A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive is a memoir by David Pelzer in which he describes his horrendous childhood filled with abuse and neglect. One of five children, David became the subject of his mother’s abuse from a young age. Raised in a dual parented home, the author described in grueling details the events that took place as he was enslaved by his mother, while his brothers and father condoned and/or contributed to the psychological, emotional, and physical abuse. Appearing to be a seemingly happy and content family on the outside, within the home alcoholism, sadistic behavior, arguments and segregation created a depressing environment for the author. Only after the school nurse, principal and an after school teacher reported the documented incidents to the local authorities was the author freed from the encapsulated hell.

The experiences of David are ones that all too many children know very well. Childhood abuse is a healthcare epidemic that is faced by many children. Counselors can used this book for self-knowledge, as it serves to educate clinical professionals on the escalating patterns of abusive behaviors. Used in clinical application, the text could serve to aid childhood abuse survivors with processing their experiences. Additionally, the text can be used as an educational tool for use amongst the batterer population to teach about the effects of childhood abuse on children into adulthood. As the text is very descriptive, it is cautioned that counselors use the book in the course of therapy when clinically appropriate and after a strong therapeutic alliance is built.