49 Loose behind these two assessments was a memo from the
county’s consulting psychiatrist with the single statement : Chronic Malajustment to Childhood. I smiled at it in spite of myself; what an
astute conclusion this man had drawn. How helpful to us all. The only normal reaction to a childhood like Sheila’s would be chronic
maladustment. 31
In conclusion, Sheila was ignored. Both her father and her mother did not love her. Sheila did not have a close and warm emotional relationship with her
caretaker. Sheila became a depressed child. It was seen by her blaming herself, having low self-respect and saying that her mother did not love her. Berkowitz
66 says that negative emotion stimulates children to behave aggressively. Moreover, Berkowitz 288 says parents’ rejection influences children to behave
aggressively. Sheila grew up an aggressive child because she had emotionally unavailable parents. Hurlock 509 says young children who feels rejected will
become anticosial child in the form of aggression.
3. Sheila’s Physical Abuse
Sheila was physically abused her father. Sheila’s father often whipped her to discipline her. Sheila’s father whipped Sheila to reduce Sheila’s aggressive
behavior. “’My Pa, he gonna whip me fierce when he sees I do this.” 45. Torey asked Sheila after she was spanked by Mr. Colins if Mr. Collins
spanked her because she destructed Mrs. Holmes’ room. Sheila told to Torey that being spanked would make Sheila better. Baumrid as cited in Berkowitz 234
explains that punishing children harshly makes children afraid and depressed. Deep inside Sheila’s heart, Sheila felt afraid and sad. When Sheila cried, she
would recall the negative experience of her mother’s leaving. After she was
50 punished, she did not want to express that she was sad. Berkowitz 230 and
Montgomery et al 146 say that punishment in order to educate children is the tendency to show parent’s power. Being smacked is a form of violation against
children. “I don’t never cry.”
“Why not?” “Ain’t nobody can hurt me that ways.”
I looked down at her. “What do you mean?” “Ain’t nobody can hurt me. They don’t know I hurt if I don’t cry. So
they can’t hurt me. Ain’t nobody can make me cry neither. Not even my Pa when he whips me. Not even Mr. Collins. You seen that. I don’t cry even
when he hits me with the stick. You seen that, didn’t you?” “Yes, I saw it. But don’t you want to cry? Didn’t it hurt?”
For a very long moment she did not respond. She took hold of one of my hands in both of hers. “It sort of hurts.” She looked up, her eyes
unreadable.”Sometimes I do cry a little, at night sometimes. My Pa, he don’t come home ‘til it be real late sometimes and I have to be by myself
and I get scared. Sometimes I cry a little bit; it get wet right here on my eyes. But I make it go away. Crying don’t do no good, and it makes me
think of Jimmie and my Mama if I cry. It makes me miss them.” 123.
The physical abuse resulted in Sheila begin an antisocial child. Sheila’s antisocial character as related to Sheila’s character and characterization has
already been mentioned. According to Berkowitz 229 parents who are harsh and often punish their children usually influence their children to behave aggressively
and may cause their child to be antisocial. Physical abuse was the transmitter of Sheila’s negative emotion. Sheila felt
afraid and sad. Sheila’s feelings brought depression because Sheila always recalled her memories of her mother if she was sad. Moreover, Sheila grew an
antisocial and aggressive child. Sears et al as cited in Taylor et al 396 said that reducing child’s aggression by torturing them produces a more aggressive child.
Sheila grew up an aggressive child because of her background of physical abuse.
51
4. Sheila’s Sexual Abuse
