Term Paper Assignment
Possible Books for Term Paper:
Bellini, A. (2013). Anelisse: A true story of child abuse. Monarch Publishing House.
Pemberton, S. (2012). A chance in the world: An orphan boy, a mysterious past, and how he found a place called home. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Peters, J. (2008). The heartbreaking survival story of a small mute boy who overcame unbearable suffering and found his voice again. Harper Element.
Instructions:
1. The general goal for this term paper is for you to learn to apply concepts from the field of child abuse and neglect to a particular case. This is not a book report, in which you review what happened. It is your job to critically examine what is reported in the book in terms of the material you learn about during the semester.
2. Select one from the above list of books to read. They are all available through www.amazon.com, and almost all are available in paperback.
You should get the book and begin reading it immediately, to get an overall sense of the account. It is likely that you will have to reread the book as you learn more about the field of child abuse and neglect and begin to apply concepts you have learned to this particular account.
3. You are expected to read at least three additional scholarly articles (from peer-reviewed journals, not from newspapers or magazines), in addition to the assigned readings for this course, in order to complete this paper.
4. You will use these outside readings, as well as your required reading and notes from class discussions, to complete the sections of the paper discussed below. You may choose to focus your outside research (scholarly articles) on one or more of the following:
a. causes/risk factors for the type of maltreatment you are reading about
b. the effects of such maltreatment
c. interventions for such maltreatment
5. Your paper will consist of three main sections: introduction and characteristics of maltreatment; impact of maltreatment; and, opportunities for intervention.
6. This first section focuses on introducing the maltreatment described in the book and the characteristics of maltreatment. This section should include the following information:
a. Full book citation (author, name of book, publisher, date of publication) in APA-style. See APA formatting resources in the Modules in CHAD 210 on Canvas.
b. Identification of the writer as the child victim, a therapist, or someone to whom the story was told.
c. Identification of the child: sex, ages covered in the book, cultural group, socioeconomic status, family constellation (e.g., mother, grandparents, 3 children), living circumstances covered in the book.
d. Characteristics of Maltreatment:
i. Identify the types of maltreatment described in the book (neglect, physical, sexual, psychological). Give specific examples.
ii. Discuss the role of family and community risk factors that played a role in the child maltreatment.
e. Your discussion should include references to the journal articles that you have found, as well as to the required readings.
7. The second section of your paper focuses on the impact of maltreatment and should include the following information:
a. Impact of Maltreatment. Discuss the impact that the maltreatment had on the child. Think about the way the child behaved and thought. Think about symptoms the child reports or that you identify based on what the book describes.
b. Discuss the cycle of violence and resilience. Is this child likely to go on to maltreat children or not? Is this child likely to have long-term problems in adulthood? What factors can you identify that are likely to lead down one road or the other? Be sure to examine evidence of strengths in the child, in the family, and in the environment that might be the bases of resiliency.
c. Your discussion should include references to the journal articles that you have found, as well as to the required readings.
8. The third section of your paper focuses on the opportunities for intervention. In the final section, you will discuss:
a. Opportunities for Intervention. Discuss whether there were opportunities for helping people to become involved that were never taken or opportunities for helping people to become involved earlier than they did if they eventually became involved. Discuss why those opportunities were lost.
Were there mandated reporters who failed to report? If so, why do you think they did not do this? If helpers eventually became involved, discuss what factors seem to have been present that made those helpers available and made them act.
b. Your discussion should include references to the journal articles that you have found, as well as to the required readings.
9. Your final paper should be 7 - 8 pages in length.
10. See "Term Paper Outline" for a detailed template of this paper.