Today I am pleased to join Gwen Plano on her blog, From Sorrow to Joy–Perfect Love. Last week Gwen visited me, and now I have the privilege of visiting Gwen. I hope you’ll come over and read my post and take a look around Gwen’s blog.
Silenced Voices of Abused Children
A little spoken of tragedy in our world is the silenced voices of abused children. Voices silenced for a variety of reasons are a hindrance to well-adjusted lives and justice for these children. Their scars are invisible, etched in tiny hearts and minds forever.
I was born in 1946, the first year of Baby Boomers. Our parents adhered to firm rules of 1940s and 1950s etiquette and discipline. Mama and Daddy were firm believers in proper behavior from their offspring.
Some likely familiar phrases heard on a regular basis in our home included:
- Children should be seen and not heard.
- Children should not speak unless spoken to.
- Children should stand when an adult enters or leaves a room.
- Children will not talk back or sass their parents or other adults.
- Children will not begin a conversation with an adult; always wait for the adult to start the conversation.
These are only a few of the rules laid down for children in our family and culture to follow. Some of these often heard rules instruct children to be silent in certain situations involving adults. These instructions lay a perfect foundation for silencing children who are victims of abuse.
Sherrey your words took me back to my own childhood. You told me once that our childhood’s sounded similar and sadly, I could relate to the emotional abuse. I am grateful to have not been a victim of sexual abuse, but as we all know, abuse of any kind, is plain abuse!
Debby, as I read your book, I am firmly convinced we were sisters in another life. And I don’t think it would have been so bad to share my childhood with you. 🙂
Sherrey, it is up to people like us to share these messages so that we can provide awareness. Many like us when we were young, especially in a different era didn’t understand the concept of emotional abuse. If we continue to tell our stories more people can recognize the symptoms and hopefully gain the courage to speak out. <3
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