Summary Of Down The Street - 1148 Words

Down the street there is a house that shows no sign of life, but in this house in the deepest darkest nook some tiny girl cowards by. Her hair straggly, unwashed, acting as a veil to mask the dirt and grime that cakes her face. Her clothing tattered and holy, stained with urine, have not been washed in months at a time. Her stomach growls with a ferocious hunger, inducing unimaginable pain to pierce her abdomen. Days have past, causing her to forget the last time she had eaten. In this room there is no bed, only a feathered out pillow and sheet. The stench of sex, smoke, and feces saturates the sheet, leaving a foul smell to continuously linger. The paint on the wall chips, falling restlessly to the floor. During the cold nights, this is†¦show more content†¦She’s never really present and when she is, she is accompanied by several strange men at a time. There are often times they touch her while she sleeps. Other times they hit her. Then occasionally they stop even se eing her. However, they all remember her name. The little girl doesn’t know her name nor is it relevant to her. She’s 6 years old, and not once has she ever stepped foot in school let alone a playground. The woman vanished again. No water, no food, no love, no family. Children who have dwelled in neglectful and abusive households tend to become violent to their spouses and their children in later years. Inflicting the same pain that was forced on them as a child. Neglect and abuse can be combated. There are ways to fight the enemy. Early warning signs that might show that a child is being neglect and abuse are â€Å"bruises and soft tissue injuries, burns and scalds, and head and eye injuries. It also contains radiographs of fractures, necropsy photographs of children who experienced fatal abuse, and illustrations of conditions that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of physical abuse† (Phillip 1996). One of the measures that could be taken to prevent further or early childhood abuse is educational programs. It is pertinent that this kind of resource is provided to those who have already been abused. While its use in schools has significantly declined, corporal punishment by parents is legal in every state and parents