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Mythopoeic Approach discovers certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought, which are ancient myths and folk rites, which they believe find
some expression in significant works of art. Psychological Approach involves certain recurrent pattern of human thought which draws on a different body of
knowledge. It uses psychological criticism, such as human motivation, human personality, and human development. This approach believes that human
personality develops from infancy through childhood until adolescence.
3. Child Abuse
The precious time of childhood is one should be nurtured by adults Pritchard 1. Many adults, even parents, do not really take care of children as
how it should. Children are abused physically and emotionally. The best evidence in Britain today is that 7 of children have in the recent past been subject to
severe physical abuse, 6 have been physically neglected, 6 have been emotionally abused, and 8 have been victims of contact sexual abuse Pritchard
1. There are two types of abuse, namely physical abuse and emotional abuse.
a. Physical Abuse
Pritchard proposes physical abuse as severe bruising and fractures caused by blows, head injuries, shaking, eye damage, suffocation, poisoning, marks by
sticks, whips and cords, marks of burning, biting and scalding 12. It is also described as any nonaccidental physical injury to the child, and also includes acts
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or circumstances that threaten the child with harm or create a substantial risk of
harm to the childs health or welfare Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Commonly, children who experience physical abuse will have the continuing punishment from the abusers. Moreover, children who learn that they
deserve frequent physical punishment develop poor self-esteem and make them more vulnerable to severe depression Pritchard 13. Pritchard and Butler say,
Ironically, as Straus and Gelles show, physically beaten children who act with rebellion and anger are often subject to further, more severe physical
punishment. At the extreme they enter a phase self-defeating behavior and attribution, in which apparently deviant children are subjected to further
punishment and rejection 2003.
Physically abused children will also have increased risk in later life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and wife
beating. They also have significantly higher lifetime rates of anxiety, alcoholism, and aggression towards others Pritchard 13-14.
b. Emotional Abuse
There are five different aspects of ‘psychological battering’: rejecting, terrorizing, ignoring, isolating, and corrupting of a child Pritchard 14. O’Hagan
1993 in Pritchard’s The Child Abusers: Research and Controversy defines psychological abuse as:
The sustained, repetitive, inappropriate behavior which damages, or substantially reduces, the creative and developmental potential of crucially
important mental faculties and mental processes of a child; these include intelligence, memory, recognition, perception, attention, and moral
development 15. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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It can also include instability of parenting figures, their sudden departure and arrival of new parents or partners for a mother, as well as inconsistency in
parental disciplinary activity, kindness and indulgence for short periods, followed by periods of harshness, emotional and physical cruelty 15.
Emotional abuse is defined as a pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. It also includes excessive,
aggressive, or unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity http:www.childabuse.orgabout20child20abuse.html.
Emotional abuse also includes failure to provide the psychological nurturing necessary for a childs psychological growth and development -- providing no
love, support or guidance National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
When parents ignore their children, and devote little time to them, as they grow older, their poor adjustments frequently lead to mischief Hurlock 652.
Moreover, there are three forms of psychological damage to young children that poor family relationship can cause,
1 They affect children’s attitude towards people outside the home and the way
children treat them, 2
They lead to poor adjustments as children grow older. Feeling unloved and unwanted in the family may create inferiority,
3 Children can be unhappy. Such children often develop the habit of being
unhappy. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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Hurlock describes that parental rejection destroys the children self-esteem and creates feeling of helplessness and frustration, which can permanently disable
the child in adjustment to life 661. As children grow older, antisocial behavior such as aggression, cruelty, swearing, seeking attention, praise, and unnecessary
help, and showing off is common Hurlock 438. Parental rejection also has some constructive values. Rejected children
become independent and capable of amusing themselves and of developing social interests. They are alert, shrewd, cunning, creative, realistic, and in a hurry to
grow up and leave school. Socially, they are early matures Hurlock 661.
4. Motivation
