EXPLORING CHILD MALTREATMENT IN DAVE PELZER’S TRILOGY OF MEMOIRS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE THREE-FACTOR THEORY OF CHILD ABUSE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs171-2202622901Keywords:
child maltreatment, abuse, neglect, parental aggression, trauma, resilienceAbstract
This study conceptualizes child maltreatment as the persistent outcome of parental aggression. This framework facilitates a detailed exploration of abuse, neglect, trauma, and resilience as interconnected links of maladaptive caregiving. We critically explore child maltreatment as portrayed in Dave Pelzer’s trilogy of memoirs (A Child Called “It”, The Lost Boy, and A Man Named Dave) through the lens of the three-factor theory of child abuse proposed by Lesnik-Oberstein, Cohen, and Koers in 1982. We examine how the three central components of the theory — high level of parental aggression; low level of parental inhibition of overt aggression; and focusing of parental aggression on the child — manifest in Pelzer’s lived experiences and contribute to long-term psychological trauma and resilience. By employing close textual analysis and contextual interpretation, this paper elucidates how the trilogy aligns with theoretical constructs of abuse and helps in understanding the cyclical and systemic nature of child maltreatment. Furthermore, the research foregrounds the impact of persistent abuse on Pelzer’s emotional development and identity formation, while acknowledging his astounding resilience. This integrative inquiry contributes to literary studies, trauma psychology, and child welfare discourse, offering insights into both the mechanisms of abuse and pathways to recovery.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sahil Rapriya; Nitesh Rajpurohit
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