MARCH 5TH, 1973: on this date one of the cruelest cases of child abuse came to light in California, USA. The victim of this gruesome case was Dave Pelzer, the author of this book. The writer’s mother, an alcoholic, abused young Dave for no reason. She had also been mistreated by her own mother, demonstrating the vicious circle of child abuse in our society.

Beaten: unforgettable moments
Dave was an ordinary boy who liked playing with his friends and wanted to be loved by his parents. Yet this was just a daydream for poor young Dave. Besides being beaten, he was starved, almost drowned, compelled to eat his excrement and inhale poisonous gasses. His mother even stabbed him with a knife. And he was not allowed to tell anyone about what his mother had done to him, but instead had to say that his injuries were his own fault. To make matters worse, his mother pretended to treat him kindly in front of other people, and thus the neighbors thought he was a problem child who broke his mother’s heart. Because of her hypocrisy, no one dared imagine that she was responsible for one of the cruelest cases of child abuse in history. Even his father could not bear the suffocating daily life, and made up his mind to run away from home. His father’s absence drove Dave into deep despair, since his father was the only one who had sided with him. Nor was there any reason why his mother treated Dave so much more cruelly than his brothers. But this much is certain: with his father gone, his mother became even more brutal and merciless, and she also began to drink even more heavily than before.

Rescued: Am I really free?
Eventually his school nurse became aware of what was happening to him, and gently coaxed him to reveal what his mother was doing. Yet he was too afraid, and found it very hard to reveal his secrets to anyone. He was too busy trying to explain away his injuries. Sometimes he even thought that it might be better if he were in jail, since at least there he would not be beaten.
Yet at last he timidly told his teacher what his mother was doing to him. With her help, all his neighbors were informed of the abuse that he was suffering at home. He was legally emancipated, and was soon adopted into a new family.

Later: I was not a bad boy
   Violence begets violence. It is no wonder, then, that abused children treat their children in the same way they were treated by their parents. Yet in Dave’s case, things did not turn out this way. He was lucky enough to escape from a shadowy past, and thinks he is blessed that the hardships he suffered made his spirit strong. And he also appreciates that people around him have influenced him in positive ways. Yet unlike Dave, most abused children try to hide their past. Because of their shame, they do not want to admit that they were abused. And those who have painful memories will usually end up treating children cruelly, even if they do not intend to. Yet despite his dark past, Dave, who now has his own family, does not mistreat his son Steve, but tries to lead an ordinary life as a father. He says that he wants to put an end to child abuse.

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Hundreds of thousands of children - each a precious gift to our society - have suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse. Dave is only one of these victims. But while he was able to survive the harsh environment in which he grew up, many children are still being abused by their family or neighbors. And their pains are being ignored. This writer’s sincere confession should remind us that innocent children who are victims will often grow up to do other children harm. This vicious circle will not stop until we change our attitude, and take strong action against child abuse.