“You may never …

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

-Mahatma Gandhi

“Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.”

-Desiderius Erasmus

Breaking silence about abuse is difficult, but no positive change will come from holding it in. If it’s happened, it’s worth reporting, it’s worth your voice and story, and it’s worth the good that can come from your experiences by sharing them with others, potentially helping one or many strangers, and inspiring them to use their voice.

 

Shining light on your first steps to stopping your abuse can disintegrate pain, and the more people you help, the more the light will outshine the dark.

Child Abuse Cas…

Child Abuse Casts a shadow that lasts a lifetime.

-Herbert Ward

Traumatic experiences can often lead to negative outcomes, and when emotional pain is unbearable, it’s difficult to not give up on yourself and the beautiful life you deserve. There’s a way to come out positive, to remember what you deserve, and to prove everyone wrong that ever put you down. Disadvantaged youth from child abuse that remain positive are said to be Resiliant. Resilience is said to be caused from intelligence, positive influences, a big sense of humor, and the capability to be independent. Never let the odds being against you make you give up, prove yourself and the World wrong and there’s no measure in what a disadvantaged youth can become. It’s incredible to survive a life with so much struggle, and flourish in the difficulty.

***Research from childwelfare.gov

What Is Abuse?

When a group stands behind a cause, most of the information shared is what the organization does and statistics that support why it’s important. Being well-informed has a positive impact when trying to expand the support of your organization, but one thing missing, is there aren’t typically extravagant details about what is actually considered abuse.

 

This may seem obvious, which I admittedly thought at first, then when I looked into the laws covering abuse, physical abuse was only one part, and since there have been many cases on whether a parents actions fall under abuse, we could all use a little insight into how many actions we might pass as okay, but mean are illegal in actuality. 

 

Physical abuse:

Includes any form of physical harm, hitting, pushing slapping, burn, throwing objects, throwing the child, shaking, etc. Physical abuse can seem self explanatory, but it’s good to question everything, knowledge is power, and helpful coinciding with a sensitive, gruesome position endured by a youth.

 

Sexual abuse:

Any form of fondling or invasion of body privacy and exploitation of the child to perform sexual acts, as well as forcing them to watch any type of sexual act. This can also be done entirely online, from pictures to how a person speaks to the child.

 

Emotional Child Abuse:

This is categorized as putting the child down, making them feel bad about themselves, insulting them and their worth, extreme punishments, and any psychological maltreatment.

 

Neglect:

Ignoring a child, not giving attention to medical needs, not providing shelter or food, not showing or expressing the love and support to a child, failure to provide education, and lack of hygiene.

 

All of these can have long lasting affects on a child, from behavior issues to drug use and criminal acts. Children can develop psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety that never goes away. It’s important to know the types of abuse, because there’s so much pain caused by such actions.

*Information summed up from Healthyplace.com

“The reward for…

“The reward for work well done, is the opportunity to do more” Dr. Jonas Edward Salk

Dr. Jonas Edward Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine, selflessly donated the vaccine to children in need, and fought for their rights when in testing the vaccine, they sought to have a control group, which would mean a group of children would not get the experimental vaccine. 

 

He fought for the rights and good health of children he never met…he had children of his own, however none with the dreadful disease, but still dedicated his hours in the lab to save the children that were infected.

 

Growing up, I’ve witnessed many adults conflicted with how to go about helping someone in a troublesome situation, and sadly many who have questioned how they themselves would benefit by providing aid to children in need.

 

“Child Abuse casts a shadow that lasts a lifetime” -Herbert Ward, we help those in need, not expecting something in return, but to know it is worth it, to help get children away from dangers that last a lifetime. Nicolette Winn, the founder of the No Longer Silenced Movement, works diligently and passionately towards saving children from abuse, knowing what it could do to someone, and the lasting affects that survivors endure each day. There are many ways a person can help, donating funds or time, and promoting awareness which can be as easy as talking about it and researching how drastic child abuse is in our nation. Help because you can, because any little bit helps, and gives you the chance to do more and helping even more people with each ounce of effort you continue to put in this cause.

Speaking Up

No child should ever have to fear going home, making a mistake, or worry about what will happen to them if they simply ‘get in the way’. The reality of it is, child abuse happens more often than we think. Many have been victims of physical, mental, or emotional abuse that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Abuse has a lasting impact, that many survivors of abuse can never shake. In fact, according to childhelp.org, 80% of all victims of child abuse suffer from at least 1 psychological disorders. Psychological and Emotional disorders affect the way we think, function, and go about each day. It’s scary to admit that the people who are meant to nurture you have hurt you, but reporting abuse is a priority…if you suspect abuse, say something, while keeping quiet might seem easier for you, a simple phone call can save someone from having an anxiety disorder or depression, that will make their lives much more difficult. You could save a persons life by simply taking the time to report suspected abuse. If you, yourself are a victim to abuse, remember you’re not alone, you’re never alone, and it’s never your fault. Everybody deserves to feel safe and comfortablein their own home.