A Survivor : The Survivor Of A Survivor In My Life

In fact, this statistic is that one in ten children will be sexually abused before the age of 18 ("Child Sexual Abuse”). I remember always thinking that this was just a sad statistic, but I never wanted to admit to myself that I was a part of that ten percent. When I was a child, I was sexually abused by a person in my family. This abuse lasted until I was about six years old. The abuse would not happen often but I can vividly remember it happening. As a child, I had no clue what was going on. I did not know that what was being done to me was wrong. Because I was abused by a family member, it put me in a very odd situation. I was young and did not want to get myself in trouble by speaking out, and I also did not want to get that family member in trouble. I was so afraid to say anything and I just remember being so confused by the whole situation. Not only was I confused, but I was also terribly embarrassed by the whole situation. When my parents found out about the abuses, they put an immediate stop to it. I have no clue how they found out about what was going on but I am so glad that they found out. As a six year old boy, I do not think I would have had the courage to tell them what was happening. I am an 18 year old boy now and I still do not talk about this incident. This is my biggest secret and my biggest embarrassment. I know I should not be ashamed or embarrassed by

Notes: Another survivor, Jill Leighton discloses information about her life trapped as a sex slave. Bruce, the charming stranger, prostituted Jill as his slave for three years. This personal narrative conveys explicit details of the ruthless abuse, as well as the horrid living conditions.

When most people think of “child abuse”, the disturbing news stories of young girls being raped or sexually exploited come to mind but that’s not the only side of it. People seem to only consider physical abuse armful when emotional and mental abuse is just as bad, if not worse.

I was abused from the age of three till I was twelve and removed from the home. The reason that I am adding this in this story is to explain a few things. One, I had difficulties trusting in people. Throughout my life I realized that people will fail you in many ways. Secondly, most survivors of child abuse can go through life without realizing that they suffer from after effects such as PTSD, and sever depression. Also, I came from poverty, so I know what it feels like to be stereotyped, and not fit in with what society deems “normal”. It was this little bundle of fur that showed me how to smile and laugh without fear of consequences. I rediscovered the gift of happiness and love. The loss of my best friend inspired me to share his story, and similar stories. He was the poster child for the bully

Abuse is a serious issue in people’s lives. We should be more aware of it. We should see the Signs. People don’t take abuse serious enough because people don’t like to talk about it. The people that go through it feel ashamed, and they think that it’s not a problem. People think they should suck it up and take it. They think it’s there is something wrong with them. There isn’t anything wrong with them; they should be able to tell their story. Doesn’t matter what type of abuse you go through, sexual, physical, or mental. It’s real and it’s not your fault. People who are abused are more likely to engage is serious crime than anyone else. So if we don’t pay attention it can get worse then what it already is. Abuse no matter the type

It has been proven that most abusers have been abused at least one in their life. They also are very sorry and hate the way they have behaved and how they handled they are incident after it was

Sexual abuse can be very devastating to an individual both short term and long term. Being a victim of abuse is important to recognize and understand because of the long lasting negative effects of psychological problems and interpersonal distress that are often associated with the abuse (Messman & Long, 2003). Abuse can happen to anyone, young or old, at any time in their life. Childhood abuse, in particular, is believed to increase the likelihood that women will be sexually abused as an adult, because of their vulnerability to form attachments with men who victimize them (Czaja, Dutton, & Spatz, 2008). Some people never experience any kind of abuse, others might be a

Remember that people may be scared to tell you they have been abused. This might be because:

A form of sexual abuse that is not talked or reported as much is, sexual assault of men and boys. “2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape” (Rainn). Men survivors are less likely to report an assault or rape to the police. The way society visions males, it makes it harder for men to report because they are embarrassed or scared that it happen to them. All victims, regardless the gender, undoubtedly suffer as the result of sexual assault. It is simply not true that women suffer more than men, or rather that men suffer more than women. When young boys are raised, they are taught to be “brave”, “strong” and “tough.” Therefore, it is extremely understandable that a man or boy experiences emotions, such as, loneliness, vulnerability, inadequate, ashamed, etc. “Male victims are extremely hesitant to report such crimes due to the risk of mockery, disbelief, and disdain both from the community and law enforcement who may perceive them as ‘un-masculine’” (Fuchs 98). Being victimized does not mean you lose all your masculinity or physical strength. Certainly, sexual assault or rape is not only an exhibition of physical strength, it is also considered an abusive form of psychological control. This happens so frequently that victims often blame themselves for their attacks. In

After becoming more familiar with maltreatment and the effect it can cause on children, it is depressing to think about all of the children who have suffered or are suffering from abuse. As a society we are so sheltered from the idea of child abuse. People often ignore the fact that child abuse is happening every day. Children who suffer from child abuse that live with long-term effects are picked on and simply judged because they are different than what our society sees as a perfect person. It is not fare to children to be victims of child abuse. They are too young to physically fight back. It is sickening to know that there are people out there that physically abuse their children or family.

Sexual abuse has a way to mentally and physically damage a human being; just the thought of that recurring nightmare is enough to damage a child’s spirit. It is honestly hard or unknown to understand where or how sexual abuse actually comes from. People would think that when people are victims of sexual abuse, it would often be a stranger who is stalking them and hurting them. Instead, it is people whom the victims knew or are familiar with who are the ones that are hurting them. For children, they become adults, it would be hard for them to trust anyone ever again. However, when seeing abuse from a

I was physically abused as a child. When I was around three years old I was molested by an older cousin. I told my mom and she took care of it, but this was an event that was unforgettable

I. Attention getter: Do you know a friend or family member who has been sexually abused? Or maybe you have experienced sexual abuse yourself? Are you aware of the psychological and developmental effects it can have on you or someone you may know? Chances are, you don’t—while sexual abuse is common, may people do not speak up, and the problem goes unrecognized.

Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience affecting the lives of not only the victim, but those close to the victim as well. Many think there is only one person truly traumatized, but in fact, everyone involved is affected. The victim has to deal with their experience the rest of their lives. They may be more at risk for other mental issues as well, including depression. The family involved has to deal with its pain, often causing hardship and discord within the family. This is especially true

Sexual abuse to a child at times is confusing to the family. Families who are affected by sexual abuse to a child tend to have a difficult time talking about the abuse. About one out of every four girls and one out of every five boys are sexually abused by the time they are 18 years old.