As a young person, I kept a diary. One day I realized my father had read it and was horribly embarrassed. I've wondered recently why anyone would put their personal, intimate and possibly painful, thoughts on the web for the world to see. Frankly, I'm not sure why I'm doing this now except that I feel a powerful need to document my experience as peripheral participant in my daughter's efforts to protect her child within a legal system that seems to be more interested in protecting the perpetrator than in hearing one little girl's truth. I know there are others with similar experiences...maybe we can give support to one another.
I ask forbearance in advance of anyone reading this story. It is likely to be more of an emotional stream of consciousness than logical, chronology.
What would you do if you suspected that your child was being touched inappropriately? What signals do you see or hear that cause you to suspect something is wrong? How long do you wait? Who do you tell? Who can help? What do you do?
No one wants to believe this is happening. Abuse destroys the person who might have been. Confronting the abuser is a terrible process. Telling the authorities is the hardest of all; they are trained to be skeptical and treat the disclosure as a salvo in a larger plot to destroy the abuser. Who, after all, will believe a 4 year old child?
1 comment:
I think this is good! Very healthy! Anyone who is going through this can find solace and wisdom. I hope people DO find it and you're able to help each other!
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