Those of you who have read my journals have no doubt found the subject of child abuse as a reoccurring theme. Some may say I am being dark and even resent that I use such a subject with these children. Some of my readers may say this subject matter is too dark for these kind of characters.

I disagree. For years, child abuse has been kept behind closed doors, kept out of sight and out of mind. No one dared even mutter the words in the past few decades. No one wanted to admit it. It was thought best to keep it hidden and not think of it.

However, now in the last few years, more and more people have been coming forward. We are just now beginning to realize what abused children have always known: that abuse and punishment are different. Punishment redirects behavior. Abuse is meant to do nothing but cause pain and hurt.

I myself am a survivor of childhood abuse. I know the pain it causes, the long lasting effects that it irons into a person's psyche. I know what kind of everlasting haunting thoughts it will leave and the never ending questions  that one is left with. My childhood was stolen from me.

No one should be allowed to go through this terror. Know that if you have been beaten, belittled, denied things necessary for life or forced to participate in activities that make you uncomfortable, you are not alone. Nor are you trapped with no way out.

Most people trapped within this horror often feel just that: trapped. Or in some instances, others will try to make you believe that nothing is wrong or that you are at fault. Not all abuse involves fists. Harm can be just as easily created with words. There are four types of abuse:

Physical: you are being hit, burnt, slapped, choked, bruised, cut or hurt in non accidental ways

Sexual:  you are being fondled, forced to :do a sexual act, to watch a sexual act, to have intercourse, to participate in oral, anal or group sex, engage in prostitution, engage in pornography, being exploited, or being exhibited.

Neglect: you are being denied the essential needs such as: proper clothing, food, water, supervision, proper hygiene, medical care, or shelter. You may also be being abandoned

Emotional: You are being treated in any way that effects your emotional health. This includes: continuous yelling, screaming, being belittled, name called, being compared in a negative way, phrases directed at you such as "worthless, mistake, bad," being ignored, having attention withdrawn, lack of physical and oral affection, and a lack of positive reinforcement

If any of these sound familiar to you or to someone you know, do not do nothing! These actions leave pain and scars that will never go away. You are not helpless nor are you without a way out. By all means, act and get yourself out.

This is not a fact that should be hidden in shadow. It is not something to be ignored. Childhood is a time meant to be treasured, to let children thrive in an innocence that is so precious yet so short. In these children, our future lies, forever being shaped and redirected. In these short journals, I am bringing to light a horrible truth that should not be ignored. Child Abuse will not just "go away." We must take action to end this horrendous cycle.

Visit this website for more information:

Child Help USA

If you even _suspect_  abuse, call this number:

1-800-4-A-CHILD

If you wish to, do drop me a line via email. I'll be glad to help you anyway I can:

[email protected]

Please help other children or yourself to not have to go through the same horrors that I did. No one deserves this.

"Before you decide to ignore it, stop and for just a moment, look out through my eyes."