What Happened To Dave Pelzer In 'A Child Called It'?

Dave Pelzer's story in 'A Child Called It' is one of the most harrowing accounts of child abuse I've ever read. His mother subjected him to unimaginable torture—starving him, forcing him to eat feces, burning his skin on the stove, and even stabbing him. She treated him like an 'it,' not a human, while favoring his siblings. The abuse was systematic, with punishments escalating if he tried to seek help. What sticks with me is Dave's resilience. Despite the brutality, he clung to hope, using small acts of defiance like stealing food to survive. The book doesn't shy away from the psychological toll, showing how he dissociated to endure the pain. It's a raw look at how evil can exist in ordinary homes, and how one boy fought to outlast it.

Reading 'A Child Called It' felt like peeling back layers of a nightmare. Dave Pelzer’s childhood wasn’t just about physical abuse—it was psychological warfare. His mother, Catherine, invented twisted 'games' to break him. She made him drink ammonia, locked him in a bathroom with chlorine gas, and once left him bleeding on the floor for hours after a stabbing. The worst part? The isolation. She convinced his brothers to join in the torment, turning the family into a pack of predators with Dave as their prey.

What’s chilling is the calculated nature of the abuse. She timed meals so he’d watch others eat, wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints during beatings, and coached his siblings to lie to teachers. The school eventually intervened, but not before Dave’s spirit was nearly crushed. The book’s power lies in its unflinching detail—the vomit-inducing smell of his 'bed' (a cot soaked in urine), the way his stomach gnawed itself from hunger. It’s not just a memoir; it’s a forensic document of survival.

Yet, there’s light. Dave’s teachers became his lifeline, smuggling him food and finally reporting the abuse. His story shows how systemic failures allow such cruelty to persist, but also how one person’s kindness can rewrite a life. The sequel, 'The Lost Boy,' continues his journey through foster care, proving resilience isn’t just about enduring—it’s about learning to trust again.

I couldn’t put 'A Child Called It' down, though it left me shaking. Dave’s abuse wasn’t random—it was ritualistic. His mother’s 'discipline' included forcing him to vomit up school lunches (she’d check his throat), or making him stand for hours in a freezing garage wearing just underwear. The abuse escalated over years, from neglect to near-murder. What haunts me is how Dave coped. He daydreamed about heroes rescuing him, counted seconds to distract from pain, and even lied to protect his mom, fearing worse punishment if authorities got involved.

The turning point came when a school nurse noticed his bruises and malnourishment. Dave’s description of that moment—how he panicked, expecting retaliation—reveals the Stockholm syndrome-like grip of his trauma. The book doesn’t offer easy answers. Even after removal, Dave struggled with guilt and nightmares. It’s a stark reminder that abuse scars deeper than skin. For those wanting to explore similar themes, 'The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog' by Bruce Perry delves into how childhood trauma shapes the brain. Pelzer’s story is extreme, but its lessons about resilience and intervention are universal.