Write your reactions to Tina's story based on the guidelines provided to you on Google Apps from school bps apps. Write your response and then respond to at least two classmates about their ideas and discussion. Each Post is worth 20 points. Thanks!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tina's World
Write your reactions to Tina's story based on the guidelines provided to you on Google Apps from school bps apps. Write your response and then respond to at least two classmates about their ideas and discussion. Each Post is worth 20 points. Thanks!
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When I read Chapter 1 I became deeply disturbed quite quickly. I cannot believe that "Tina" feels the need to sexually please men in order to receive attention. I don't think she truly understands the magnitude of her actions.
ReplyDeleteIt is most likely that she doesn't realize the magnitude of her actions because she hasn't been taught how huge of a deal sex really is. It seems that today that most people don't understand or care that sex is meant to be something more. Now keeping that in mind, think about the psychological effects that the abuse caused. If her abuser believes that sex isn't a big deal and then convinces Tina the same thing then she really won't ever realize the magnitude of her actions.
DeleteTina has been abused for 2 years in between age 4 and 6. It's that time period that we learn how to act towards other people and start to become socialized. All that she could learn about men is that all they wanted was sex. She hasn't really had any other experiences with them. She wasn't looking for attention she just didn't know any better. And she definitely didn't understand what she was actually doing, she probably just felt like that was what she was supposed to do and was normal.
DeleteTatjana made a good point that between those ages is when we learn how to treat others and how others should treat us. If that's what she grew up knowing then that's they way she will act. However I was also disturbed as well Jake because no child should have to go through that at such a young age, or at any age at all.
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ReplyDeleteAs soon as I started the first chapter of this book and learned about what happened to Tina and what her symptoms were i started thinking about PTSD, which I later on found out was the disorder Tina was diagnosed with. It’s pretty impressive to think about how much our past actually affects our future. For example in Tina’s case she will probably never be able to have a healthy relationship at all, or without remembering her past experience. Her learning process reminded me a lot about Ivan Pavlov’s experiment ( where he notices show dogs drool at food, he starts ringing a bell every time he feeds them and soon dogs start drooling on the sound of the bell), Tina however was sexually abused every time she was around men and as soon as a guy came around her again she assumed that he wanted to do the same thing, even if he didn’t.
ReplyDeleteThe comparison you made between Tina's experience and the Pavlov Experiment wasn't something that had crossed my mind, but I'm glad you said it. That was a great connection to make. It made me see how people, like animals, can be conditioned to believe almost anything, bad or good. The affect others have on our brains, which ultimately controls our lives, is all around us, although we may not always see it.
DeleteI like the point you made about how our past affects our future. Not everyone seems to think to much about that but that is how lessons are learned and rewards are given. It is true she probably never will, or will at least have a really hard time trying to have a solid relationship with others. It is sad to think that her behavior could have been a part of society's norm but one incident screwed up her standard of a norm.
DeleteYour comparison was very good I thought. I agree that Tina will probably always associate men with wanting sexual relations especially since she didn't get the help she needed right away. The things that happy to us when we are younger have such an impact on the rest of our lives. It's very sad to me that children have to grow up in some of the situations they've had to.
DeleteThat's crazy how you related this to Pavlov's experiment. Where men would be the stimulus and sex would be the responses. I would have never thought of this but I'm so glad you did because it connects really well. Also how like past traumas affect our futures.
DeleteYour comparison is something I probably wouldn't have thought of, but it relates to this topic so well. It just shows that we can be so programmed to do something when we don't know better.
DeleteI would of never thought of the comparison you made from Pavlov's experiment. Now that I think about it, it does make sense. Its sad that she has to think that way from her past experiences.
DeleteThe comparrison to the dog expirement makes sense, i never thought of it that way. I also never really thought about tinas future and how she will probably not be able to have a trusting or healthy relationship with a man, which is sad. It really comes to show that your past can very much effect your future.
DeleteI do not fully agree with the statement that she will not have a health relationship with a man ever, only because she is already developing a healthy relationship with Dr. Perry himself. It is matter of a man who knows what is right from what is wrong. As Tina continues to grow, the hope is that she will learn not all men are only interested in sex. I wanted to see more in the book of Dr. Perry's questions and Tina's responses, does learn from her sessions that doing sexual things to all men is wrong? I do agree with the way you tied Pavlov's experiment so Tina, the only men she made contact with wanted to perform sexual acts with her, disturbing.
DeleteThe connection you made with Pavlov is amazing! That helped me think about the stimulus and responses in Tina's case ultimately helping me better understand. I hope that Tina will be able to control her responses in the future and lean away from all stimuli.
DeleteTaylor Nein
DeleteI never looked at her as having a form of PTSD, but now that you mentioned that I can really see the similarities. I have to do agree some what with your thoughts on the similarity between Ivan Pavlovas experiment. The only difference I see though is that in his experiment the dog was able to go back to normal, and Tina is forever traumatized by the event.
Bringing up Pavlov's experiment was a very interesting thing to compare Tina's trauma with. But it's to simple to express all the learning damage caused by her trauma in my opinion. Tina is not only socially damaged but also her learning process of speech that stemmed from her lack of self esteem. However it did explain her reaction to men, luckily Tina is no experiment, she can still get help for her sexual tendencies and possibly even have a healthy relationship one day. With just her hour of therapy she managed to build confidence quickly and even some self esteem. Also Tina is still young and can be vulnerable to social knowledge and possibly even forget the memory pattern of her tragic childhood.
DeleteThe Pavlov comparison is perfect for this situation. Tinas first experience with the doctor on his lap is exactly like the dog and the bell. Also your point on the past impacting the future is key to this whole chapter. In this case it was a major event but I think that could be used for anything in someone's history.
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ReplyDeleteThe first word that crossed my mind after reading Tina’s story was, how? How could her babysitter do that, especially to such young children? How could the adults not recognize and put a stop to this abuse earlier? And finally how could a little girl put up with all of that, just to be socialized into thinking that behavior was normal? All of these questions come back to tie in with the brain and its various functions that leads it to have so much power and control starting at birth, continuing throughout the duration of our lives. It amazes me just how much our subconscious thought processes affect our daily lives without us even being aware of it.
It seems to me that we have to spend time thinking about what we aren’t doing in order to begin to comprehend the things we are doing. The traumatic events Tina faced in her childhood led her to engage in inappropriate acts, such as “sex play” in school. Some people would hear this story and say that it would require more than the abuse from her babysitter to teach her such callous ways. After reading more about the brain it is clear to me that it actually takes very little trauma, as long as it occurs within a certain time frame to teach a child. Especially in her case, where she was as young as she was and her mother was gone as often as she was.
On the first page of chapter one Dr. Perry gave a physical description of Tina, which included the fact that she was African-American. As I continued to read this chapter that small detail kept entering my thoughts. Once I was done and began processing what I had read it hit me, would her race have had played any part in the abuse she suffered? We know her babysitter was sick, but it just makes me wonder if in any way the abuse he inflicted upon Tina and Michael was an act to portray his dominance over them, whether that was to do with race or age or simply his inability to comprehend right from wrong.
I really like the point you make about the author pointing out Tina's race. It really makes us question of the abuse could be considered a hate crime or if he was incapable of realizing his actions hurt other people. I think if we were to look further into the abusers past then we may be able to determine the previous questions.
DeleteI agree with what you said about how little trauma can affect someone so young. They are still learning the ways of the world so in their mind it is something that is normal. I also liked what you put in there about race. The thought had not occurred to me but it is something I can now think about and analyze as the book goes on.
DeleteI also noticed that her mother was gone a lot and there was no fatherly figure, besides her mothers of and on boyfriends. So really there was no one to tell her that Tina was not acting and behaving like other kids her age. I also liked the part where you talked about her race. Her race had not crossed my mind even the slightest and that could be a very controversial reason as to why her babysitter abused her and her brother.
DeleteIt's interesting how you tied her race and his need for dominance in. Like how her environmental circumstances impact her too. And thinking about how this is a key age for learning helps me realize how much more it affects her. like also thinking about how we are impacted in our lives too. Yeah there are so many how and why factors its crazy!
DeleteWhen I first read the chapter I never thought that race would be a component in the sexually abuse. But since you pointed it out I can kind of see why the babysitter sexually abused her. Its crazy to think that amount of trauma in that span of time could affect her for a whole lifetime.
DeleteThe comment about race was interesting. I never thought about that and how race could of played a role in Tina getting abused. She was effected by this event so much it would be sad if that is why she was abused.
DeleteGoing off on the race idea, if you watch a lot of crime shows like I do, then from watching them you know that a predator has a certain criteria for their victims. Whether it be race, age, sex, hair color, or any other physical appearances. So if you take her brother into consideration, the only thing that I read about that they have in common was their race. It is a sad thing but there is a good chance that is why her and her brother were chosen.
DeleteAnd then going off what Jessica said about "her mother was gone a lot," I don't know if you have started reading chapter 5, but I have and trust me "Tina's" mother might have been gone while she was working, but it is nothing compared to what the mother in chapter 5 with her infant.
I'm glad you brought up Tina's race, because I hadn't thought of that. But now that I am thinking of it, I realize that all through that chapter I too thought about her race and how it might affect her life. I also wonder if maybe Tina's abuser was sexually abused at a young age? Often, you hear of people who were abused as children who grow up and do the same to other kids. Sixteen seems like such a young age to be so messed up, there had to be something going on with him as well. That isn't excusing his actions by any means, and if anything it makes the whole story even more sad.
DeleteI thought about her race through the entire chapter as well. I think there is a very high possibility that part of how she was treated by not only her abuser but everybody could have been because of her physical appearance. If the abuser was raised racist to African- Americans or even had a traumatic experience with one in the past. This story could have many more behind it that we have no idea about.
DeleteTaylor Nein
DeleteI agree with you completely in that first paragraph and I questioned the same thing. Another thing to add to your second paragraph is the fact that Tina's mom was also in so abusive relationships so that could have added to the assumption that all boys are abusive and just want women for there bodies. I'm not saying that the fact she was raped probably had the biggest impact on her, but the fact her mom was with the guys she was just added to Tina's assumption and reassured her that all guys are evil.
I never really thought about her race being the cause of the abusing but now that you brought that up, i could see how that could have been one of the reasons. I also never thought how such a traumatic event can affect how a child socializes with other people and preventing her from knowing right from wrong when it comes to situations with men. It really opens my eyes about how complex the brain is.
DeleteReading all of the questions you had while reading really made me think more about Tina's story. It's an interesting point how her race may have been a contributing factor in the whole thing. I personally don't think that was probably the case, but age to me seems like more of a contender. The babysitter was sick and it's terrible that these children had to go through that so young in their lives. They didn't know any better and their minds were warped into believing that was right and it makes me so frustrated how people can do that to someone.
DeleteAfter reading about Tina and what she endured during her early childhood I was in complete shock. I was shocked that her mother didn't seem to do more for her and her brother. I was shocked that babysitter and the son didn't seem to get into as much as trouble. And finally I was shocked at the fact that Tina seemed to be collected and not having more problems than what was said in the book. After a traumatic experience a person looks for someone or something to comfort them. In Tina's case she could have easily pushed people away and turned to other dangerous behaviors or activities besides the inappropriate actions she portrayed at school.
ReplyDeleteI was also shocked that Tina's mother didn't know that the abuse was going on until two years had passed and that she did not put her children into counselling until she was referred by the school because of Tina's inappropriate behavior. Tina's mom was always gone and didn't always have time to give her kids the attention they needed. I think that that's the reason that Tina didn't push people away; she needed acceptance and attention from others to make up for the lost attention at home.
DeleteIt was weird to me as well that Tina didn't say anything to her mom because little kids usually have so much to say. But it did say something about the abuser threathening to kill her if he told on him. She didn't really know any better which is really sad. But maybe the boy was abused, not saying what he did was okay because it is by no means okay. Not at all. But maybe there was something like this that happened to him when he was younger and this is what he thought was normal to him, maybe he thought that that it was the way to accept and be accepted. I guess we will never know.
DeleteAs shocking as it was, Tina's memory patterns are different then a regular persons. Tina was not capable of pushing others away because she was still in a stage of learning at the time of the abuse. It's very sad but there was no way of stopping it. I was also surprised Tina's mother hadn't done more for her and let such terrible men, such as her boyfriends, come into her life. I expect that her mother was desperate for someone to help take care of all the children and that life was difficult with little money but it was selfish of her to put her children though her own trauma as well.
DeleteAt first I was very disturbed by Tina's actions. As I read on and got to page 8 I became even more disturbed by learning what Tina and her brother were put through at such a young age. I then felt a bit ashamed for judging so quickly and not realizing there are other components behind her behavior. I moved onto thinking what kind of person, none of the less a teenager would cause such an abuse that is mentally and somewhat physically mutilating.
ReplyDeleteI took a step back and thought about what I had learned from Tina's case. Could the neighbor boy have been a victim of abuse also? Had something of his own possible abuse triggered him to inflict it on the young kids? So many questions can be formed but one possible thing that can connect the cause for actions is the background stories. As the traumatic event occurs, it gets etched into the brain and has some affect whether we realize it or not.
Something that fascinated me was Dr.Perry's explanation of the brain. All of the parts and pieces and what function each one has, It is amazing that something fairly small is the control center over over our daily lives. When a traumatic event occurs, it can seem to happen so fast but then the healing process for the brain or person can be so slow. It is interesting that there are still mysteries of the brain to be explored.
I was also caught off guard and ashamed to judge so quickly. We are humans and we are sympathetic to other people so it is natural that we feel for Tina, but maybe her babysitter was abused also and he needs time and loving care to help him through what he possibly could've been put through himself. It is very sad that some things like that happen and no one was around to notice that the babysitter was doing mean harsh things to children.
Deletei reacted the same way, and regretted it after i read on and found out the meaning behind the story. It just comes to show that people are usually looking for the worst in people, instead of hearing them out and realizing there is another side to every story then just the one you can see. I think this can be used to help show more sympathy towards the people who are struggling and the people who need it. Because even though people are looking at the abuser in a bad way he could have also been going through something as well and used that as an escape.
DeleteI find it interesting that you asked if the neighbor boy could have possibly been abused as well because I didn't think of that as I was reading the story. It would make sense that he was a victim himself and didn't know how to control his sexual urges around others. Tina also has a problem with being able to control her sexual emotions around others as the book states that she exposed herself to her classmates and she later was found engaging in a sexual act with an older boy. I think that the way these two act towards others might be linked to being abused as children.
DeleteI had the same reaction initially when I read the chapter, then I also got to thinking about what sort of trauma the neighbor had went through that would cause him to think that this was a normal action to do upon a child
DeleteThe first thing that came to my mind when I finished reading the chapter was if Tina's abuser was also abused as a child. I questioned how someone could do that to such a little girl if they hadn't gone through the same thing when they were younger. I liked how you stated the fact that a traumatic event can can happen so fast but the healing process is so slow. In chapter 1, it really showed her slow healing process because as Dr. Perry said, Tina would need more than 1 hour of therapy a week for more obvious changes in her behavior.
DeleteWhen I first started reading this chapter about Tina, I thought that the author of this book would slowly start telling everyone about what had happened in Tina's past, so I was caught a little off guard when she had told us on the first page. Reading this has kind of opened up my eyes to not judge someone so quickly if you don't know what has happened to them. What Tina and her brother are going to have to go through as the grow up to me is very heartbreaking, because I know they will have a very challenging life ahead of them. It kind of makes me wonder what Tina's life would of been like if she never would of gone to get help. Could her "sex play" turned into something much worse as she got older? What is her mom doing to help other than taking them to a psychiatrist? Since she was taught this at such a young age will her brain be able to learn that what she is doing is not okay? Also her babysitter was also very young and his brain was still growing is it possible that he could of been either physically or sexually abused as a child too, and if not why he abused those children? This really opened up my mind that they is a lot more to the human brain then is comprehendible. Someone could study the brain for an entire life time and still not be able to full understand it.
ReplyDeleteIt never occurred to me that Tina's abuser may have faced abuse himself. That is an excellent thought, but it still doesn't make what he did acceptable. The possibility of it, however does make me a little more sympathetic to both sides of the story. No child should ever have to face the circumstances that these kids did.
DeleteYou made a point about Tina and her brother and how they have a tough life ahead of them. I know her stuff is like all confidential but I wonder how they are doing today, if they are still in the same stuck situation struggling, or if things are going better for them. I wonder if Tina has been able to re wire her brain just a little bit and does she know whether or not that her behavior wasn't normal. I wonder how her brother and her are doing in school, I really hope things are better. Because something like this isn't fair....to anybody.
DeleteThis story is very interesting and extremely sad. I have actually worked with kids who have been through similar situations as Tina. I have had the opportunity to go on two missions trips to the inner city of Chicago and will be leaving for my third year this morning. One of the things we do there is a vacation bible school with the kids. Even at the beginning of the week the kids there will come running up to you wanting you to hold them and show them love because they lack that extra attention at home. Some of the kids I've also come in contact have told me that they are physically abused or scared of their parents. However this is often times easy to see before they even have to tell you. Most times these kids will be super withdrawn until they know they can trust you then they grow a huge attachment for you and the moment you pay attention to any other kid they will start screaming and crying at you telling you how much they hate you. It's very hard to see, but situations like Tina's are very real and not uncommon. It's also hard to realize this having grown up in such a loving home where all my needs were met since I was born.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Kylee! It is hard for me to think these situations that some kids go through are real life stories because of the love and support my family gives me. I could never image going through that as a child or ever doing this to another child as I get older. It is so sad to think that this is everyday life for some kids. My mom works with kids that go through similar situations as you described and I cringe every time. Im so glad you are able to help the kids in Chicago while your there!
DeleteI love that you used a real life experience with this. Sadly you are so right about it to. Their are hundreds of tinas out their in the world, most whos story's will not be heard. But a loving home and trust is very hard to come by, and when they finally feel loved they can latch on like Tina did to the doctor.
DeleteI agree I find it hard that someone could do this to anyone, but Tina was so young. I found it heartbreaking and it's even more heartbreaking knowing that others go through the same thing. I couldnt imagine going through something like this. I really like how you made connection to real life experiences also.
DeleteThe first thing that I wondered when I finished reading the first page was what went through Dr. Perry's mind. The first thing that Tina did was try to engage in sexual interaction. Like Dr. Perry said nothing in all his schooling and hours of training could prepare him for what this little girl did the first time that they were alone together. After finishing the chapter I thought and pondered for awhile. What was the babysitter thinking? I then thought that maybe this was all the babysitter knew also, and that maybe he was also abused. That being said, it does not make what he did to those young children okay. Such young children like them are needing to be taught the difference between right and wrong. That teaching was disturbed and now Tina is deeply confused as to what men and people in general want. Her babysitter made Tina think that no matter what men want sex. It is heartbreaking that Tina's mother did not notice before she caught them. She was working so hard for her family that she failed to see that something was extremely wrong. It is very interesting to me that the message Tina's babysitter has been so intensely engraved into her mind that even when Dr. Perry tries to reverse the effects that Tina only lies and hides it better. It is sad to see that at the end of the chapter, Tina can't be helped due to the fact that Dr. Perry and her do not have enough therapy time to reverse Tina's association with men and sex.
ReplyDeleteChapter one is very interesting. It's weird to think how one thing can impact others' lives so much. Such as what Tina went through with her babysitter's son and how that effects what she thinks about men and sex. Why would anyone do something like that to someone so young? Since she feels these actions are normal will she accidently go back to these behaviors without conscious thought of it? It's very sickening how she thought these actions were normal. What if it was normal for him too? He convinced her that this is normal and these thoughts must be very hard to rewire. She's still learning at this time and this is going to affect her for her whole life. Will it be hard for her to have a positive relationship with any male figure? We learn everything in our lives from people or experiences so if she has learned these things so early it will impact her life so greatly because this is a key time for knowledge and first learning things about the world around us. Why does what he did have so much impact on the way she feels about men? If she would have had a positive male figure in her life would it have caused less problems? The story was really upsetting and made me think about how bad some people have it and there are a lot of similar events that happen in the world. What happens psychologically to children like this that aren't fortunate enough to get help at all? Why didn't the mother take action sooner and try to get help for Tina as soon as she had found out about the sexual actions. This went on for far longer than it should have. If the babysitter caught her son how would this make her feel? Would she feel responsible for all of this and does it change her opinion on her son? It would be crazy having Tina being your first child patient. This problem is so heavy and it would be hard to make sure your reversing the effects well enough.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading chapter one, I found it disturbing that a seven year old child could have that type of mind set. As soon as she met Dr. Perry she thought he wanted her to do inappropriate things. At her age she shouldn't even be thinking about those type of activities, instead she should be worrying about not being found during hide and go seek. To me, it is actually quite sad that she thinks that way, and how greatly that trauma affects her daily life. I also found it sad how Dr. Perry mentioned that when he asks his patients that are children what they want to be when they're older they often respond with "If I grow up.." because of all the violence and death they've witnessed. Its very interesting how earlier experiences affect the way we think and see situations in the future.
ReplyDeleteDuring this chapter, Dr. Perry talks about memory, and how when we're doing activities such as driving we filter out the familiar. He says how our conscious memory is full of gaps, and it's a good thing. When driving, if our brains didn't do that we would get too overwhelmed worrying about every little thing that we would essentially crash. That's why we can drive over long stretches of highway and not remember how we got to where we are. I found that fascinating, because in psychology we talked about that, but I never knew why that happened until now.
Towards the end of the chapter, there was an interesting part about how we make sense of the world using patterns. For example, the first time we're placed in a sitting position we pay conscious attention, and we learned to sense pressure associated with sitting normal. Now when we sit we pay little attention. Dr. Perry ties this into understanding Tina by saying how she made associations between men and sex. That to her is normal, and so to help her Dr. Perry would have to basically rewire her thinking. Which to me seems nearly impossible, especially considering Tina's age. With something that traumatic happening at such an impressional age, that's her normal, and its sad.
I never knew that a child as young as six could be diagnosed with PTSD. It goes to show that what happens when we are young can impact us for the rest of our lives, whether we realize it or not. It greatly upsets me that a child associates men with sex, because she has never known any better. The sexually abuse affected all parts of her brain which I thought was possible. Before this chapter I didn't even know that someone could be "oversensitive" to stress. This chapter shows that what was done in the past can affect the future.
ReplyDeleteI basically had the same thoughts as you. To think that someone could be affected the way she was is heartbreaking. I feel so bad because this wasn't her fault. It was no ones fault. And to think maybe that boy that was doing this to her mightve had something going on in his head to think that alll of this was okay. Obviously he caused her alot of emotional pain, but I wonder if he was sexually abused as a young boy to make him act the way he was.
DeleteI never thought a young child could be diagnosed with PTSD either. To think she's only been alive for 7 years and she most likely doesn't remember a lot from when she was a toddler and an infant. Abuse is about the only thing she can recall. With the help she had from Dr. Perry, I hope she can have a bright future and never think what she's been through is accepted and normal.
DeleteI had the exact same thought. After I read that he diagnosed her with PTSD I stopped reading and was like really? It never occurred to me that a child could get that. It is so sad to think that at the age of 7 Tina was exposed to such trauma which lead to problems that she will have more than likely for the rest of her life. Mikala makes a good point that the boy might have been abused as a child as well and that it could have been prevented. Its just a sad story overall.
DeleteI agree completely. I thought she was too young to be diagnosed with PTSD but because of her circumstances it does make sense. It is very sad that she will probably never have a normal relationship with a man because of her past. I also thought Mikala had a great point. I never even considered that the boy that abused her, may have been abused too. Its so sad to think that that boy could've gone through a similar situation as Tina and her brother. I hope that everything will turn out okay for those kids.
DeleteHaving learned about PTSD i would have never guessed that a young child could be diagnosed with such a serious disorder. Sadie had mentioned earlier that she had only realted it to war, and those were my exact thoughts as well. Never would i ave guessed that a little girl could have it as well. Its very emotionally disturbing that such a young girl was exposed to sucha traumatic event that would cause her to have the wrong mentality of sex and what men want. Sadly it is hard to undo and will also be something she will have to face.
DeleteHaving learned about PTSD i would have never guessed that a young child could be diagnosed with such a serious disorder. Sadie had mentioned earlier that she had only realted it to war, and those were my exact thoughts as well. Never would i ave guessed that a little girl could have it as well. Its very emotionally disturbing that such a young girl was exposed to sucha traumatic event that would cause her to have the wrong mentality of sex and what men want. Sadly it is hard to undo and will also be something she will have to face.
DeleteWhen I first started chapter one I was disturbed by the way Tina thought. How could a little girl at such a young age think that way? Then I got to the second page of the chapter and I found out she was sexually abused for two years. I also thought how could someone do this to a innocent little girl? This will be with her forever, and now every time she sees a man she thinks back to her experience. Its sad that she had to go through that terrible experience and that she thinks that way.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are young the human brain grows so much and is a very crucial time period in life. Tina was getting abused for two crucial years of growth development in her brain. What you are taught when you are young will stick with you forever. She learned in those two years that men wanted only sex from her. Its sad that she thinks like that but that's what she grew up knowing.
Towards the end of the chapter Dr. Perry said it will take more than just one session a week to get Tina to reverse her mind set of men and social skill towards others. The human brain is so complex and hard to understand. It can remember something so tiny to something huge. I can’t imagine trying to forget her memory of being abused and thinking a different way than what she learned. What your are taught when you are younger and what you go through really can play a huge role in what you will become and what your future looks like.
I agree that this will be with her forever. And I do wonder if she will ever be able to live a normal life. Will she be able to have normal relationships with males? I feel it will be difficult for Tina to have relationships with men, especially romantic relationships when she is older.
DeleteMikayla, I was wondering the same things. I think that she is sadly never going to be able to forget what happened to her, and that she is never gonna be able to actually love someone.
DeleteThe story about Tina's World provoked some strong emotions in me, the strongest ones being disgust, sadness, and anger. I was saddened by page 8 when Tina's first instinct around men was a sexual one and the only experiences she had with men were of men being predators. I was disgusted when I found out the school had to refer Tina for counseling and that her mom didn't just put Tina and her brother Michael in counseling right after she found out they were abused. I was angry when I found out that a 16 year old boy had sexually abused Tina and her brother. Why didn't anyone notice the abuse was going on until two years later? I don't understand what was going on in his mind that made him want to rape these small children.
ReplyDeleteTina's stress hormone was sent into overdrive due to the sexual abuse she endured and may stay that way for the rest of her life. Will she always be reminded of the abuse because of her brain checking her current experiences with her past experiences? Another question I had is how can Tina move on and live a normal life when the trauma that she experienced as a young child poorly affected her brain?
I found it interesting that when Dr. Perry was working with Tina neuroscience was not really used in children psychology. There was so much about the brain we didn't understand, yet we tried to categorize people based on a chart that wasn't always right. We still use a chart to categorize people today. I also found it interesting that when Dr. Perry asked two different psychologist about what was wrong with Tina they both had different answers.
I agree with you that this chapter was disgusting and sad. How could this 16 year old even do that to two little children. I know that these children's abuser told them not to tell anyone or he would kill them, but how can their mother not see any signs of them being abused? What is going to happen to this 16 year old who abused these children?
DeleteI too wondered why it took so long for sometime to notice the abuse that occurred to Tina and her brother. I feel like there would have been a noticeable change in her attitude and behavior if something so unpleasant happened to her. Also I don't understand why it took so long for her mother to put her in counseling, she went through horrid abuse for 2 years and it took Tina's teacher to refer her to counseling
DeleteI also wondered why the mother did not notice Tina's abuse or take action. If her school teacher was so disturbed she felt Tina needed therapy, why wasn't the mother. It bothered me that the abuser did not have any consequences. He did not have to go to any sort of jail, only therapy. He was sixteen and clearly knew that was wrong and without having consequences I feel like he is likely to do it again.
DeleteI also found it interesting how they treated patients in this time. They did not always put extra factors into play when diagnosing someone. For example one of the psychologists Dr. Bruce Perry went to only cared about symptoms, rather than looking at both Tina's situation and symptoms. To me, that was a red flag. Then again in that time in history they did not know all things about the brain that we know today.
DeleteI was shocked to find out in the reading that a child at that young of an age could be diagnosed with PTSD. At first I wasnt sure what could make a child think like that and believe that behaving like that is normal, but it made sense when it explained her traumatic backround. I feel awful for the little girl, and unsure why any one would put a young child through something like that, that she has to live with for the rest of her life. It stated that Tina was shy and unspoken at times and i believe that her past expiriences have led up to that because she is uncertain in what to say and do to interact with the other students and children her age.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter went on to explain into her home life and social status, which sounded like she was rather poor and her mother struggled to support the children. I think that this also played a role in Tinas behaviors and abilities because it was throwing in extra stress that a normal elementary student would not normally have to deal with. Tina was also expected to step up and a much younger age, an example of this was when her doctor took them home and she was helping carry up the groceries because her mother couldnt do it alone. I thought it was really interesting how open the mother was about having her doctor come into their apartment like he did though, I pictured it to be more protective actions or even the mother just not wanting her to see the situation that they live in.
I truly think that Tina had the oppertunity to keep gradually getting better and making process if she could have stayed with her doctor. Even though she seemed to be doing better, and for a period of time she was, the traumatic event will always be with her and always play a roll in her attitudes and behaviors. At the end of this chapter there was a few good examples of this, like how you learn to drive a car and also just sitting and not really thinking about it. It mad me sad to hear this story about this young girl, but I was interested to keep reading. It also made me happy to hear she was doing better and catching up, but I wish there was a way for her to keep up.
I also think Tina could get better if she continued seeing a therapist. Although I do not think her life will ever truly be normal, considering this happened to her at such a young age. She has definitely already started to improve from when she first started therapy and if she continued this would progress even more.
DeleteI think a lot of the mother's actions really speak to her character. Although she is often working and they live in poor circumstances, Tina's mother made sure that her children were getting help for the abuse they faced. This would be tough with two parents, let alone one parent with two children and a baby. I believe that despite how she feels about their poverty, Tina's mother will always put her child first, and that is what Tina and her brother need.
DeleteI was also shocked about what happened to her and her brother. Yes the mother is under a lot of stress with 3 kids but she does want what is best for her kids. That is why she has Tina and her brother seeing a psychiatrist once a week. I agree that Tina was forced to grow up fast but from what I got out of the story, her mother is doing a pretty good job making sure she behaves well at home.
DeleteReading about Tina really got to me. The things that happened to her obviously were not okay, but something that upset me was that Tina was raised to think that that is was all males wanted. Something she was never able to understand was that the things going on were not normal. And not only the way that she thought. But this incidnet is now going to affect her for the rest of her life and that's not fair to her or her family.
ReplyDeleteIt said on page 14, that as her appointments went by they were becoming shorter and shorter because Tina's mom was not able to get her there on time because of transportation. So now not only is this little girl missing out on the help she needs (not because her mom was a bad parent but becomes transpotation was tough for them) she wasn't able to spend that full time with Perry.
Something that interested me was that I actually didn't know that PTSD could be diagnosed to someone so little, I kind of thought that you would have to be a little older. Makes me sad that she had to go through something like that unwillingly. And shes getting in trouble at schools, but it's only because this is what she thinks is normal. But to hear that she was doing better as time went on kept me reading. Gave me hope that maybe she couldve been fixed.
Your right it is sad that this little girl has PTSD, but in today's world almost anyone could experience something that causes it. In the intro Perry states some of experiences that cause it "rape survivors, victims of natural disaster and people who'd had or witnessed life-threatening accidents or injuries." (2) And the thing is more than likely you will experience one of these things. For example North Dakota usually floods every spring (natural disaster), but the way that I understood how PTSD develops is that the person doesn't have the right/enough coping strategies to deal with what happened to them.
DeleteWhen I was reading Tina's story, I was completely shocked. I never thought someone could do something so terrible to a young child like her. When Perry described the first time he met her I felt so sad and angry for her. She thought what she was doing was normal and expected of her. When he described how she looked after he took her off his lap, my heart broke. She thought she was displeasing him, and something bad was going to happen to her. Her future will totally be affected by her two years of abuse, completely different that a typical childhood, and that part really got to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely aggravating to think that someone could do something so horrible to anyone, let alone someone so young. It's disturbing to think that know Tina's brain is wired to think that the only thing that people want from her is sex. To think that the abuse was so traumatic to her, to change her thinking all together is really upsetting. To have to go through two years of abuse as a child, and then try to be taught that that's not how things work has got to be extremely difficult for her. It also brakes my heart to think that an innocent little girl was traumatized so much that she began to think of sex as a normal thing that people want from her.
DeleteI hate to think that someone could do this to a little girl. It shocks us every time we hear a story like this, no one can wrap their heads around it. I was upset for her to, she didn't deserve to go through that.
DeleteI can also say that i was completely shocked. it goes to show that something traumatic that happens at a young age can and most likely will be with you the rest of your life. It breaks my heart that Tina isnt the only one who has had to face this. Adults and children should never have to go through something like that. Some people just have a sick mind and i will never understand some of the things they do.
DeleteAt the beginning of the chapter I was very disturbed and shocked at the thought that Tina wanted to engage sexually with her therapist. However, as the chapter went on I learned that she did not want to, she just felt that she had to. All of her relationships with males were inappropriate, so naturally she assumed that every male was like that. I learned a lot from this chapter. The biggest thing being how important early childhood development is. Because Tina was so young when she was abused it shaped who she was and it will always be a part of her. I think that if she was older when the abuse happened she would be able to overcome it more easily. I also learned that in therapy things are not black and white. Dr. Perry could not just look at her symptoms from a book and diagnose her. He had to really get to know her and what she was like first. I believe that is very important while doing therapy. Her home life raised a question for me. If Tina came from a wealthy family with lots of resources would this still have happened to her? Overall it angers me that Tina’s babysitter did what he did and that a person is even capable of hurting such a young child in that way.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that it was interesting that Dr. Perry had to step away from all the things he learned in his textbooks and schooling. Knowledge comes from more just books; it also comes from experience. I think that it really shows how human we are, and that we might be more than just atoms and chemical reactions.
DeleteWhile reading this chapter I was really surprised to see Tina be diagnosed with PTSD. I always associated that with soldiers coming back from war. Never a seven year old little girl. It made me realize that anything can happen to anyone, not just the stereotypical person. It is really sad for me to wrap my head around a seven year old girl hopping into her doctors lap thinking he wanted to have sexual relations with her, but that is what she was use to. It disgusts me that their are people out there who take advantage of little kids like that. I think that Sara did the right thing to keep the kids at home rather than have the fear of what someone else might do to her kids. Also, I think it was really awesome that the Doctor listened to himself and gave them a ride home. He learned more about Tina and her family than he ever would have just talking to them. It made him more aware of why Tina was acting the way she was and gave him a better insight of what a normal day was for her and the struggles her family goes through.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dr.Perry was talking about memory and he explained it by using the analogy of driving on a highway that you have been on before and not remember what you did on the way there. This is totally true! There are many times when I get somewhere and think how did I get here? I thought that was interesting how he brought that up with a case like Tina and how she associated men with sex. She may not have wanted to but thats all she knew to do.
The first connection I made with the diagnosis was also soldiers who suffered from PTSD, which is why I was also shocked that someone who has only lived for seven years can experience it.
DeleteSorry to do this to you guys, but I'm going to throw a little AP English into this. While reading this chapter I realized that Dr. Perry was using a circular structure with his writing. He does this by talking about "Tina" and then going into the medical side of thing, then back to "Tina", ect. Perry does this to break up his writing so there isn't a big chuck of "doctor speak" (that is my term for it), and a big chuck of "Tina's" story. And with him breaking up his writing, the reader becomes more interested in medical side of the story, while feeling a deeper connection with "Tina".
ReplyDeleteThe next thing I noticed was the Dr. Perry's word choices. For the most parts he dumbs down the wording, so the average reader can understand a majority of what he is saying. But he writes with a clinical tone that makes it feel like he talking to a classroom full of college students. Usually when someone writes with a clinical tone, they use the biggest words that they can find and throw them all together, but Dr. Perry found the right balance so an everyday reader would understand what he is saying, while feeling like they are pre-med students. This being said more people are going to want to read the book, and that is exactly what Dr. Perry wants as stated in the intro ("bring treatments based on the best of our existing knowledge to others." (4)) Having people read his book in return they are learning to help those around them, by looking for signs of trauma, being their shoulder to cry on, and in many other ways.
The last "AP" thing that I noticed was all the comparisons (similes and metaphors) in this chapter. These comparisons were very helpful to me and probably other readers as well, because he takes complex things and compares them to everyday items that we have seen in person, and if not definitely on TV. For example on page 21 he compares the brain to a house with "increasingly complicated additions built on an old foundation," now everyone knows what a house looks like, but very few have seen in person an old house with new "additions" (rooms) added on, but more than likely you have seen one on the TV whether it be on a movies or one of those house improvement shows. He uses these comparisons to explain complex things-that scientist aren't even sure about- to the reader to make sure that they have an above average understanding. This understanding is what makes the reader want to continue the book and learn more about the brain and "what traumatized children can teach us."
Sorry for talking about the way Dr. Perry wrote his book, for three long paragraphs, but I believe that the way he writes tells a story of its own. That if you figure out how the writer writes, then you can find all the little hidden messages that are sprinkled throughout the book. But you all probably want a paragraph that solely about "Tina," and that is what is paragraph is going to be about. While reading "Tina's" story, I was horrified that someone could do that to a four-year old little girl and two-year old little boy. Reading about the effects that "Tina" and her little brother would have throughout life, made sense to me, because I have some experiences that are way less horrible then theirs but they are still effecting me to this day. For example, I am terrified of dogs, I shouldn't be, because I used to have dog, but since my uncle's dog bite me on the 4th of July ten years ago I can't be around them very long. Dr. Perry explained that for "Tina" "experience taught her that men wanted sex," (8) and experience plays an important role in everybody's life. That is why when you are driving you don't pay attention to the normal only the unexpected.
This chapter was definitely a hard read. Tina’s outlook on the world broke my heart. I find it sad how Tina automatically thinks that she is supposed to sexually please Dr. Perry. I also find it sad that once he makes it clear that he isn’t looking for sex, she struggles to figure out how to act around him. She seemingly does everything she can to make the doctor happy and approve of her, despite her confusion. Her and her little brother almost seem broken, in a way. They are too young to understand sex and have been introduced to it at an extremely young age. Now, they are spending their childhoods trying to understand what to do with this knowledge.They think that sex isn’t a big deal, it’s just something you do to keep the adult men in your life happy. For example, Dr. Perry mentions that when home alone, sometimes the children engage in sexual activities.Or how even after 3 years of therapy, Tina is found performing sexual acts on older kids. These children shouldn’t have this problem at all. It is so unfair that this family, which already struggles so much, has been dealt such an awful hand. Not only do they one child who has experienced sexual abuse, they have two. I wonder, if there was a permanant father figure around, would the abuse have lasted so long? Would they have tried to sexually please this man, as they had been “taught” by their abuser? Maybe it would have been found quicker, and less damage would have been dealt.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to comment on the lack of knowledge about the mental health of children back then. Until reading this chapter, I had always been under the assumption that these kinds of misdiagnoses happened a lot longer ago, like maybe in the 50’s or 60’s. I do know that even today, a lot of children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, when in reality they are just energetic and need more exercise. But a child with a traumatic past? Even in the 80’s, I would have thought they would have known better. A bottle of pills can’t fix that much pain. To me, it just seems obvious that if a child is displaying symptoms that like of PTSD, it probably means they have PTSD.
I too was surprised how quick they were to diagnose her without knowing the full story behind it. It makes me wonder how often that may happen in today's cases where people are just prescribed medication that masks and covers up the true pain and brokenness they are feeling without actually solving anything.
DeleteAfter reading this chapter, I cannot even imagine the abuse that Tina must have faced. Many abuse victims have severe emotional problems after the abuse, but Tina's entire thought process was also destroyed by the abuse. I did not realize just how much one person's actions can affect another. Now for the rest of her life, Tina must fight to rebuild her brain's "templates" if she wants to get better. I was also shocked to see how quickly one of Dr. Perry's superiors was to write her off with having ADD or ADHD. A psychiatrist's job is to look at all of the symptoms and the situation to properly diagnose the patient and help them get better, but even a highly trained child psychiatrist just looked at the surface and gave her the simple diagnosis. How could Dr. Perry's superior not even consider Tina's past abuse as a contributor to her physical and emotional state. When looking at her age and history of abuse, I thought PTSD would have been an obvious contender for Tina's behavior, but what do I know I'm not a doctor.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you when you say that it's crazy how fast his superiors write Tina off had having ADD. It's not fair to her to just say she has something without looking into her past events to see what the actual cause of her behaviors are. To see trained professionals write something off, without looking at the facts is truly amazing. I honestly would have thought of PTSD right away for Tina as well. It seems obvious, because of the way she behaves after her abuse, that the root of her problems stem from it.
DeleteI found it astonishing how little treatment and care they had for child psychiatry back then. Immediately they jumped to ADD by comparing a couple fairly common symptoms that could fall under many diseases and they had already written her off.
DeleteTo me it was fairly obvious that PTSD was the probable cause. But as I reflect on the time period many people thought psychology was a joke. When soldiers came back from Vietnam people didn't understand or accept PTSD. They had probably just begun to explore the disease they did not think Tina who was so young could have experienced anything so traumatizing in her few years that would lead to PTSD. Perhaps it is especially obvious to us because we are so well versed in it. We can see it everywhere we look, we are taught about it in school when we learn of wars and the veterans that return from them.
Not only that but they considered the horrors Tina faced to be far less significant compared to what some of the soldiers had. This is a good example of how different magnitudes of stressors can affect that person for the rest of their life. One intense horror for one person is the equivalent of unbearable memories of horror for another
It is extremely hard to comprehend all the problems a child of sexual abuse has to face and how hard it is to reverse what has already happened. The amount of abuse that has already been done causes Tina to have to work extremely hard to change what she believes is normal.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 1 was very disturbing. It was very hard to read about what Tina and her little brother went through. I can't even imagine the kind of abuse that those young children had to endure from someone they were supposed to trust. Tina and Dr. Perry's very first session caught me off guard when Tina crawled into his lap and started unzipping his pants. I was astonished that such a young child felt the need to do that so I was curious to see what caused it and after reading more I now see why she did. Since she went through abuse at such a young age she will most likely never be able to have a healthy, normal relationship with a man for a very long time. I think that maybe with a lot of help and more than one session a week she can learn to control what she learned between ages 4 and 6.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dr. Perry talked to his superior, Dr. Robert Stine, about his first session with Tina I was very surprised and a little worried that after the little bit of information he was given he thought he already knew the diagnosis, ADD. I was relieved when Dr. Perry didn't feel that was right and talked to his other supervisor, Dr. Jarl Dyrud, who made him realize that he basically knew nothing about Tina and that he needed to know these things before he can make an accurate diagnosis. Right away I was thinking she had PTSD but them again I shouldn't be making a diagnosis when I barely know anything about the situation either.
I found the part of the chapter when Dr. Perry talked about memory very interesting. Its fascinating that our brain can remember simple things like the pressure on a baby's bottom when they sit for the very first time and from then on their brain will always remember that so they can sit upright again. It made it easier to understand why Tina kept performing sexual acts even though she knew she shouldn't. Since she was so young when the abuse happened her brain remembered that and now thinks that's what is the right thing to do. It is very sad that many children have this experience but I believe that with the right care and treatment it can be overcome.
Absolutely shocking and horrifying.
DeleteThis chapter is a really good way to start a very serious book. Being that Tina is Dr. Perry's first case you really get a feel as to how he goes about his job.You see how he struggles to understand why Tina acts the way she does. You also get to see how he is as a person in general. He doesn't just slap a diagnosis as to why Tina acts the way she does, he goes through and tries to find the initial cause of the problem. You also get to see how he incorporates his knowledge of the brain in his problem solving skills.The first emotions I got when reading this chapter were frustration and confusion. How could a little girl that had gone through what Tina had, just be labeled as having Attention Deficit Disorder or op-positional defiant disorder. Of course she would have trouble focusing, she had been mentally scared. Her abuse had been going on for two years before anyone did anything about it, let alone know about it. why didn't Dr.Perry think to first check and see if her memories had played a part in her not paying attention. I didn't make sense that Dr.Perry, when going to his mentor, didn't mention the years of sexual abuse right away. It would have made it so much easier to identify her as having PTSD. I also wonder how her brother copes with the abuse he went through. It confuses that they would act different after the abuse, or that one child was focused upon more than the other. Shouldn't they have both acted the same after since they went through the same events? Though there were things I didn't like, or understand, about this chapter I still believe that this was a good way to start the book. You get to see how Tina goes through therapy, and the progress that she makes. Though she has a few hiccups, though who wouldn't being in her situation, I believe that all in all the therapy helped her significantly. You see how Dr. Perry was willing to go above and beyond to correctly identify what was causing Tina to act the way she did.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the beginning of the book is very impactful and sets up a very straight forward way of putting things that this book needs to be successful and clearly convey the problems the people in this book face. Also the fact that Tina was diagnosed with ADD and other disorders, seemingly without looking at the cause of the problem shocked and angered me. It should be their priority to understand the cause and not just the symptoms.
DeleteReading this first chapter in the book really opened my eyes to how horrible this world can be. With Tina being so young and being diagnosed with PTSD, she has a long and tough road ahead of her. The really sad part is is that she found nothing wrong with her behavior. She was molded at a very young age to think that sexual behavior and sexual abuse is OK. I liked how I could relate her situation with what I learned in psych class last year about how people learn and absorb information, especially young children.
ReplyDeleteI was very disturbed by the fact that her mother didn't get her out of the bad daycare situation or question anything earlier. Maybe if she got out of there earlier she wouldn't have been as badly affected. She doesn't know what is right and what is wrong now in situations with boys and men. She forever thinks that all men want from her is sex. The mental damage that her abuser gave her makes me sick. Nobody should ever have to live with that. I think that her therapy sessions have been helping her, and Dr. Perry knows what he is doing but I feel that she would need a social worker to be with her all the time. When she is at school with other boys she tries to be sexual with them and I'm not sure if only an hour a week will help her long term.
I wish I could read more into this story later in her life to see how she did in her teen years and even into her adulthood.
It was astonishing to me how their mother behaved. What mother could sit around knowing the trauma her children had been through? She lost trust in everybody and wouldn't allow anyone to babysit her children meanwhile she went to work leaving them unsupervised. She knew there was sexual play during their unsupervised time and she continued to go to work so she could provide for them. Admittedly she was caught between a rock and a hard place..But in doing this she hindered their recovery and I think it had its affect and they will never be fully healed.
DeleteI believe that the mother had to be going through some kind of trauma herself as well. I refuse to believe that any mother would willingly put her own daughter through that ordeal.
DeleteI agree with you on how the mother never questioned anything sooner. How could she not see that her daughter and son were going through something so horrible? It would be interesting to see how she grew up and see if her life changed for the better.
DeleteI agree on everything! I really think that if Tina could have gotten out of that situation sooner, things would have been a lot easier to fix. She definitely needs a lot more help than a one hour session once a week. The abuse affects Tina in every part of her life and I feel as though it will take a lot to reverse the development of her brain. Early development is totally crucial to brain growth and Tina's was completely disturbed.
DeleteI truly believe also that if Tina would have been removed from the terrible situation earlier the outcome wouldn't have nearly been as bad. Obviously she still would have suffered from sexual abuse and the effects it has on a person but it would have been way more treatable and easier for her to deal with.
DeleteThe first paragraph of this book pulled me in. It had me thinking isnt that the cutest thing and as I read the second paragraph my heart sank. Poor little Tina at the age of seven did not know any other way to interact with a male adult but through sex.
ReplyDeleteThey were very quick to diagnose her. She appeared to need healing and love not medication. Not only that but they immediately jumped to one diagnosis and did not entertain the possibility of anything else.
It saddened me even after her abuse she kept on with the sexual acts. Her mother had to leave for work to provide for them and during their unsupervised time there was sexual play.She had nobody to reach out to for help and even if she did she probably wouldn't have trusted them.
Overall I was saddened because the one hour of therapy did not seem to heal her and Tina was still impacted by the trauma. It was fascinating to see an example of how such a small (in relativity) stressor could have such a long lasting impact on Tina.
This book honestly made me mad at first. To think that little children could be put through so much. Tina and her family are a story that needs to be heard by everyone to avoid future tragedy again.
ReplyDeleteIts is really sad to actually think about how many more stories there are like this one out in the world today. So many children are affected by abuse everyday and this one just scratched the surface and I think opened our eyes to how unfortunate and unlucky many people are. I hope that all the kids affected by sexual, physical, verbal, and any other kind of abuse are given the help they need so that they are able to live normal lives eventually and pursue their dreams. But I'm sure there are so many children out there who wont get the help and proper diagnosis like Tina got and they will forever be scarred.
DeleteI was also irate when I read this chapter. I still don't understand what is going on mentally with her.
DeleteI feel so bad for Tina and her little brother, no one deserves to go through that. I can’t wrap my head around how someone can do that to children. Maybe the abuser was also abused when they were young? Maybe he didn’t have a stable father figure in his life either? It is crazy how impressionable little kids are, they are like sponges, so they will repeat what they are taught or see. So I can see why Tina acted the way she did, the only male figure in her life treated her horrible, she didn’t get to have a good father figure in her life to show her that she can trust men. I don’t get why Tina’s mom didn’t try and get her into a doctor sooner, I am sure she could see that her daughter wasn’t acting in a way that was normal for a little girl.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how Dr. Perry described how the brain works and the complexity of it. When someone goes through a traumatic event, like what Tina went through, it has a huge effect on how someone develops. It’s one of my favorite parts of psychology is learning about the brain, so I really liked this chapter and I’m interested in what else this book will teach me.
I agree the book is very intriguing and there seems to be a lot we can learn within this book.
DeleteI completely agree, I really want to know what is going on mentally to cause her feel that she needs to pleasure men sexually in order to recieve attention.
DeleteI also found the way Dr. Perry explained the brain to be very interesting and it really help to understand what was wrong with Tina.
DeleteI also thought it was very interesting how he described what stress can do to the brain. I liked the comparison with mice how such little stress at a young age can have a huge impact on life as they get older. It makes sense in Tina's case where she had a negative upbringing with sexual abuse and the older she gets, she still has that mindset. It made me really sad when she just assumed right away that Dr. Perry wanted sex and didn't know how to act around older males.
DeleteI was shocked after reading the first chapter of this book. I have heard stories of abuse and I have seen things on the news, but I have never experienced a story like this from such a close point of view. Tina's brain was permanently damaged at a very young, and crucial, age. The brutal abuse that she was forced to undergo, left her with a disturbing view of her place in the world. Tina's brain makes her think in ways that aren't correct and she has no control over these thoughts. Reversing such large trauma is a very long and difficult process. Some may say it's nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteReading this chapter helped me learn a little bit of how the brain works. The environment and situations during childhood are what shape the brain for the rest of one's life. Tina's brain was conditioned to be sexual and inappropriate. She did not know that her actions were wrong because her brain was taught sexual things at such a young age. Her inappropriate and sexual behavior was simply normal to her.
This chapter talks a lot about Tina's brain and the damage that was done to it. I also wonder though, what does the abuser's brain hold? What made him do these horrible things to Tina and her brother? Many say serial killer's have different wiring within their brain. What's to say it isn't the same for the abuser? I think this disturbing behavior has to do with the brain as well.
We have always been told we are in control of our own actions, but maybe that isn't always the case. The brain is a powerful thing. It makes every decision and every move for a person. If the process of development is disturbed or interrupted, one's brain will work differently than other's. In Tina's case, every crucial part of her brain had been disturbed by the horrible abuse she went through. Her sense of right and wrong was completely corrupt.
Tina's story reminded me a lot of feral children. We learned about this last year in regular psychology. Although her situation is different, it relates in many ways. The up-bringing of a child determines the rest of their life. Simple science shows that brain patterns are developed at a very young age. The abuse caused Tina's brain to hold memories and thoughts that weren't correct, but she didn't know that.
I found this chapter very interesting. The brain is an endless study because it holds so many things. It controls every aspect of a person and has many secrets that scientists haven't even discovered yet. I am excited to see what the rest of the book will teach me about the brain and how it affects behavior at a young age.
I like how you pointed out that we have always been told that we are in control in our own actions, and we are actually not. I never thought about this while reading this Chapter.
DeleteIt was a good point to point out how maybe her abuser's brain was messed too. Maybe he had been through some type of trauma at some point in his life as well to make him act in the way that he did.
DeleteIn chapter 1, I was very shocked when reading about what Tina went through as little girl. Being sexually abused like that can really cause damage to all parts of her brain. She didn't know right from wrong when it came to situations with men or young boys and it made me feel sorry for her. Being left with her neighbor's son all of those times taught her that being sexual with men or boys at her school was okay and it just came naturally for her.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how Tina didn't know what she was doing was wrong. She thought that it was the right and normal thing to do and that every guy liked that kind of attention because that is what she was taught growing up. Her brain was molded that way and it would be very difficult to change it. I also found it interesting how her mother didn't notice this kind of abuse earlier than she did. I don't understand how her child could be going through something that traumatic without her knowing about it. Her behavior showed at school before her mom even caught her babysitter's son so it surprises me that she didn't question Tina or get her help sooner than she did. I feel like if her mother got her help sooner, maybe her brain wouldn't be as damaged as it is now. And what about the abuser? Was he sexually abused as well when he was a child or what makes him act and behave the way that he does? Teaching little kids sexual behavior is right when in reality its wrong, will make their brain develop in a completely wrong way so it makes me wonder if he was taught as a child that it was the right thing to do too. But why would he want to put a child through that if he knew what is was like to be sexually abused? I wish they gave a little more background on that.
The brain itself really interests me. I loved how he added information about the brain into Tina's story as well and how her behavior has affected her brain developing in a normal way. I feel that the therapy was helping her, but it will be very hard to get it back to normal. Being abused like growing up as her brain was developing has caused a lot of damage and I feel that it will take a lot more therapy than what she is getting now to help her get back to where she needs to be.
Overall, this story about Tina leaves me heartbroken for not only her, but for her family too. Nobody should have to go through something like she did and its crazy that there are people in this world sexually abusing and teaching young children that its okay. This chapter taught me a lot about the brain and how behavior like this can change the development of her brain. I wish they gave more information about how she is doing now later on in life and if therapy is helping her get better.
Just this first chapter alone really frustrated me. It's really sad to think how something so tragic can happen to such a young child. Tina had no say or power in anything and is now mentally scarred by this. It makes me really mad when I hear something in the news about a child getting sexually abused because they are so young and vulnerable. They don't know right from wrong and are led to believe that the wrong things are right.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Tina did receive help, it made me sad when he said that she did not fully recover and went back to her old ways and that she just learned to cover up the bad behaviors. Her brain was so warped into the toxic mentality of sexual abuse that she really knew of no other way. She would never be able to recover from the programming it did to her.
A part that I really liked about this chapter was how in depth he went on explaining the reasoning and source of mental actions or thoughts. I find it very interesting, although it is bad, how such little stress at a young age can affect a person so strongly. Growing up in the conditions Tina had, single mother with 3 children in a poor neighborhood with little money, would also be hard on a child along with the sexual abuse she was subjected to.
I think you're right, not only did the sexual abuse scar her but the at home situation as well. It is frustrating to see her being 7 years old and having this much difficulty. You think she is getting better only to learn that her childhood is still affecting her negatively. Although I do think she got slightly better, she doesn't expect it from all men now. The person she was giving sexual contact at school to could have resembled her old baby sitter. I wish we had more information about that situation.
DeleteDuring the first session with Tina I had to reread what happened when she first go in the room and sat on the doctors lap. I couldn't believe that happened, these are true stories and I would never imagine a child that young thinking those acts are okay, let alone normal. This chapter made me realize that all of us on this blog were truly blessed as children, I thought I had it rough having to clean my room when my babysitter came over but now, I cant even imagine the person I would be today if I would have had the same experiences as Tina. Even at age ten, 3 years of therapy, Tina still think that males want sexual acts from her, she had more years of therapy than abuse, yet her childhood hauntings continue to shape her life.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger - I'm sure I'm not alone on this one- I dreaded going out for recess when it was too cold to function. Reading over the passage about Tina's family waiting for the bus after every session was heart breaking, even more so that they couldn't afford a car of their own. I think that when Dr. Perry drove the family home, it was beneficial, not wrong. that whole situation may be frowned upon but it gives him a view on living that he didn't know of, it gives him a little more sympathy for what she has to currently deal with today rather than just focusing on her past. Maybe Tina is not only affected by the sexual abuse but her struggle with her family to keep a life with financial problems.
As I read some comments, it seemed like a lot of people on here don't think the mom cares for her child and gives her enough attention. I got a whole different view. Reading, I noticed all of the little things Tina's mom does, she takes three buses to get her child to therapy. Taking time away from her job which could financially help her family, she raises three children and even moved closer to the hospital. Tina matters to her mother but also could be struggling for the needed attention because of the baby and other child, I think that's where the counseling is really helping.
I agree with how you feel about Dr. Perry giving the family a ride home. I don't think it harmed, rather helped. It helped him gain the trust of Tina along with the whole family. Also, I know that I thought I had it bad when I had to clean and go outside in the cold. I wouldn't be the person I am today without that guidance. It helped me learn that not everything in life is easy and sometimes you have to wait and do things that you don't necessarily want to do.
DeleteI agree mom does care for her... I can't imagine the guilt and difficulty she has in trying to make ends meet, help her child, and not want to just give up... It has to be very hard to be in a situation as she is in...
DeleteOne thing that I learned in Chapter 1 is how much an incident, or the situation a child goes through or grows up in, can affect that child's life. Yes, there were many things to learn and information in this chapter to discuss, but this is specifically interesting to me.This is because for Tina the horrendous experience she went through will forever have an affect on her. On page 22 it explains that Tina had a problem in almost all parts of her brain as a result of the physical and mental abuse she went through. Although she may go through years of therapy, and as time goes on her old ways and symptoms may disappear, she will always be affected. She will always have that memory and be forever paranoid that something like that may happen again. So my question is, how does a person bounce back from that? Also, will Tina ever be able to fully put trust in a male figure again?
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning Tina was not in an ideal situation. She was brought up in a low income, and single mother household. Then to make things worse she was brutally abused by the boy next door. To add to that, she did not have the best access to the resources she needed to repair the damage that was done. This is what disturbs me. After everything Tina went through people just seemed to pass her along. People did not take her seriously. They appeared to care for her, but in reality they just wanted to hand her and her problems off to the next person. Even if it meant not really helping her at all.
I guess this is only my opinion, but first let me explain why I have come to think this. The first issue I have is with the perpetrator of Tina’s abuse. He had done terrible and unthinkable things to small children. Then the only punishment he got was therapy? As I have learned in this chapter therapy can do great things, but that does not mean they will not go back to their old habits. The second thing that bothered me was the way that Dr. Robert Stine handled Tina’s situation. He immediately tried to diagnose Tina with PTSD, even after Dr. Bruce Perry expressed great concern that there was something more happening. He just wanted to think of the easiest and quickest way to seemingly help Tina. This brings me to a question. Speaking that the times were different in the 1980s, would Tina be treated differently if she was white or from a high income family? I feel that if she was, then Tina’s abuser would of had different consequences, and people would have taken her more seriously. That is was disturbed me. Thankfully she had a therapist like Dr. Bruce Perry that was willing to take the next step beyond the obvious to help Tina.
You bring up some good questions... Could economic class and race be an issue? I am sure it could be... Tina was one of Dr. Perry's first patients. The boy who committed acts of rape and abuse needed therapy. I am not sure why further charges were not done. Good reflection and questions... not sure I have the answers.
DeleteThere are unfortunately new stories about children being abused quite often. Whether we hear about it through the news or social media, we hear these awful stories about innocent children being harmed in various ways. When we do hear these stories we get a look at the physical harm they were put through, however we most often don’t get the full story. The way Dr. Perry writes though we get to see the mental side and a deeper understanding into the everlasting affects of the abuse, through actions and her thought process. After the abuse had stopped it was clear to me that Tina in no way was an average 7 year old anymore, her abuser had changed her whole mind-set on men, to her they were only symbols of sex, someone she needed to please. I believe that if Tina would have had a male in her life that could have been there for her at a young age the impact of all the abuse would be much less long lasting. On page 26 Dr. Perry reveals the “sex play” with boys at school was still occurring. It made me wonder if the way she was around other children could ever be changed or if the mentally scarring abuse could ever be reversed? It’d be interesting to see where Tina goes from there, if she goes back to seeing men in a strictly sexual way or if she can learn from her abuse that this isn’t the right or normal way to behave. I’d also like to see how her brother’s mind was altered from the abuse to see if age changed anything or if he is unaffected from this terrible situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Kyra. It is also very sad to think that we don't hear about so many other similar cases, causing us to believe the problem isn't as bad as it actually is. Tina suffered such trauma at such a young age, so because of that her life will never be the same. I am also curious about her brother...
DeleteIt scars me that Tina went back to her old ways. It makes me question if we can change how our brains are wired. Tina's need to please men could eventually cost her, her future if she doesn't change it. I get really uneasy about things like this because we all have parts about ourselves we would like to change and it is scary to think we may not be able to.
DeleteThis chapter left me entirely shocked by the inappropriate behaviors Tina portrayed as normal. We all fully understand these acts are far from normal and for some people it might be hard to process that anyone would be capable of these kinds of behaviors. It makes us realize that when you are young you are so easily influenced by something or someone. Because this time in life is such a crucial stage for development anything has the potential to stick with you throughout your entire life. The sexual abuse that Tina experienced for two years had an extreme impact on her life. She began to believe that the only way to have any type of relationship with a man was through sex. It is very disturbing and saddening that she felt it was necessary for her to perform these actions. Through treatment and counseling we hope to see a change in Tina’s mindset but we also know that such a traumatic event that went on way too long will forever be with her. These types of things aren’t easily reversed and sadly never forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you talked about how we are influenced so easily by different factors in our early stages in life. Also I thought is was that we fully understand that the behaviors where not normal for us or most of society but Tina knew no other way than that.
DeleteI agree with you Cara. It is saddening that Tina finds her actions normal. The abuse took place during a very crucial time period for everyone. Unfortunately, reversing the effects of this abuse will be long and difficult. Tina has a very difficult journey ahead of her in order to reach true normality. This is something no person should have to go through.
DeleteCara I agree with you. It's very sad that a girl at such a young age could not only go through this, but be made to believe that she had to do it. Because of that, not only her view of men was transformed negatively, but also, her view of herself.
DeleteI agree, too. It sad that even after Dr. Perry worked with her, that traumatic event will forever be a scar in her brain. She will never be fully recovered, and that is the worse part.
DeleteI liked your last sentence where you state that, "these types of things aren't easily reversed and sadly never forgotten" because it's true. It took a lot for Dr. Perry to help Tina and she still wasn't fully cured. It shows how easily influenced we are at the early stages of life and how we carry those things with us forever. It makes me wonder how Tina turned out and if she ever started behaving in a sexual way like she did when we first met her in the chapter. The memories could come back at any point and they could be too much for her to handle.
DeleteAs I read about Tina and her story, I realized just how serious abusive problems can be. During early development the brain takes in everything it comes into contact with. Because Tina was abused at such a young age, it makes it harder for her to become aware and to learn what the acceptable social norm is and "bounce back". When she first entered the doctors room and immediately thought that he wanted sexual actions from her is awful. I think that's when Dr. Perry really got the idea of how badly this young girl has had it.
ReplyDeleteHaving Tina be the first child patient of Dr. Perry, must have also opened his eyes along with mine. Being diagnosed with PTSD means that Tina has a long road of recovery and therapy ahead of her. As Dr. Perry went around to the other psychologist for help and direction, I feel like they didn't fully understand Tina's situation as much as he did. The slow process including all of the coloring and games was a good start and ultimately helped him gain her trust. Introducing the skills of waiting your turn and thinking about what the best move is instead of just doing the first thing that comes to your head, also helped.
It broke my heart to read about how well she was doing with therapy and then see her fall back into the sexual actions. Hopefully she fully recovered through the help of the therapy and Dr. Perry.
I agree with you that Dr. Perry seemed to know Tina so much better then the other doctors. I love how he felt that he needed to push forward after the other doctor suggested ADD. I think that Dr. Perry's showed not only the intelligence and degrees for his occupation but also the compassion. He didn't settle when the other Doctor would have. When Dr. Perry drove Tina's family home I also think this was a huge part in seeing a part of Tina's life that wasn't up to what some people would count as "normal" or "average."
DeleteI totally agree with you, it's crazy how much an abusive lifestyle can change your whole world. Tina didn't know how else to act. I also noticed how Dr. Perry took an extra step to help Tina, he really cared about her.
DeleteThis chapter left me shocked. It is hard to read about such a terrible event. However, it made me realize that after such a horrific experience like that at such a young age, a child can be left permanently damaged. Tina had no awareness of what kind of behavior is acceptable prior to her abuse, leaving her to think that actions like the ones brought upon her were acceptable actions. The thought of such a young girl having those kinds of thoughts and actions is heart breaking. When Tina entered Dr. Perry's room, she immediately tried to invoke sexual actions towards him. This was the first sign that Dr. Perry knew something was seriously wrong.
ReplyDeleteReading this chapter helped me to understand a little more about how we are shaped to be who we are. Childhood experiences are a huge factor to who we become as teens and adults. In Tina's case, her mind was conditioned to know only that males want sexual acts from her. This is going to be a huge obstacle for her as she grows up for she will have a hard time developing relationships. It is hard to reverse something that has been learned at such a young age. Also, if Tina is treated and develops a new view of men, the memories of her experience will never be forgotten.
I find the human brain to be fascinating. When Dr. Perry was talking about the brain, I gained new knowledge to what I had initially known. I knew our brain was complex, but I did not know how difficult it was to reverse something that our brain had already known and perfected. The fact that Tina has problems in each area of her brain suggests that therapy is going to be difficult. I hope that Dr. Perry was able to find ways to repair Tina's brain, even if it is not a full reparation, just enough for her to be able to lead a "normal" life.
So many people feel children are not affected long term by trauma. We fail to realize PTSD affects many brains at all ages. Children it is most concerning as your brain is connecting wires of information and behavioral responses. I am not sure what happens to Tina, but it will take maturity and more therapy to help her understand choices and responses.
Deletei couldn't agree more! She will have to remember this for the rest of her life. Even if she makes great progress, these traumatizing events will continue to fester in her mind because it's a scary and invasive thing she went through; even if she was, little it makes no differencce.
DeleteIt's hard to believe that Tina thought whenever there was a man with her she assumed they wanted something sexual. People aren't born like that, it's all about their environment. It's crazy to think that her experience as a child could affect her for the rest of her life.
DeleteTaylor Nein
ReplyDeleteThis chapter really had me thinking about how easily people's brains can make assumptions of things but how difficult it is to change those assumptions. Tina's story really shocked me and I felt bad for the struggles she had to go through as a child. The worst part ,though, is that the events of her child her will affect her for the rest of her life no matter how much she tries to change and go to therapy. I big question that popped into my mind well reading though was why would Tina's babysitter feel the need to rape her and her brother. I also never released the brain was that affected by the things that happen to you. I always figured that the brain was most vulnerable during your teen years and not as much when you are a toddler. Another thing that made me question is the fact Tina thought her actions in school weren't wrong at all. Even though none of the other kids in the class were doing what she did, she still thought her actions were almost normal. I feel bad for kids that have to go through similar things like Tina did. I wish I could see how Tina is doing now and see how her childhood has affected her adult life.
I also questioned the fact that she thought the things she was doing was okay even though normally a person would notice that if nobody else is doing it they shouldn't either.
DeleteParker Nein
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 1 I was shocked by the way Tina acted when they where alone. It was interesting how her brain was wired differently do to past incidences. I learned how the repetitive exposure to such a tremendous trauma can cause a child to behave and respond in different way that the average person would not see as normal. I thought it was shocking such a young girl could be exposed to such an environment to cause PTSD. This chapter taught me how tragic incidences from a persons past can effect their future and explain their behavioral changes.
The more and more I read the more intrigued i became. To honestly start by making the connections yourself like the ones made in this chapter. How this could be so much like a domino effect. That by such a stressful event could later lead on to more problems that would not so much be thought to be so closely related to that specific stressor. This whole chapter really got me thinking how many of the things that "make us" us have so much to do with our first experiences in life and how our childhood life plays a much bigger role that i would've imagined.
ReplyDeleteI was somewhat shocked that the "inappropriate" behaviors that Tina had where nothing but normal, but i also could understand why.
I am from a different country and different country means different culture, so i could relate to how Tina's actions and behaviors where considered normal for her but seen as wrong in the eyes of others. My behavior was different from the rest, but it was what i grew up with, so it wasn't different for me.
Interesting connection... but true. Our environment shapes our behavior. What we learn and know become wired in our brain.
DeleteThe first chapter of this book really surprised me. I had no idea someone that young could already have this many mental/emotional problems. I learned about how parts of the brain can really be affected by traumatic events. It was surprising how much each part of the brain has to do with something and how that will affect another part of the brain. I was a little disturbed by how the little girl, Tina assumed the doctor wanted something sexual. That was very sad to me. It's sad to think that was all she knew being only 7 years old. I was so surprised she would even know anything about that at all. It was very clear she needed help. I think she should've been seeing a doctor more often than she was. I think more visits would've helped. Even with the help she was getting years down the road she still did things that showed how seriously traumatized she was. The therapy might've helped in some areas but not the serious ones. I was disappointed after reading about her progress and then the incident with the older boy at school. I think it's clear that she has a lot more issues to solve.
ReplyDelete-Katie Johnson
Upon beginning this book, more specifically, this chapter, I am sure I can speak for all of us when I say I was not sure what was to be expected. As I began to read Tina's story, innumerable amounts of questions began to run through my mind. As she "reached for his zipper", the first question I had being the simplest, but rather, the most important for me to be answered was why? Why had that happened to Tina? Why had no one stopped it sooner? I knew those questions would hopefully be answered as I continued to read, but it was clear my emotions had soon began to cloud my judgement, most importantly, my logic.
ReplyDeleteI was angry. How could someone have made such young children preform such gruesome sexual acts? Upon Tina's first encounter with Dr. Bruce Perry, it was clear the extent of her abuse was as extreme as I had thought, if not more. Her offender had programmed her to preform these acts, making her believe it was her purpose, her job. In addition to that, I was angry that no one had stopped this offense sooner. Due to her age, Tina was young and innocent, but not unaware of what was happening to her. Although her offender had used fear as a weapon, threatening the children with their lives if they told anyone about what was taking place, hadn't Tina or her brother shown any signs? Sadness? Depression? Although she was misbehaving in school, I feel as though for most it would be a natural response for emotions and attitudes to change. Due to Tina being so young, her behaviors may have not been yet established, making it nearly impossible for anyone to say she was "acting different." In addition, with her jobs to not only take care of her children, but to provide for them, Tina's mother was not always as involved with her children as most mothers are expected to be. As a natural response, many turn to blame through anger, and for a while, mine went to Tina's mother. In addition to anger, I was simply confused. How could someone do such a thing? To such young, innocent children? Had it been because the offender himself had been abused? Studies have shown that many cases of abuse stem from the abusers themselves going through the same trauma, but the question of "why?" Still haunts me.
In the end, I am not only heartbroken by Tina's story, but shocked. The hardest part about reading this story was simply understanding that is was true. This had happened to someone. Tina nor her brother deserved this, but I do believe that Dr. Perry had helped in not only establishing a relationship that Tina had not experienced before, but by managing to somewhat distinguish the mindset on men that Tina had formed. Her abuse was to the extent that Tina was numb to not only the situation, but to all associated with it. Although Tina will most likely be traumatized by what she experienced, and the effects it had on her will be lasting, I believe that Dr. Perry played a role much larger than he had believed.
Right from the beginning this chapter caught e off guard. The emotional roller coaster Tina was forced to live through would pay a toll on anyone, it did appear however that the effects will run deeper because of her young age. Dr. Perry's explanation of wow stress at a young age can directly alter the individuals future was interesting to me. Tina, a very young girl, exposed to such an emotional and stressful experience as sexual assault i'm sure left a very deep footprint into her mind. The first meeting between Tina and Perry set off huge alarms in my head. Tina, a little girl, sitting on his lap and un-zipping his pants as if it is the normal thing to do was extremely disturbing. Dr. Perry seemed very confused on how to deal with her disorder, something he himself couldn't diagnose. I was very disappointing that after all the years of working with her and trying to dig out the roots of her problems that Tina never fully came around to get over her problems. The experiments with the rats that showed how stress can effect an individual longer then just in the moments of stress is almost heart breaking. thinking of all the kids or even young adults in the world that have to go through terrible events yearly in their lives that could be effected by a single event is hard to comprehend. This chapter showed me that even with help from a professional sometimes people can not change. In a bigger picture thinking of people convicted of crimes that are sent to prison that are released early and claim to be rehabilitated, Are they really changed individuals? in the case pointed out in this chapter maybe they are not. it really opened my eyes to how complex and sometimes frustrated the human brain can be.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the first chapter of the book, I was absolutely shocked by the behavior of Tina. I immediately questioned what happened to her that caused her to act like this. As I continued reading and learned that she was sexually abused from the ages 4-6 years old it slowly began making sense to me and I was absolutely disgusted with the behavior of the 16 year old babysitter. I questioned what made him think acting in this way was acceptable and wondered how he could be so inconsiderate about the long-term effects that his actions would have on these young children who still have the rest of their lives ahead of them. One of the most shocking points of the chapter to me was when Tina entered the room with Dr. Perry and her initial reaction was reaching for his zipper in order to please him. This just proved that what you are taught to believe is acceptable at a young age, sticks with you the rest of your life unless you work to change it. Another thought that went through my head while reading is how did the mother not realize what was going on with her children sooner? I began questioning her parenting abilities and wondered why she did not spend more time with her children. When I found out she had been in abusive relationships and was also living in poverty I began to understand why she wouldn't exactly have time to realize the extent of her children's behavior.
ReplyDeleteI found the way he explained functions of the brain and how Tina's is different from most people because of her abuse very interesting. It made me realize how complex the brain really is and how it can be effected.
When Dr. Perry diagnosed Tina with PTSD, I could understand how that would make sense based on the treatment she endured from the babysitter. I immediately made the connection with war veterans who experience PTSD from the traumatic situations they endure during war and could understand how that is similar to Tina's situation. Overall, I am very excited to continue reading these stories and look forward to learning more about the brain and its functions.
I like the connection you made with the war veterans. Although they are not the same situations, they both include trauma that is nearly impossible to just forget. It is very rare that victims come out of an experience like Tina's, or a traumatizing experience in general, feeling completely normal, hence why I agree with Dr. Perry's diagnosis.
DeleteIt's amazing how much 30 pages can teach you. I especially enjoyed learning all about how memory is constructed and how it connects to everything we do in life. From being an infant and learning to sit up, to managing driving and other daily tasks. I can't say that this book really disturbs me or even really surprises me, I'm a rather realistic person and things like this happen every day, coming to grips with it doesn't mean it's an acceptable part of life though. I've read many psychology related stories before these about traumatized children, such as "The Boy Called It", and many others and they all have a sad ending. The hard reality of it is, no amount of therapy or support can ever solve your problems, in the end you only have you and that is the only way you come to live with it, is by accepting yourself. I only hope that even though we can't read more into Tina's life that she continues to grow strong as a person and overcome the trauma she has dealt with.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter it really opened my eyes to what horrible things that can and are going on in our world all around us. It made me think like how many times i am to quick to judge a person when i may no nothing about them, and after Tinas story it made me realize how important it is to ''never judge a book by its cover'' people would say. Its very disturbing how Tina thinks that all men want is sex. Its heart breaking to think that an innocent girl was put through such a traumatic event that has caused her into thinking distortedly about all men.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading the part about Tinas going for Dr.Perry's zipper was very shocking and i wasnt sure what to think at the moment as many others might have thought as well.Reading this makes me very angry that someone would do sch a thing to a por little girl, causing her to have an innacurate thought process of men. I guess i will never understand why people do such aweful things like this is our world.
This book altogether was hard to take in. Its storys like this that make me wonder how many people are out there trying to seek help like Tina. I am very fortunate to have not known anyone who has been through such a case, But i can say i do feel for the people that are not so lucky.
I love that you said "this that make me wonder how many people are out there trying to seek help like Tina" because it is so true. The fact of the matter is money is opportunity. If Tina's family would have had money she may not have been put in the situation in the first place. I mean who is to really say this couldn't have happened at a proper day care or something but hypothetically speaking. It is also sad to me to think about all the other kids and people in general in the world that really need mental help but cant receive it because they don't have the monetary resources or are even near a facility that can help them. Things like that make my heart hurt to say the least, sappy but true.
DeleteI agree that this chapter was hard to take in, unlike you I have know someone who has gone through such an awful thing. I've always wounder why such awful things go on in the world, but it also shows how great people like Dr. Perry are in the world to help others make it through those awful things. But I also wounder how many people are looking for help and either can't find it and/or afford it. It's a very sad reality that we face in this world.
DeleteI love this! We judge people all the time without hearing their background story and it is not the right thing to do. There are a lot of people out there like Tina; you see it on the news all the time, you hear about it through social media, and people talk; it is very saddening. And the fact that somebody does such horrible things to a person wihtut a second thougth about it is even sicker. For real, where is the humanity these days?
DeleteWhile reading Tina’s story I was mixed with emotions. I was first struck with anger. I was so mad that Tina could be treated in such a terrible way, all of these “what ifs” popped into my head. I was so mad that our world is so corrupt. We are raised to think that the world we are growing up on is great and beautiful place for everyone to live. We are inspired with so much hope as we are raised. Then slowly things start to hit you like this story. Tina was mistreated and abused by someone, a young boy at that. It makes me so mad to think about her now having to deal with this for the rest of her life. It’s unfair just like the world we live in.
ReplyDeleteAfter the anger had subsided I realized I was so sad reading about Tina. It’s sad to believe that this could have happened to anyone. It isn’t Sara’s fault this happened to her kids. My heart breaks when I look at the situation from Sara’s eyes. She now not only has to work very hard to stay on top of things but no she also has the burden of their weekly trip to see Dr. Perry. I also realized that a lot of my anger came from the boy who first changed Tina’s view of men. My initial reaction was why is he getting treatment and not jail time? Then I realized just like Tina he needed help. It is so sad that he must have been exposed to something like what he did at a young age as well as Tina. I just get upset while thinking about how many people this could have happened to and does happen to but don’t get the help they need.
I like how you mentioned Sara's side of the story. While reading Tina's story, I looked at it from Dr. Perry's point of view and Tina's most of the time. She truly is a woman to look at as source of strength, determination, and undivided love for her children. While reading, I had mixed emotions, too. Anger was definitely prominent, but sadness and confusion were there too. I like how you acknowledged the fact that the boy who first changed Tina's view of men was in need of help, too. In many cases, people would be outraged to see that he isn't receiving jail time, but just like Tina, there is a reason he is the way he is.
DeleteI like how you looked at this story from Sara's point of view, because I feel like not a lot of us do. Most people will focus on Tina because they see her as the victim in this story but like you mentioned, it would be so hard to be a mother who's been in countless abusive relationships and working really hard all the time for your children, just to realized that they're being sexually abused by their babysitter. I know if I had a child that would break my heart.
DeleteTina's story was truly powerful. It caused me to feel so many different emotions. Like many, my first initial emotions were anger, disgust, and sadness. How could anyone do that to a poor innocent girl? The boy who did that to Tina was around my age. He didn't go to jail, which at first upset me, but as I thought more about it and continued reading, I realized he could've gone through the same thing as Tina. The brain is so easily manipulated at such a young age, that he, just like Tina, could've been abused and violated. After I realized that, I was glad he got help. By the end of the chapter, my emotions were scattered, but there was a new-found feeling; optimism. Although Tina wasn't "cured", she made progress. Tina's mom is a great role model for not only Tina, but everyone. Having her in Tina's life will be good for Tina, because she is a strong woman. Although Tina's view of men and herself was negatively effected, I feel like having her mother in her life with change her view of woman and herself will change for the better.
ReplyDeleteI think learning about how the brain is effected so early on in a person's life was very interesting. It made me wonder if any of my views and ways of thinking were based off of incidences in my first few years.
I really enjoy how you wounder if any of your views were based on your first few years. It really makes me wounder the same thing, if Tina's brain could of been manipulated in such a negative, could one thing drastically changed the way I am? Dr. Perry showed how many amazing things the brain can really do and how one thing can have such a major impact on the rest of our lives.
DeleteI never thought of the impact that Tina's mother would have on her to help her grow and gain confidence before now. I'm sure that that would help her to better understand how to love herself and conduct herself confidently; but that also brings to mind the psychological impact on the mother herself. I didn't really think to wonder much about whether she blamed herself at all or just how paranoid having something so aweful happeming could have made her. I also argee that though Tina's problems weren't over, I felt hopeful for her.
DeleteI also think its crazy that the boy who did this to Tina is our age. I was angry at him as well but then I started to realize, too, that the same sort of thing probably happened to him when he was young as well and he probably psychological help just like Tina.
DeleteI liked how at the end you took a step back and kind of looked at your life and thought about your childhood and the views that could effect the way you think today and after I read your blog in somewhat of the same I thought back on my childhood and thought about all the things that effect me today that I learning when I was younger.
DeleteTina's story really moved me. I viewed it from many different views. The very first emotion that struck me was sadness for the boy who did the unthinkable things and also Tina, a very innocent victim. But the boy also had to been a victim in someway. I am in no way condoning what the boy did, but like Tina his brain was also manipulated in a harmful way. Although I believe he should of served some jail time, he also needed medical help just like Tina. Tina's mom is a very strong person for going through all of this with Tina and never giving up on her, it takes a truly amazing, strong willed person to do that. She is a great role model for everyone someone who is selfless enough who will do anything for her kids. Though Tina wasn't fully "cured" she defiantly made progress and showed you can slowly over come even the worse things in your life and I strongly believe she will fully over come everything with the right help.
ReplyDeleteBut the most important thing that this chapter showed me was, everyone with the right help can over come anything and the brain is very easily manipulated. Tina and her family are very strong people for going through what they went through and not letting it get the best of them and overcoming it.
I agree with you in how strong Tina's mother must be. We know that Tina has a great support system and that she would do anything to help her daughter and even though this horrible thing happened to Tina and sometimes she acts out with inappropriate behavior, we know that her mother is always there to offer her unconditional love. It makes me sad to think that its such a vicious cycle with abuse. If you were abused yourself, you are more likely to do it to someone else and its sad to me to think that Tina could've turned out like that had she not gotten the help.
DeleteI agree with you about the boy also in someway being the victim in this whole situation as well... Although we know a lot about Tina and her expensive through it all we know nothing about this boy. Yes what he did was wrong but maybe when he was younger he was sexual assaulted just like Tina was, and the only way he knows how to act towards females is to do the same way. Like you said I'm not condoning what he did or acted but I'm just saying how we do not know the whole story behind it.
DeleteThis story was very sad to me. I felt a lot of sorrow for Tina, and I felt a lot of anger towards the 16 year old babysitter who took away her innocence at such a young age. I find it very sick that an older person can do that to somebody (no mater what age) and not feel a hint of guilt. I can sort of connect with this story. I work at a shelter (for confidential reasins I cannot disclose any further information about it) for abused moms and children and I see traumatized children all the time and that behavior sticks for long time; it may mellow out a little, but it is still there. I feel like that is Tina's case. I think these events will stick in the back of her mind and fester even is she makes progress in therapy.
ReplyDeleteFor the first chapter I found it very enlightening to hear about the author's inexperience in his new field. He seemed to have very little knowledge about helping children psychologically and has a lot of growing to do. I also fely that he never knew what to expect from Tina, even after getting to know her and understanding why she did the things she did. I appreciate that he continuously tried to see things from her perspective and not seeing her just as a diagnosis but as a person, who has a family, a house, and life outside of the terrible things that happened to her. I'm sad for both of them that he was not able to understand her as fully as he thought at the time he was working with her, seeing as later he states that her growth was mostly on the surface and with things involving social normalicy. It's interesting that we are able to see not only the patients grow, but also Dr. Perry himself.
ReplyDeleteComing to understand the associations Tina made was both the most educational and the most disturbing part of this chapter. It displays how much people's actions can effect others either in positive, or in this case, extremely negative ways. I couldn't believe what horrible things had happened to her, how anyone could do that I don't know if I will ever truly understand. That something so out of her control could impact her so much really affected me emotionally. She would now have to work to undo a specific set of associations for a great deal of her life. I'm glad that she was able to make some progress, but where the chapter left off she still had a long way to go to reach complete metal health.
ReplyDeleteAs I started reading this chapter I was shocked as to how fast it got very intense. Within the first couple paragraphs he explained how Tina walked right up to him and unzipped his pants in the first minutes of meeting her. My heart just dropped when I read this. It makes me so sad that at such a young age her perception of men has changed to something so negative.
I also thought it was interesting to see how Dr. Perry grew throughout the chapter as well. How he learned that he shouldn't just look at her symptoms but her personality and home life and just who Tina is as a person. I thought an interesting part of this was when Dr. Perry was having this internal conflict over whether he should give Tina's poor family a ride home so they wouldn't have to wait out in the cold or whether he should stick by the correct doctor-patient relationship and not take things outside their visits. I admired how he followed his heart and did what he thought was right and instead of getting in trouble like he thought he would, it helped him out in the long run. I probably would've given the family a ride, too.
At first, I was angry at the teenage boy who did this to such an innocent, defenseless girl. But then as I thought about it I realized that the same thing that he did to Tina probably happened to him as a young boy as well. I soon realized that along with the punishment he deserves, he also needs help just like Tina does. In the end, Tina wasn't fully cured, but she made leaps and bounds of progress.
I agree with how you think the teenage boy could have suffered through the same thing he did to Tina. I feel like something had to of happened in his childhood to make him do this, something may have tramatized him. Why else would he have felt it was ok? I also feel like if he was tramatized as a young boy he didn't get the treatment t he needed to help him, to prevent him from doing this to Tina.
DeleteGoing into this chapter I somewhat knew that if something traumatizing happens to you when your brain is still developing it will leave an impacting change throughout your whole life. As I started reading Tina’s world I was quite sure what to think about everything that was happening...First I felt sorry for Tina and her family for having to go through with all of this at such a young age. I also felt for her mother because I can’t image what was going through her mind when she found out about the sexual assaults to her daughter. I know if I was in her shoes my heart would be broken just knowing how someone could do this to an innocent little girl. During the first couple of pages lots of emotions were going through my head, but then I took a step back and realize yes this terrible thing happen to Tina but what was going to the boy’s mind when he did.. Maybe he as well Tina something happen to him in his younger years that possessed him to do that? Yes I feel for Tina but there is always another side to the story that you do not hear about and me personally I always like to hear both sides of a story before pointing blame. Do not get me wrong what the boy did was unacceptable but as readings we do not really know about him and if something traumatized can we really blame him for his actions if him and Tina are in the same boat for having traumatizing events leading to inappropriate behavior in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was extremely surprising and just kind of hard to continue reading because I was just so angry at certain points. It's hard for me to understand how someone could force children to take part in sexual activity and it really upset me when I read about Tina's story. Towards the beginning of the chapter when it talks about Dr. Perry's first encounter with Tina, and she grabs his zipper, made me more sad and surprised than angry. More importantly it just made me question, why? When I started to learn about Tina and her story, I became angry and I blamed the babysitter, but I also blamed her mother for not figuring it out. As a parent I think you should be able to figure things like that out. Once I learned that her mother was living in poverty and works a lot, I realized why she may not be able to be around all the time to notice when her children's different behaviors, she seemed to have other problems of her own as well.
ReplyDeleteThat's when I began to question the babysitter and why he did what he did. It's extremely hard for me to understand at what point he decided in his mind that doing that was okay. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he wasn't thinking about Tina's future and how that would effect her relationships and the way she perceived ALL men. Once I realized that he too was abused it lessened my anger towards the boy because he needed help just like Tina did and he probably didn't receive it. I'm very excited to continue reading, this is extremely interesting to me.
When reading this cater I felt mixed emotions. I felt anger, sadness and confused. I really liked how Dr. Perry worked with Tina. I also felt disturbed through parts.
ReplyDeleteTinas behavior was shocking to me. I found it disturbing how she is so young and was exposed to this. I found it interesting how this changed how she saw men in general. I felt angry and confused. How could someone do that to her she was so young. This will change her forever.
I flet very interested reading Dr. Perry's words. Reading what his thoughts were through the book since he seemed a little inexperienced. I liked seeing him learn throughout the chapter and doing everything he could to do his best for Tina, I feel like this makes a difference.