Abuse

Abuse was a big theme in the story Whale Talk. There were many different types presented. I decided to do a little bit of research on abuse to see how it related to the novel. Dictionary.com says that abuse is "harshly or coarsely insulting language" or "bad or improper treatment; maltreatment." This describes perfectly the abuse that is put upon Heidi Marshall in Whale Talk. "to commit sexual assault upon" is another definition that Dictionary.com offered and that describes the sexual abuse that was put upon Andy Mott, even though it is only briefly mentioned.

So what is abuse? There are so many types of abuse, but the ones presented in Whale Talk are: physical, emotional, sexual, verbal and neglect--or a combination. Physical is abuse is the easiest to spot of all the different types of abuse. This is when the abuser physically attacks their victim. The physical abuse can be anything, like hitting, punching, kicking, burning, choking, or inflicting any significant physical pain. Emotional abuse is when someone threatens, criticizes or lowers someone's self-confidence and self-worth so much that it is damaged greatly. Emotional abuse can be just as painful as physical. Sexual abuse is when an adult has any type of sexual contact with someone 18 years-old or younger, or between a signficantly older and younger child. Neglect is when a person (usually a child or a teen) does not have adequate clothes, food, housing, supervision or medical care. Emotional neglect is when a parent pays barely or no attention to their child or when they don't provide enough emotional support. Abuse can be directed at people or turn into hate crimes just because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or abilities.

There are a lot of effects of abuse. The person being abuse has very badly effected self-esteem, usually. Teens who are abused usually have trouble eating, concentrating, and sleeping. Their grades in school may suffer and will probably distrust others. Some emotional effects are low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, personality disorders, alienation, and withdrawal. Physical effects may include injury, cognitive difficulties, physical disabilities, health problems, or even death. Common behavioral effects include delinquency, suicide attempts, criminal/antisocial behavior, aggressive behavior, anger, and substance abuse. Abuse often goes unreported because the person/people being abused have trouble reporting someone they love.

Why do people abuse? There are many explanations. The abuser may have been abused themselves. Mental illness and psychosocial factors also may be a reason. Unforeseen circumstances that place families under stress can be a cause. For example, sickness, disability, and divorce may cause that extra stress.

The best way to prevent abuse, child abuse in particular, is to support families and supply them with skills and resources they need.