Imagine living with an abusive mother for 16 years. You furtively sneak into the kitchen, take a piece of cookie and run back to your room. Next thing you know, your mother is pointing a knife against your throat, giggling and warning you not to sneak around. You now have a small cut on your throat. Oh, but don’t worry, she says she loves you very much.
Although I doubt that anyone in this room has experienced anything similar to this scenario, at least I hope not, domestic violence is an issue that The Rules of Survival illuminates. Domestic violence can branch off into many things such as sexual harassment, stalking, or even animal cruelty. But what this book specifically illuminates is child abuse. Matthew and his two sisters have been living with their abusive and unpredictable mother for too long. The unfortunate thing about this is how Matthew and his sisters are unaware of the violence. It takes a while for Matthew to even seek help from anyone.
The stereotype that is attached to the subject of child abuse is the thought of men being more abusive than women. The author challenges this stereotype through the book as the mother in the story is the abusive one, whereas the father is the one who is supporting the children from afar.
Although after doing some research, I found that women are twice as likely to abuse or neglect their child, mostly because they are known to spend more time with their children.
This book did not change my perspective, but rather broadened my understanding of domestic violence. I learned that domestic violence branches out into many different aspects that this book actually illuminates while keeping child abuse as the main issue.
Domestic violence towards children specifically is a huge issue that should be taken more seriously. And I quote, again, “...sometimes the people who mean harm, are the ones who say they love you.”
Although I doubt that anyone in this room has experienced anything similar to this scenario, at least I hope not, domestic violence is an issue that The Rules of Survival illuminates. Domestic violence can branch off into many things such as sexual harassment, stalking, or even animal cruelty. But what this book specifically illuminates is child abuse. Matthew and his two sisters have been living with their abusive and unpredictable mother for too long. The unfortunate thing about this is how Matthew and his sisters are unaware of the violence. It takes a while for Matthew to even seek help from anyone.
The stereotype that is attached to the subject of child abuse is the thought of men being more abusive than women. The author challenges this stereotype through the book as the mother in the story is the abusive one, whereas the father is the one who is supporting the children from afar.
Although after doing some research, I found that women are twice as likely to abuse or neglect their child, mostly because they are known to spend more time with their children.
This book did not change my perspective, but rather broadened my understanding of domestic violence. I learned that domestic violence branches out into many different aspects that this book actually illuminates while keeping child abuse as the main issue.
Domestic violence towards children specifically is a huge issue that should be taken more seriously. And I quote, again, “...sometimes the people who mean harm, are the ones who say they love you.”