It's Never Over for the Victim

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When you've been sexually abused, especially as a child, you don't wonder, 'why is this person so bad?' You wonder, 'what about me made this person think it was okay to do this to me?' I dwelled on that. What made me different from any other child? Was I noticeably damaged in some way? Was it something within me which made me 'lesser than', to be preyed upon by grown adults for their own perverse sexual gratification? In just a few moments, my life was unalterably shattered. Any and every hope of having meaningful relationships plummeted, and the only thing to come out of this situation is a grown-ass man who could do the same thing watching porn... or, better yet, with his WIFE.

I digress. We, the abused, are the ones who ultimately pay the price. How ridiculous is it, now that I'm grown, myself, and old enough to understand exactly HOW wrong it was for the men in my life to treat me as they did, now I'm brave enough, smart enough, and able to call them out, yet I'm restricted by laws. Laws which protect their rights. Their privacy. There are no laws (yet) to protect the hundreds of thousands of children who were, and are, too scared and/or confused to speak out during their abuse. The #MeToo movement is a much bigger issue than some might realize. It's an epidemic, really. I've said it before: If everyone with a #MeToo story suddenly disappeared, you'd think it was the rapture. It would be that catastrophic. It is that catastrophic. 

"By the time local teens are in high school, 2 in 10 girls and 1 in 10 boys will have experienced sexual assault, according to the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey of 10th graders. Sexual assault is defined as being made to engage in kissing, sexual touch or intercourse when you did not want to. The offender may be unknown, or may be a family member, friend, or partner." Dr. Wood: "The facts about how widespread sexual assault really is"

It's a sad fact of life, but we're strong. We'll make it through with our heads held high. As for those who've lived with their dirty secrets for so long... A reckoning is coming...

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