Robert " Yummy Sandifer

Topic:What happens in the family and community of an 11 year old that turns him into a kid like Yummy?


Apart,Torn, Not together........not a family is what comes to mind when asked about this question. The life of Yummy Sandifer an 11 year old boy whom was in the violence of gangs and faced a shocking death on September 1, 1994. He was born in the arms of a teenage mother whom was not qualified on raising children and to a father who was sent to jail for drugs and weapons as charges. His mother dropped out of school in 10th grade, went on welfare, nursed a crack habit and became a statistic.

My first statement toward this question is the word family. In this question it ask what happens in the FAMILY and the community of an 11 year old that turns him into a kis like Yummy Sandifer. Now What does family mean to you? This question, as simple as it might sound, is one that can bring out a wide range of answers and opinions. Because of this self-defining concept, your family will always be different from the one next door. Healthy communication is one of the most vital attributes a family can possess. Without communication, one would not have the opportunity to establish relationships or understand the emotions of others. Another key concept that is seen within the family, are the different roles that family members take. These roles can be influenced by gender, society, or individual personality.( this information on family was provided by What does family means to you essay). My opinion on family is simply a group of ethnicity's that shares love which doesn't work without communication and is just basically backing up the information or opinion given above.

My second statement toward this question is the word community. In this question it ask what happens in the family and the COMMUNITY of an 11 year old that turns him into a kid like Yummy Sandifer. The word community comes from the word communion. The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship".The definition and background on community was provided by google. My opinion on community is just simply based on Umoja meaning unity.

My third statement towards this question is "an 11 year old that turns into a kid like Yummy". Now this statement was stated in the question. My question to this question is what do you mean by a kid name Yummy. Yummy wasn't an angel, everyone saw that but he was also abuse physically and emotionally.



Figure 1.

Drawing by a 4-year-old physically-abused boy:
The large image is his father and he is the mouthless face in the upper left hand corner.

Physical abuse is a form of child maltreatment (a broad category of behavior that also includes sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect). As a general rule, physical abuse refers to the infliction of physical harm on a child by a parent or caregiver. It is not necessary for the harm to be intentionally inflicted, and in the majority of situations physical abuse is the unintentional end result of harsh disciplinary methods or corporal punishment that have escalated to point of physical injury or the risk of physical injury. Physical abuse often occurs simultaneously with other forms of child maltreatment. An unfortunate but common example of this is when a boy is hit with closed fists by his father while also being belittled and verbally insulted. In this case, the boy would be considered to have experienced both physical and emotional abuse. Establishing a precise definition of physical abuse is difficult due to the different standards that can be applied to this term.

For example, at what point do normal child-rearing behaviors cross the line into the realm of abuse? Although exact legal definitions vary in the United States from state to state, there are two commonly accepted types of definitional standards that can be used to specify what is meant by physical abuse. The first is the harm standard, which considers behavior as abusive only if it results in demonstrable harm or injuries. Demonstrable harm could mean bruises, abrasions, cuts, burns, fractures, bites, or any of a number of other injuries. The second definitional standard for physical abuse is that of endangerment. Under this standard, physical assault by a parent or caregiver that presents a substantial risk of physical injury is considered abuse. Behaviors that would be considered abusive under this standard include hitting a child with a hard instrument or with closed fists, burning, scalding, poisoning, suffocating, drowning, kicking, shaking, choking, and stabbing. Although these actions may not result in observable injuries such as bruises or cuts, they are still considered abusive under an endangerment standard. Comparing these two standards, it can be seen that injury to the child is central to harm definitions while perpetrator behavior is the focus of endangerment definitions. Furthermore, harm definitions are more restrictive and more objective than endangerment standards.This information was provided by statics stating the action of abuse and the reaction of it. So who shall we blame because from my understanding and comprehension of Yummy Sandifer behavior, he was just a child whom was forced to survive and try to do whats right, yet he explained or showed it in the wrong way.


Now that we have a broken down outline of this question and understands every part it time to answer it. The question asks us What happens in the family and community of an 11 year old that turns him into a kid like Yummy? The answer to that question is lost more. What I mean by that is first of all the family wasn't in the interest of the child any way because it wouldn't even boil down to the point of the situation that occurred in Yummy life. SO you already lost the family part and if the community cared they would of told. So from my understanding no one had interest in him any way and now that you lost the Umoja within the family and the community, by you not doing anything you lost even more. You lost the oppurtunity to change what you already lost and you lost a child's life. All I have to say for future reference to where Robert Yummy Sandifer's family and community is that "It takes a village to raise a child not a neighbor". I appreciate the neighbors that saw what I see today. I wish their were more like you then, so maybe he could be telling his story and we won't have so much killing today. Where did we go wrong?