Broken Three Times: A Story of Child Abuse in America by Joan Kaufman

Purchase A Copy The novel "Broken Three Times" provides a nuanced glimpse into the lived experiences of Maria and her children, Sylar and Samaya. Through their interwoven stories of resilience and struggle, we gain insight into the multi-layered issues impacting vulnerable families navigating the child welfare system. This paper aims to comprehensively examine key aspects of their circumstances by reflecting on existing literature and applying social work lenses of cultural competence, human development, and trauma-informed care. The goal is to develop a deeper understanding of the systemic challenges they face while highlighting opportunities for strengthening practice approaches. Family Strengths and Everyday Adversities On the surface, Maria, Sylar, and Samaya's family unit exhibited affection demonstrating their bond as a source of support. However, peer-reviewed research indicates a mother's own history of childhood trauma, like Maria's sexual abuse, ...