water for the house. When she was finished doing her chores, she readied herself hastily for school. She had to walk 1 miles to school, while she was walking, she would always try to remember how well her mother and father had treated her and the big city she lived in when she was smaller, before they died a year ago. She would also say to herself that she would leave high school with subjects that could get her away from her evil aunt; and that would strengthen and encourage her to try to reach school early and do her best in school no matter what. Shanty was a 16 year old girl who lived in a one bedroom board house with a kitchen attached and an outside

bathroom, with her Aunt Melina and her boyfriend, Melvin, who would ill-treat her in many different manners. Shanty was thirty minutes late for school because she had no breakfast to eat that morning and she didnt have much strength to walk briskly to school. When she entered the classroom all eyes were staring at her in amusement while others were simply grinning. Her desk was situated at the back of the class but because she was exhausted from the journey to school, it seem to her that her desk was 50 miles away. However, she took the journey to her desk slowly with her head hanging down like an ostrich. Luckily, the teacher wasnt in the classroom so she got away from being late that morning and now she could relax because no one would be calling her wicked aunt to get her into trouble. She then put her head on the desk for a while until her home room teacher entered the class to start the lesson. Later that afternoon the rain fell heavily with the thunder rolling and lightning flashing. It reminded her of a storm that happened when she was a little girl living with her parents. She was just wishing that the rain could stop so her aunt or Melvin wouldnt kill her. She couldnt go home in the rain because she wouldnt be allowed to enter the house and she would also be spanked for getting up her uniform wet. The rain stopped for a while at 4:00 p.m, and by the time she reached home it was night. She was afraid to go in but her aunts boyfriend met her at the gate and dragged her into the house. A you a di woman a di yard, u neva here yuh aunty seh u nuh fi cum yah late? Ehh! You nuh know u have things fi do ina d yard? he said while beating her with a hose all over her body. When he was finished he ordered her to do her chores in the night outside where no light was. When she went outside, a blanket of darkness wrap around her, she cried unconditionally while

trying to do her chores. After she was finished she went in the house and saw her dinner which was one dumpling and ackee, and she quickly ate it off and went to lie on the floor in the kitchen which she called her bed. Her life got harder each day with more things added to her chores. She was not doing well in school as she would normally do and the teacher, noticing that she wasnt her usual self, called her aside during lunch time and started to enquire what was wrong in her life as she saw frustration and hunger on her face and the way how she acted over the past months. Shanty didnt want to answer any of her questions but the teacher persisted on finding out what was wrong. Eventually, she told the teacher but the teacher had to promise her that no matter what, her aunt would not beat her for telling her the problem that she was facing. When the teacher heard the entire story she cried and hugged her tightly and promised her that she would not be abused again. She reported the incident to the police and the police arrested Shantys aunt and boyfriend. During the day of court they were both sentenced to prison for abusing a child under the age of eighteen years. The teacher cared about Shanty so she adopted her and got someone to counsel her. Shanty later became a successful business woman and is happily married and has two beautiful children. She has fulfilled her dream and made her parents and adopted mother very proud.

Analytical Piece
The story, The life of being physically abuse recounts the heartbreaking and unavoidable changes that can occur in an individuals childhood days as a result of being physically abused depending on the time and place of the act done. The writer employs a combination of language register and dialect variations to demonstrate how education, social mobility and social background can influence and alter a persons linguistic behaviours, in the case with disappointing and phenomenal consequences. The writer engages the reader with different types of registers such as: intimate, consultative and formal in various parts of the story. This is because wanted to get the readers attention in finding out how the story would end. At the beginning of the story, intimate register was used. The conversational tone from the aunt and niece implies that the niece is being respectful in the choice of language and pitch of voice but being out of place for answering a command that an elderly person gave. The aunt on the other hand was more demanding and high pitched in talking to a 16 year old child. Consultative register was shown when the aunts boyfriend dragged the child shanty into the house while asking her questions that should not be answered by Shanty while beating her. This was because he had power and he determined how the conversation goes. Shanty could not answer the questions because of the pressure of the hose being all over her body and if she dared to answer she would be beaten much harder. The formal register came about when the teacher was trying to get Shanty to talk about what was happening in her life. The narrator uses both basilect and mesolect variation in language throughout the story because he is ensuring that the target audience gains a basic understanding of the entire story. For the characters, Melina and Melvin they used basilect variation of language which is the Jamaican

Creole throughout the story this maybe because of the atmosphere they grew up in, the region they were currently living in and the educational background. for example A back answa yah back answa mi? cum yah gal! The teacher and Shanty used the acrolet variation of language this is because of their social background. Shanty was living with her parents in the big city where they use Standard English before her parents died and she moved to live with her aunt. Although she was living with her aunt, she did not adopt the style of language used, she sticked to her style of language because it was instilled in her from a tender age, she did not want to be disrespectful, she was confident in her language and because she was attending school where a formal setting is. The teacher was educated and had to use that style of the language because of the atmosphere (school setting) she was in. The story was done in a way that it would grab its target audience in understanding different types of language variation used in the environment and to use them in different and appropriate settings. It was done also to inform the readers of different cultural background.

Appendix Sources
Questionnaires Questionnaires Physical Abuse

Instructions: This is a questionnaire that is being done for a research competition. The information that you give will be confidential. You are not required to give your name. The data gathered will only be used for the purpose of the competition.

1.

Age:

10 and below ( )

11 ( )

12 ( )

13 ( )

14 & over ( )

2.

Sex:

Male ( )

Female ( )

3.

I live with

Both parents ( )

One parent ( )

My siblings ( )

Grandparents, parents, aunts, cousins etc. (

) By myself ( )

Other please state (

) __________________________________________________________

4.

I experience physical abuse

Very Often ( )

Often (

Seldom (

Never (

5.

Which of the following persons MOSTLY abuse you?

One Parent (

Both parents (

Aunt (

Uncle ( )

Sibling (

Other relatives (

) ______________ Other individuals (

6.

What is MOSTLY used to carry out the abuse to you?

Belt/Strap ( )

Sticks/Stones (

Cutting Instruments e.g. machete (

Other (

) please state

_______________________________________________________

7.

How do you normally respond to the abuse you experience?

Crying ( ) Nothing ( )

Running away (

) Retaliating

Hurt myself ( )

Other please state (

) ______________________________________

8.

The abuse that I experience impacts negatively on my life at school?

Strongly Agree (

Agree (

Disagree (

Strongly Disagree (

9.

I normally seek some form of help to deal with the abuse I experience

Very often ( )

Often (

Seldom ( )

Never (

10. If help is sought which of the following persons/groups do you MOST seek the assistance from?

Parents (

Other family member/s (

Friends (

Guidance Counselors (

Other (

) please state _________________________________________________________

The Office of Childrens Registry (OCR) in Jamaica

In Jamaica since 2007-2009, 2688 cases of Physical Abuse were reported to the office of Childrens registry (OCR) in Jamaica. Please see table below for statistics no types of abuses over the period 2007-2009 Incidents 2007 2008 2009 Total

Physical

112

992

1574

2688

Sexual Emotional Neglect Trafficking Substance

114 36 81 7 -

825 232 1607 11 31

1468 735 3001 16 141

2407 1003 4689 28 172

Table 1

The table below shows and even greater increase considering that the data show is only for the first half of 2012. REPORTED CHILD ABUSE CASES JAN JUN 2012 Nature of Abuse Neglect In need of care and protection Sexual abuse Exhibiting behavioural problems Physical abuse Emotional abuse Child labour Trafficking Table 2 Source - Office of the Childrens Registry Number of Reported Cases 2280 1555 1402 1226 1201 676 95 2

Bibliography

The Office of Childrens Registry (OCR) in Jamaica