Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Child abuse is not just in America that is for sure, but this is where we live, and this is what we need to deal with in a major way.
It is estimated hundreds of thousands of children are being physically abused each year by a parent, a relative, a babysitter, teachers, and so-called trusted friends .
Do you realize that thousands of our precious children in America alone are dying from the abuse that is handed down upon them? Child abuse is getting more and more each year but why? Are the parents just getting meaner or are they to the point that they can’t cope with what is going on in their own life?
For children who survive the emotional and physical trauma, it doesn’t just go away. It hangs on year after year and can cause havoc on any relationship they have with someone. Even when they don’t realize that this is the residual pain they still have in them.
People who have been abused need help from those that understand what happened to the, and can help them mentally. However, most don’t even get help so they carry around the pain inside and that pain can ooze out into all the relationships they have. Early recognition and treatment are very important to minimize the long-term effects of physical, emotional, and mental abuse.
Many kids will never tell someone that they are being abused, but those that do tell someone that information needs to be taken seriously and dealt with. If it is not true…great, but what if it is true?
Children who have been abused may display one or many of the following:
A poor self-image
Aggressive behavior
Alcohol abuse
Anger or rage
Anxiety
Clingy behavior
Depression
Disruptive behavior
Drug abuse
Fear of entering a new relationship
Fear of joining in activities
Fears that don’t seem reasonable to fear
Feelings of sadness
Flashbacks
Illegal behavior
Inability to love others
Inability to trust others
Nightmares
Panic attacks
Passive behavior
School problems or failure in school
Self-abusive behavior
Self-destructive behavior
Sexual acting out
Sleep problems.
Suicidal thoughts
Withdrawn behavior
Often the severe emotional damage to abused children does not surface until adolescence or even later in their life. Many abused children become abusive parents later.
An adult who was abused as a child often has intimacy issues. They want to love and have a great relationship but in everything they do to have that they not only don’t usually trust their feelings but always seem to have a “what if” in the back of their mind. Most times they don’t even realize it.
Many men and women who were abused have trouble with physical closeness, with touching, with intimacy, and especially with trust. Remember, they don’t want to feel this way but deep down maybe they think the person they want that good relationship will, at some point also become abusive in some way…sexually, mentally, or emotionally.
To the person who was abused there is also a higher risk for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, medical issues, mental issues, and problems at work and at school. Without being able to talk about what happened to them as a child and deal with it the person who was abused never gets to have a normal relationship because inside, they won’t allow themselves, and again…they most likely don’t even realize they are doing this.
The person who was abused needs to be able to talk to someone about how they feel. Not to get people into trouble…but so they can ease their own pain and suffer over it.
Most abusers have at one time threatened the child that if they tell anyone…this or that will happen, or I will hurt this person or that person, or you will be in foster care…is that what they want. They threaten little kids and most tell the child what they are doing is normal in some way.
Through treatment, the abused person can begin to get to a point where they can have a normal relationship, and feel normal with normal feelings for others. Whether it is with a psychiatrist, counselor, or in a group setting where people can freely talk…they need to be able to tell what they are feeling inside and how it has affected them.
Children are being abused by the millions in America alone. Some were sexually abused, mentally abused, emotionally abused, some by neglect and so much more. Our children in America…millions are hurting and just don’t know what to do and fear that if they say anything at all…someone will hurt them or someone else they care about.
In some households that have more than one child, sometimes it is just one child who is being abused and the other kids get to have a pretty normal life. Children need to feel loved and safe, and many are not getting to have this at all in their early life.
We might not understand how someone can do this to their child/ren. These feelings are foreign to most people and understanding those feelings when they find out someone has been abused deeply affects them.
However, remember that just because a child says something doesn’t always mean it is true. These kids nowadays think just about everything is abusive to them even not getting something to play with that their friends might have. You can’t just go on they said something. People who have not abused someone can have their life turned upside down and destroyed even. Some kids say they were abused because they think they can control what their parents do. However, abuse is very real, and it devastates these children when it is true. So, keep your eyes open, take what a child says as truth, pray about it, and do what is right and necessary to help that child, but going to the parent can make it a lot worse for the child. Be careful whom you talk to, and what you say…because you can put yourself in harm’s way also.
What I am saying is to watch for signs someone is being abused. Look at how the child acts around the abuser. How does the one you think act towards the child and even other children…is it the same? Does the child show signs of abuse? If the answer is yes, then take it seriously and do what you can to help that child. If you were never abused…and I pray you weren’t then think how you would feel if you had been. Would you want someone to step in and help you? There are helplines out there and they are different in each place one lives. You can always call them first and see what they think you should or should not do. Children need help to overcome this travesty in their life. You might be the only one who can do something to help them. Please be safe, but please help a child in need.
Now, may God protect not only these precious children but may God protect you and yours as well. May God bless you, keep you, draw you to Him, and give you the right answers you need.
God bless you!