If a man was abused physically and sexually by his father then is it more likely for him to abuse a son or daughter?
I’m asking this to gain knowledge on the topic because I am looking to write about something pertaining to this subject. If it helps, the man would also be a recovered heroin addict (stayed sober for 5-6 years) and a current alcoholic. His father was also a boozer. His last name is Krevok, so the family will be referred to as “the Krevoks.”
He married at 17 and came to America at 19 and had his first son at 20 and twins (a boy and girl) at 21. (He is an American emigrant from Russia.) He started to get sober at 20 and 1/2 or so and fully at 21, and stayed sober until he was 26. His wife dies in a car accident (suspected to have been murdered by an acquaintance in her family’s organized crime ring) when he is 24 and he takes up drinking after a few years as a single father. He quickly grows dependent on alcohol. He would be about be about 34-37 in the piece I’m writing. (His actual job is a HS history teacher but he is also a member of organized crime.)
The way I have it panning out in my head is he becomes physically abusive towards his elder son who looks very much like him and also shares some of his impulsive tendencies. The abuse starts when the son is about 6 or 7 and escalates to full scale beating when he is 11-13. The son develops self-worth and self-image issues and at about 15 begins compulsively exercising and starving/ purging when he does eat. He is straight also.
The twin daughter and son may just be changed to just another son, I am having trouble characterizing the girl. The younger son would be a reserved, sensitive boy, who pines for the mother he hardly remembers and would hate the abuse of his brother. (He was told by his mother’s cousin of his father’s horrid childhood, and how his father’s older brother by two years committed suicide at 14 due to the extent of the physical/sexual abuse they endured. His father left home around 13, getting involved in illicit activities such as theft, drugs, and prostitution within the 3-4 years before he meets his future wife at 16.5 and becomes involved in organized crime. He marries her at 17 when he is the suspected father of her unborn child, which is found out to be the product of her rape by an older cousin.)
The abused son has a close friend that lives in poverty. The Krevoks, however, are very well-off due to the father’s involvement in organized crime. The friend idolizes Mr. Krevok since he never had any father figure and seemingly ignores the abuse or is ignorant to it.
None of Mr. Krevok’s co-workers or students are aware of his alcoholism, he drinks most heavily on weekends and in the afternoon on weekdays, getting more intoxicated until he either leaves the house or finds fault with his elder son, oftentimes making up reasons to treat him badly.
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Does this #1 seem realistic at all or am I an idiot? lol and #2 would this, creatively written in a novel be interesting and engaging to readers?
If it is useful, I am a junior girl (17) in high school, from the US.
* Thanks in advance for any help/input! :) *
