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The Aftermath of Child Abuse
We have all read the news accounts, or in some cases had personal knowledge, of children who have been abused. Despite the steady erosion that we continue to see concerning our moral fiber, most of us are still sickened by these atrocious acts. How anyone can harm a child, either sexually, mentally, or physically, is simply a phenomenon that cannot be rationally explained. However, I have heard many academics attempt to. But, despite their best efforts, I have remained unimpressed by their rationale as to why these acts are committed.
Most of us are repulsed by the description of these acts as it is relayed to us, albeit the watered down version that we usually receive. These moments of graphic visualization are usually followed by a real sense of sadness and a genuine hope that the system will take care of these people who target children as their prey. But, then as human nature has taught us to do we move on. Several hours later, the morning story that we read about is nothing more than a fledgling memory. It is off to work, what’s for lunch and getting ready for the latest reality television show. This may seem cold but it is a defensive measure for our psyche that most of us utilize. But, it is just not that easy for those victims that we read about. On many occasions the act of abuse is the beginning of a roller coaster that stays with them for a lifetime. It simply never goes away.
I have a dear friend who falls into this category. As a young child, this person was introduced to the vileness of child abuse. Over twenty years later, despite the fact that all of the trappings of success are present, the abuse remains. But, not always. In fact, long periods of time might pass before the monster that they met as a child makes an appearance. But no matter how normal things might appear to be, each victim is one nightmare or one incident away from reliving a pain that the strongest medication will not cause to go away. There are no signs of wounds or evidence of abuse on the surface, but just bellow the surface is where the pain is excruciating, only visible to the inner conscious of the victim. Many can mask this pain from the world while others cannot. Those who cannot usually revert to other activities that are harmful to their lives, but the initial abuse can usually be thanked for their transgressions. Some of those who manage to live normal lives also spend many hours in their own private world second guessing and wondering as to whether it was actually their fault that they became the victim of the abuse. It appears to be an irrational concern, but for those who carry the memory the doubt is completely credible.
We, as a system, have talked the talk about how we will not allow these acts to go unpunished. And while our intentions may be real, the truth is that many abusers are second and third time offenders who have relied on the mercy of the court or the red tape of the system only to abuse again. We must implore that our legislators, as well as, our criminal justice and judicial systems, do everything humanly possible to protect our children. We must not allow testimony which defends the actions of an abuser to overshadow the lost innocence of a child. When it comes to the character rescue of the offender versus the child, we must always err on the side of the child. And lastly, when the system has been completed and the verdict of guilty has rung through the hallowed halls of justice, we must ensure that this guilt stands as firm as the structures which represent justice. It must stand for the lifetime of the offender just as the pain of the abuse will be a constant and undeserved companion for the lifetime of the victim.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHallBadgeNotes@aol.com
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