The Dog Bruce Perry Character Analysis

Prior to the twenty-first century, most cases that involved trauma towards a minor were not evaluated close enough to reveal the psychological and social damage children were experiencing. Experts believed children possessed an innate attribute that allowed them recover quickly from oppression or abuse. However, in the novel The Boy who was raised as a Dog, Bruce Perry exemplifies how despairing experiences can psychologically damage a child’s brain and leave permanent damage that guide dysfunctions in behavior and cognition. Perry urges how healing sessions and social interaction with positive role models, are key to help children cope with traumatic experiences that direct their life.
Throughout the novel, Perry reveals several cases he
Sandy, a four-year old girl is being held in trail to publicly appoint and testify against the man who murdered her mother. Perry disagrees with this notion and indicates how this stressor can trigger so many suppressed memories and traumas. “He went on to describe the details of the murder (Tina witnessed), the girl’s hospitalization due to injuries she’d received during the crime, and her subsequent foster care placement” (Perry 33). It would be counterproductive for the justice system to make Sandy testify. They want to make her relive the moment she witnessed her mother die and when she almost lost her life. This indicates how the system see children as resilient and don’t acknowledge the long-term affect that children could undergo. Perry got the chance to have a session with her to begin the healing process. The process of therapy has been ignored because many believe that children bounce back, however Perry doubts this when he says; “Her progress was slow but steady” (Perry 56). Perry strongly believes that children are not resilient to traumatic experiences, however require a healing process that help cope with stress, memory, and