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Title: Just children Reference: Director & producer, Glen Richards;
Indignant Eye Productions. Abstract: Developed by the Law Commission of Canada as part of its study of historical institutional child abuse, this video tells the story of people who suffered abuse as children in institutions across Canada. It also introduces a discussion of how to meet the needs of those who were harmed. Library of Congress subjects: Sociology subjects: Reviews and Numerical Ratings (3) My overall impression was that this is a good video and I would suggest it for an undergraduate class. The video comments on the following topics: the uniformity of treatment in institutions (i.e. It shows that children with very different needs are institutionalized together); the arbitrariness of the system and the abusive environment of institutions; the concept of moral reform through discipline; the inherent problems of a disciplinarian and autocratic form of treatment; the ineffectiveness of institutionalization (not only this is not an effective approach but instead it is a learning process on unworthiness, low self-esteem, abuse, violence etc.); phenomena of abuse are not isolated incidents of an otherwise healthy form of structure but rather widespread incidents that demonstrate the problematic nature of these institutions. The video demonstrates that the effects of institutionalization are not short-term and that they affect people for the rest of their lives. High rates of alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and suicide among people who have been institutionalized as children are indicative of the long-term implications of an abusive environment. As a final comment, I would say that this video manages to present the emotional tone of child abuse without becoming melodramatic. Yota Vassou (2.5) The title really grabbed my attention because it implied the affliction of the innocent. This video focuses on the systematic ways in which people in authority abuse their power in child abuse. It was very sad: I was troubled, disturbed, bothered. I wouldn’t want it any other way though because I felt I got to connect with the interviewees. Through their eyes, I felt the pain & suffering; I attached a face to the situation. The video covered rape, sodomy, brutal beatings, sad acts inflicted on children by people who are in authority and positions of trust & prestige. On a deeper level, I believe this video challenged that image of legitimacy, trust, and power; it offered the chance to claim truth and to acknowledge the experiences of those children, an experience that was once silenced and denied. That’s what I really liked about the video, how it brought awareness to this situation and was a starting point to eradicating this problem, by bringing forth its seriousness. But at the same time, the video didn’t address the structural problems e.g., in the justice system. It doesn’t explain why it happens. I needed more: what do we do about this now?? The video also talked about the intergenerational, cyclical nature of child abuse, which is important, and that especially made me want more about the explanations of how abuse is promoted. Marsha McQueen (undergraduate) (3) One of the best features of this video is that children’s experiences in a wide variety of institutions - including Aboriginal residential schools, juvenile detention facilities, and facilities for children with disabilities – are discussed. The speakers have a convincing, un-talk-show-like tone as they discuss the effects of abuse on their lives & communities, and the difficulties of entering into legal proceedings. Where the video falls short, I think, is on addressing what should be done (e.g., legal reforms?). Kathy Bischoping (3) In addition to articulating the experiences of
First Nations peoples in the residential school system this film, also
includes the experiences of deaf and blind, mentally and physically
disabled, and orphaned children who endured the same abuse in similar
institutions. This film examines the concepts of colonization, power,
and authority through first-hand experiential accounts and a historical
narrative. The film also addresses the shortcomings of the legal system
and its inability to deliver justice to those still suffering the consequences
this kind of abuse. Sarah Newman
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