Child abuse
Child abuseImagine for one moment that you are not yourself any longer. Visualize instead that you are a young girl; old enough to know right from wrong, yet still young enough to be terrified by the dark shadows in your room. It is a cool autumn night, and your parent�s have decided to attend a party which you were not invited to � adults only. �It will be fine,� they say, but deep in your mind you already know what is to come. Your uncle has come over to watch you for the evening, and your parents are so pleased by the fact that they do not have to find a sitter. As soon as he arrives, your mother kisses your cheek and scurries out the door to join your father already waiting in the car outside. You just want to scream, and beg your mother not to leave you. The nightmare begins. His slimy hands casually slide a video into the VCR as he smiles at you seductively. You can feel his eyes worming their gaze through your clothes every time he looks at you. You feel dirty and violated every time you think about what he does to you when you are alone. He walks over the couch and sits down next to you. You just want to cry, but are scared to move an inch, afraid of how he might react. His hand slithers its way onto your knee and you cringe in revulsion. �Don�t be afraid, I won�t hurt you,� he chides. Your mind feels panicky as you feel his touch in more intimate places and you scream involuntarily. His grip tightens as he places his hand over your mouth. �We�ll have to do this the hard way!� comes his intense whisper. You flail your arms at him, but it doesn�t help. His writhing massive body is on top of yours, and you feel so powerless. Eventually, you sink into a sobbing heap and simply wait for his passions to stop. You wait for the nightmare to end. When he is done, you limp to the laundry room and try fruitlessly to get the bloodstains out of your clothes.
What you have just experienced is one type of abuse that occurs millions of times every year across America � child sexual abuse. According to the Merriam � Webster�s dictionary, abuse is defined as �a corrupt practice or custom, or physical maltreatment.� It is the wrong or incorrect use and treatment of someone or something, which causes harm, either physically, and/or mentally. Abuse can take place in three different forms: physical, sexual, and mental. In our society today, the act of abuse is a common factor in everyday life. Estimates of abuse range wildly depending on the source of one�s information. The statistics on rates of child abuse...
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