We Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect

As many survivors are so painfully aware, losing control of our bodies through illness and medical treatment can cause anxiety and stir up other feelings related to our initial victimization. A sense of control over the process of undergoing medical treatment can be gained by carefully selecting medical providers and by using anxiety reduction techniques.

Over the years there has been a substantial amount of research done trying to understand the origins and causes of child abuse. Precise links have been established between a child’s victimization and behavioral problems later on in life such as problems in school, delinquency, violence, and adult criminality.

During my 23 years in therapy, I went from one church to another looking for sustenance and support for the child abuse trauma I was working through. My search included many faiths and practices, everything from the Catholic church to the Quakers. It was very disheartening. Having grown up in the church (Pentecostal),

Survivor Moms is an excellent book for all mothers or mothers-to-be who were themselves abused as a child. For many survivors, it is not until a life-changing event occurs, such as having a child, do they look back at what happened to them and how it has affected their lives.

The long-term effects of child sexual abuse are staggering. It impacts all aspects of a survivor’s life because women often end up with limited job skills, their educational goals are sidetracked, and some become homeless.  Trying to find mental health services

Television, movies, music and interactive games are powerful learning tools and highly influential media. The average American child spends as much as 28 hours a week watching television and typically at least an hour a day playing video games or surfing the Internet. Several more hours each week are spent watching movies and listening to music.

If you want to understand the underlying causes of youth violence, look at how many of America’s young children are treated at home. Child abuse increases the chances a child will become violent because it interrupts their normal emotional, social, and intellectual development. Listed below are ways in which child abuse can shape aggressive behavior.[1]

One of the most powerful methods of communicating with Americans is the media. It can be used to inform, enlighten, encourage, and educate the millions of us who tune in everyday. And yet, advertisers and producers, particularly in cable TV, have chosen to focus on the lowest common denominator in human behavior.

Child abuse and neglect is America’s number one public health crisis, and yet, is still not addressed at the national level in spite of overwhelming statistics. The Surgeon General has stated that family violence is now at an epidemic level.^[1] The United States Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect