Exploring the Concepts of Abuse and Neglect of Children in Victorian Novel: A Revisitation of Dickens’ Works

Abstract

The long term abuse of children, physically, emotionally, sexually or through neglect can have major long-term effects on all aspects of a child's health, development and well-being. This emotional violence is likely to have a deep impact on the child's self-image and self-esteem, and on his or her future life. This article is a critical exploration of Charles Dickens’ novels, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield that has been slightly adapted from my doctoral dissertation, to pinpoint aspects of moral and physical violence Victorian children are exposed to during the Industrial Revolution in England, in order to examine its impacts on their emotional development and make suggestions for a sustained solutions to the same plights devastating African children.