Child Abuse and Neglect in "An American Crime"

Movie Review- Child Abuse and Neglect
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Child abuse involves the misuse or the ill-treatment of a child by an older person. It takes the form of physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and neglect (Zeanah & Humphreys, 2018). Some forms of abuse, such as physical are easier to recognize than others, like emotional abuse. Emotionally abusive parents are cold towards their children and fail to support or love them. All forms of abuse towards children are harmful as they lead to a child’s negative developmental, mental, and social growth. Child neglect entails ignoring a child’s basic and security needs, making them feel stupid, and exposing them to dangerous and unsupervised situations. Most child neglect and abuse signs are not apparent, and abusers can cover up their acts. Therefore, key professionals (such as teachers, public health officers, and police officers) and the community must look for disturbing behaviors and signs that indicate child abuse. This study evaluates the characteristics of an abusive parent from An American Crime film.
An American Crime (2007)
Preview
The movie revolves around the abuse and neglect of Sylvia Likens by Gertrude Baniszewski. Sylvia and her sister Jenny are left under the care and protection of Gertrude (mother of several children, including Jonny, Stephanie, and Paula) when their parents leave for tour with a promise of a $20 cheque per week for upkeep. When the cheque is delayed, Gertrude whips Sylvia and Jenny. She also forces Paula to punish Sylvia for “spreading lies” about her while Jonny holds her down. Both Sylvia and Jenny are accused of stealing money, and the former is burned using a lit cigarette.
Additionally, Sylvia is sexually abused and thrown down the basement, where Jonny and his friends torture her daily. When the reverend visits Gertrude and tells her ...