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The Detrimental Effects of Child Abuse on its Adolescent Victims

The sound of his car swerving into the driveway and the flash of the headlights through my

pale pink curtains and into my eyes made me shiver. Jumping into bed, I engulf myself under my

covers and shut my eyes tight, wishing I could just become invisible. The creak of the front door

and the smashing of the beer bottle rang in my ears, and he stumbled to my door, already half

ripped off the hinges. A knock on the door does not exist anymore in this home, he barges in,

turning the key in the lock and slurs his words, asking me if I did all my chores. I shove my

phone between the pillows and tell him that I have. This was an everyday occurrence, and

everyday occurrence of reliving this nightmare, the fever I can not sweat out. My dad creeps

over, with the smell of alcohol fresh on his breath and sweating through his pores from the

previous night, and just stares, and I know he is about to burst. Me, a girl on her thirteenth

birthday, forced to sit and clean like a slave with no recognition that I am human, a daughter. His

hand slaps me across the face, and I know I am in for another beating, for what? I wish I knew, I

wish someone would save me from this ongoing cycle, I wish mama had never left. Child abuse,

harm in which seemingly never gets called upon. Children commonly seem to be laughing and

smiling, however behind closed doors, that simply in cases proves false. Child abuse exists in

multiple forms, each shakes a child to the core for their whole lives those chills will never

vanish. The studies and statistics for caretakers who physically, emotionally, sexually abused,

neglected, or abandon a child deem truly absurd. The effects are something one must dig deep to

understand the pain and battle scars of the victims. Abuse as a child provides victims with long-

term effects, physically, mentally, and emotionally, altering them for life.

The infamous court case of Lyle and Erik Menendez murdering their parents was strictly an

act out of fear for their lives, from their dark past enduring childhood mental, physical, and
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sexual abuse. In 1989, two brothers by the name of Lyle and Erik Menendez fatally shot and

killed their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez. Fifteen bullets, fifteen gun wounds, two

brothers, two guns, and two lives that can never be replaced. Within those statements, people

never seem to mention the years of Lyle and Erik’s lives they were tormented. Throughout the

course of the trial, the boys obtained two separate lawyers, who pleaded a lighter sentence under

California law than the death penalty. They pleaded that Lyle and Erik’s actions were the result

of years of sexual and mental abuse by their parents. With such an immense amount of money

and power under the Menendez family’s belt, if the sons reached out for help, their voices would

have been muffled. Due to the possible disbelief, serious measures had to be carried through. The

conditions behind closed doors the brothers had to live behind were not as ideal as everyone

thought, "They say that Jose Menendez sexually molested his older son from the ages 6 to 8 and

his younger son from the ages 6 to 18" (Corry). Child abuse is real; this case is raw. Molestation

is embarrassing and cold, falling into the categories of physical and mental abuse. For anyone,

this pain is unbearable and can lead to a simple snap, in this case, the murder. The Menendez

brothers shocked the nation with their case of "cold-blooded" murder to their parents, but with

their mental and physical health distorted, there is no surprise they needed an escape from

reality.

The Menendez brothers truly believed they were in danger through their parent’s actions,

their psychological state during this time is what drove them to the breaking point. The murder

of Jose and Kitty Menendez acted as a cry for help, they marked the extreme limit of familial

tensions and breakdowns. Nightmares became a reality as they began to believe their parents

were plotting to murder them simply for their knowledge and intelligence on their own child

abuse. As for the older son, and brother, Lyle, “As a child, he said, he began imitating his
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father’s sexual violence by abusing his younger brother. When he discovered a few years later

that his father had begun molesting his brother, he testified, he confronted him. He said his father

threatened to kill him if he told anyone about it” (Corry). The boys added that they felt they had

no choice, that Jose would kill them, get rid of them both. They wished to ruin their father and

diminish the feelings of shame and embarrassment. Lyle and Erik were in tears through their

testimonies, the pain showed sharp-edged in their eyes, traumatized by the events that took place

in their own home. The brothers were drained, however in physical and mental pain no longer,

the years of abuse endurance put a strain on their brain and state of mind. Prior to the murders,

Erik had attended therapy, the abuse only added an immense amount of stress. When their

parents had perished, so did the brother's sorrow. The Menendez brothers were treated far too

harsh for their state of mind, mental state.

As demonstrated in the case of the Menendez brothers, Kitty Menendez was similarly

abused moving on to prey on her children in a cruel cycle. The cycle of abuse is one of the major

causes of defects of reality, for its undertakers right from wrong is skewed and the victims

continue on into an unhealthy state of mind moving on to abuse. This unstoppable sequence

occurs when an abused child moves into their adult lifestyle knowing nothing other than what

their parents had told them, going on to abuse their own children. There are four components in

the cycle, the first being the original setup, the origin being through the perpetrators. Then along

comes the emotional blackmail, learned helplessness, and the stress-response cycle. Violence

passed down from one generation to the next, spawns a greater amount of violence. Similar to

any other cycle, unless a concept is altered such as getting therapy or other methods of

supportive measures, it will continue relentlessly. In statistics listed by the American SPCC,

more than ninety percent of victims know their perpetrator, family members being the most
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frequent recorded cases (American SPCC). A similar institute also reported that roughly thirty

percent of neglected and abused children will continue the horrible cycle of abuse, this number is

alarmingly high, it has spiraled out of control (EDC Institute). The most crucial part of this cycle

is the emotional blackmail, and how the prey deal with it, “When a child gets older, the child

feels worthless, and is filled with enormous shame and self-hate. But what they don’t realize is

that they have been blackmailed by their abusers that somehow by responding to innocent needs

for affection, they were the cause of their own abuse” (EDC Institute). Mental and physical

abuse go hand in hand, and when both remain constant the victim feels as if the comments made

prevail true, and their injuries deserved. At this point, they are emotionally unstable and the

response is to act out on others how they are treated; These children seem to be taught in a

corrupt manner. The cycle of abuse also exists in relationships, however, the terms of child abuse

are nearly labeled unstoppable, for the victims do not know any better. The sufferers exist

mentally, emotionally, and physically drained throughout the ongoing cycle.

Solely abuse is the origin of the cycle, but why do parents tend to abuse their children? Part

of the human race are taught that “tough love” is the only real type of love; parents are taught to

love their children. Tough love is an oxymoron, in which constraints are enforced and

responsibility for all is taken by the victim, in an act of affection with negative consequences.

Children are dependent on their parent, and follow in their footsteps, even if they detect

something wrong, they are fragile and vulnerable. A child’s voice can not be heard loud and

clear, they are incapable of speaking out and standing up for themselves. Alongside abusive

parents, there would conceive severe punishments for their actions, as abusers often threaten

their children. Coping methods of abuse for victims are abided by the parents. Guardians could

not send them out into the world with their battle scars of being neglected, and the guardians
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themselves would refuse therapy. In addition, environmental change such as moving house to

house, or city to city, can cause immense amounts of stress that could rupture at any moment,

and their innocent children are in the line of fire. Even built up anger can be the beginning of

tremendous episodes of abuse. Children’s eyes are not shielded to this behavior, the poor actions

are all they know; abuse is all they know, in which ties back to how they learn from their

parental guidance. However, the abusers sometimes may simply be following the cycle, their

emotions are at an all-time high, snapping on the drop of a dime. In a study from Psychology

Today, the author states, “They lash out, not for the sake of providing their children with a bright

future or teaching them to be good. They are reacting out of an emotional storm within them,

often triggered by an implicit memory of their own unresolved traumas from childhood”

(Firestone). With the issue of unstable guardians it is visible the cycle of abuse is not just a name

or excuse, it is a real issue which needs to be cracked with true psychological help. The predators

teach their children it is acceptable to lash out when emotions are running wild, this is never the

case. They believe their parents, trapped in the ongoing cycle of abuse. The repetition is hard to

break through, it is similar to a stone wall where you can not see the other side.

Through the cycle of abuse, victimization of child abuse lights the way for self-degrading

actions; prostitution is included on this unfortunate list. As growing up persists to be difficult,

victims may feel they have nowhere sufficient to turn to with their grief and shame. Numbing the

pain for only a temporary amount of time, prostitution could be the path to take if events

correlated in the past. Most commonly, sexual abuse creates tension in relationships later on in

life, emotionally and physically, and acts like a wall similar to the cycle. However, even lack of

sexual activity in their abusive past, whether it has been their harming partner or guardian, could

drive them to the brink. In the industry, some feel safe, they do not have to take their sorrows and
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anger out on loved ones, but total strangers as an alternative. For once, the prior victims have a

prominent voice. Countless cases of unknown names are brought up for prostitution, countless

child abuse victims have been growing up as prostitutes. There are sexual assault and abuse cases

embedded in the prostitution industry. Through statistics, there lies raw evidence that prostitution

is a self-degrading pattern one wishes not to follow. Opposing Views in Context by GaleGroup

includes, “The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) conducted a study in which 57

percent of women working as prostitutes in the state reported they were sexually abused as

children. The study also found that more than 90 percent lost their virginity through assault, and

70 percent believed being sexually abused as children influenced their decision to become

prostitutes.” (Lydersen). Their pitiful past leads to their equally as pitiful future as a prostitute.

Prior trauma, physically, emotionally, and mentally, influences their decision to attempt and feel

secure again and not vulnerable, and to be in control. Prostitution is an unhealthy security

blanket, that must be thrown away with the past life of victims from child abuse.

A common theme within victims of abuse throughout one’s childhood is to temporarily

numb the pain and shame, which is what drugs and alcohol can provide. Choices to let their past

overtake their future is simply overpowering. Therapy is refused, they feel as if they have their

life under control when in reality they are throwing their lives away in the hands of a package

store or a drug dealer. Undoubtedly, one-time using drugs or alcohol as a stressed victim can

easily slip into a gateway to alcoholism and severe drug addiction. Drug use and alcohol drinking

can extend the cycle of abuse for their children. Alcohol and drugs are brain and life-damaging,

"Children who have experienced abuse and maltreatment show changes in important parts of

their brains. These changes are linked to depression, drug addiction, schizophrenia and other

mental health problems, according to a new study from Harvard University." (Elements
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Behavioral Health). Health issues arrive, then come with mental health deficiencies that can be

passed down through generations genetically. Child abuse leads to more than psychological,

physical, and mental effects, but also unhealthy habits that commonly damage life expectancy.

Although child abuse pertains a bad reputation, in specific cases it is believed that child

maltreatment is used as an effective disciplinary system, with no ties to psychological, mental

and physical altercations. Children have minds of their own, and tend to run about and complete

the tasks they want when they want; Children are simply hard to tame. Discipline is needed in

order for an efficient lifestyle, to know rights and wrongs. However, in circumstances, methods

of discipline are often falsely labeled as child abuse. Child abuse is commonly thought out,

whereas discipline such as scolding by yelling is an immediate response to misbehavior. Being

scolded once in a while is not likely to alter a “victim’s” state of mind. A single hit to get a point

across will not leave scars that last forever. If a child fails to meet correct, moral, expectations,

they will be corrected, and that is not abuse, that is being a righteous parent or guardian. As

stated in an article by Livestrong, “Positive discipline helps children to learn and change their

behavior. Child abuse can result when discipline or attempts to control a child becomes

excessive and injures the child.” (Smenyak). Negativity does not swarm around correction in

your child’s actions, it can be brought upon in a positive manner without degrading lifelong

effects.

Child abuse causes extreme trauma for its victims, the lifelong negative effects are not

worth using forceful actions to get children to behave ideally. The abuse of a child is never

acceptable in any case or circumstance, and the risk of continuing the cycle of abuse seems

never-ending, until parents truly begin to understand the toll on the children. Perpetrators are ill,

whether they come to their senses or not, their mental state is skewed as this is passed down to
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the innocent victim. Abuse as a child is something one can never seem to shake, the vivid

pictures of their abuse and the look of anger in their parent's eyes is something snapshotted in

their minds forever, the effects stay with one for a lifetime. A child should have a fresh and open

mind, and not one full of fear and disorder. Abuse manipulates and twists a child's natural sense

of trust and love, the innocent feelings are mocked as they learn to become numb to the pain,

they want to grow up. Children are emotionally, mentally, and physically beaten daily. The

permanent scars and bruises are not only seen on the skin but remain on their hearts and cut deep

in their minds. Subsequently, children are capable of breaking through the repetitious cycle and

the malicious actions placed upon them. Through awareness, education, and therapy, it is

possible the physical, mental, and emotional tragedies brought onto the youth through child

abuse, will be diminished.

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Works Cited

“Child Abuse Linked to Alcoholism, Drug Addiction.” Addiction Treatment | Elements |

Drug Rehab Treatment Centers, 27 Feb. 2012,

www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/addiction/child-abuse-alcoholism-drug-addiction/.

“Child Abuse Statistics.” American SPCC, americanspcc.org/child-abuse-statistics/.

Lydersen, Kari. “Childhood Sexual Abuse Often Leads to Prostitution.” In These Times,

edited by Louise Gerdes, 17 Nov. 2003. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010461207/OVIC?u=tecu26050&xid=96e5e99f.

Accessed 2017.

Corry, John. “'GENERATIONS OF VIOLENCE,' THE CYCLE OF CHILD ABUSE.”

The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Mar. 1986,

www.nytimes.com/1986/04/01/movies/generations-of-violence-the-cycle-of-child-

abuse.html.

“Cycle of Child Abuse Trauma.” EDC Institute, www.edcinstitute.org/library/120-

effects-and-impact/153-cycle-of-child-abuse-trauma.html.

Firestone, Lisa. “Here's How to Break the Cycle of Child Abuse.” Psychology Today,

Sussex Publishers, 19 Sept. 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-

matters/201409/here-s-how-break-the-cycle-child-abuse.

Smenyak, Sarah. “The Difference Between Discipline and Child Abuse.”

LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 24 May 2015, www.livestrong.com/article/69111-

difference-between-discipline-child/.
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