Push by Sapphire: Neglect, Physical Abuse, and Sexual Abuse

Neglect, Physical Abuse, and Sexual Abuse
Student's Name
Institution
Neglect, Physical Abuse, and Sexual Abuse
Summary
Push by Sapphire tells a chilling story of Claireece Precious Jones through her teenage years as she navigates life as a child and as a mother of two children. The story begins when she is 16 years old, in 9th grade, pregnant with her second baby, and about to be kicked out of her school, I.S. 146. Precious got kicked out of school because of the pregnancy. Mrs. Lichestein, who later visits to talk about her education. Mrs. Lichenstein informs Precious of an opportunity she organized for her at Each One Teach One, an alternative school where she could continue her education in her state. This opportunity turns out to be a turning point in the life of Precious.
Precious narrates a chilling ordeal of how she was constantly raped and impregnated by her father, Carl Kenwood Jones. Her first child, Mongo, whom she got when she was twelve, and the pregnancy belong to her father. Precious also narrates how her mother sexually abuses her by touching her private parts and forcing her to perform oral sex. Apart from the sexual acts, her mother also constantly verbally and physically abuses her. At the alternative school, she meets classmates and a teacher who cares for her, and she eventually begins to have hope in education and life.
The interactive class at the alternative school under Blue Rain's guidance helps her learn how to read and write. When she gives birth, 'Miz Rain' helps her get a house for herself and her son, Abdul. As the novel ends, Precious is in a better position in life as she can attend classes, therapy sessions, and support group meetings.
Key Concepts
The experiences of Precious under her parents mirror well some key concepts covered by Gosselin (2019). The textbook concepts that relate to the experiences of Precious are neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. The sections below examine these concepts and how they are reflected in the life of Precious.
Neglect
Precious is neglected in various facets of her life. In the textbook, Gosseline (2019) adopts the definition of neglect as a parent's failure to provide shelter, food, medical care, or supervision to ensure the child's well-being, safety, and health are protected. The author notes that the concept is based on parental responsibility to take care of children's needs because they are unable to do that on their own. The author asserts that parents are responsible for providing educational opportunities and seeking medical attention for their children. Precious experienced neglect right from a young age. In the novel, Precious narrates how her father would disappear for years when she got pregnant (p.34). Instead of providing for both of his children (Precious and Mongo), he chose to run away. In this case, there are two victims of neglect, as they are left to depend on welfare programs for survival. Precious's parents failed to provide for their daughter and grandchild adequately.
Two types of neglect covered by Gosseline (2019) that resonate well with Precious's situation are educational and medical neglect. Gosselin (2019) described a failure to attend to a child's special educational need constitutes educational...