Since the age of 7, I was sexually abused. I was molested by the maintenance man in our apartment building. That was the only time he molested me and it was in the living room while my grandmother was making him coffee and my little sister was right across the table from me coloring. I was so scared to yell or say anything, but my inside was screaming help. The only thing I could think of was to ask my grandmother to use the bathroom. She gave me a confused look and said of course. I then stayed in my room and called my sister over so that disgusting person wouldn’t be able to get to her. Later that day I told my dad and that was it. From then on, I became a magnet for sexual abuse. My father remarried when I was about 10 and my stepbrother sexually abused me for years.
At times, I felt like I had to do it… If I fought back, I would get punched, hit, etc. It became a normal routine at one point. Childhood was something I never experienced and was a very dark time. I was physically, sexually and emotionally abused and I never had a parent or an adult to stand up for me. At 15, my step sister’s husband tried to molest me and I was finished with being scared. I was over it. I yelled and he told me to be quiet so she doesn’t hear me scream. No one believed me and I thought they never would. It felt like it’s easier not to deal with the situation.
It’s important for parents to establish a healthy trusting communication, so kids are able to tell their parents and the appropriate help is saught at the time. Victims spend years with anger, hurt and sadness hidden inside and are not able to heal.
