To my dear brothers and sisters, to mothers, fathers, and any caregivers of young, precious, and innocent souls: I feel compelled to write about the vicious and cruel acts that were perpetrated against me. It’s hard to truly be honest about what he’s done to me, especially in a community that chooses sometimes to protect […]
By by UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis for the Jewish News. IT’S SEXUAL abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week across the UK – the first of its kind, aiming to generate a frank and necessary public conversation about a crime as old as the taboo that has, shamefully, protected it. It is a poor reflection […]
Ruth Krevsky, a courageous survivor of child sexual abuse, goes public at a JCW awareness event in Montreal Canada.
I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. That sentence sounds so official and intimidating as if it’s a diagnosis. As if that sentence is forever going to precede every action and every thought I ever have. And yes, once upon a time being a survivor was the most important thing I ever had to […]
Op-Ed republished from GoodTherapy.com If the title of this article threw you off a bit, it’s OK—I understand why it would. After all, forgiveness is quite the hot topic. Religious leaders, spiritual gurus, and even some mental health professionals emphasize the importance of forgiveness as a part of finding true happiness and freedom. I get where they are coming […]
Five Actions That Help Me: I validate myself for every invalidation I get. I remind myself of Dr. Brene Brown’s words “Blame is simply the discharging of discomfort and pain”, meaning that the blame has every much to do with them being uncomfortable and not with my actions. I cry to let out the pain. […]
Republished from socialworkhelper.com Humans are relatively adaptable beings which is why we are thriving and not dying out like other species. Horrendous disasters such as the Philippines typhoon, the Boxing Day Tsunami, the nuclear disaster in Japan, the major wars of our time, and horrific famines see great suffering, but these events also inspires survival […]
Published in mamamia.com.au One month ago my life changed. One month and one day ago I was happily married to my second husband who was a wonderful stepfather to my teenage daughter, and I was (I hope) a great stepmum to his teenage son. We’d been together for nearly a decade and had just […]
Speaking With Your Pediatrician Originally published in Parenting Safe Children I took my eight-year-old daughter to the doctor because she was having some irritation around her vagina. I talked with her ahead of time and said that the doctor may need to look at her vagina. I repeated, as I have in the past, that […]
Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah are right around the corner. Jewish Community Watch would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and your families a wonderful new year, and remind you of some important safety tips to keep in mind during this exciting season. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur […]
By Allison Schumacher originally published on Baby Center When I was pregnant with my daughter, I worried about everything. I remember reading about how eating healthy things like fish and vegetables (none of which I wanted to eat) would aid in the baby’s brain development and help her make better food choices as she grew […]
This article first appeared on Natasha Daniels’ website, Anxious Toddlers. By Natasha Daniels We teach our young children all sorts of ways to keep themselves safe. We teach them to watch the hot stove, we teach them to look both ways before they cross the street. But, more often than not, body safety is not taught until […]
By Ginger Kadlec, originally published on BeAKidsHero Finding the courage and strength to disclose abuse can be a tough thing for a child to do. An estimated 73% of children don’t disclose abuse for at least one year. Another 45% don’t tell anyone they are being abused for five years… still others never tell. A […]
Originally published on 1in6 No excuses. But no simple answers, either. Ask nearly anyone: They’ll say they would speak up if they thought a child was being sexually used or abused. Many are certain they’d recognize exploitive or abusive behavior if it were happening. Almost no one believes they would allow harmful sexual behavior to […]
By Rivka Joseph Over the years, I have truly been blessed with wonderful and supportive friends. Each one of them really helped carry me through these difficult times and made it possible to heal from the nightmare of child sexual abuse that I went through. As a very private person, I am particular about who […]
Republished from StopItNow.Org Question: Dear Stop It Now!, Hello, I’m looking for resources or advice. I was molested as a child by a man who is now being left alone to care for at least one other young child. I have told the girl’s mother, grandmother, and uncle (who are the molester’s children and ex-wife), […]
By Dr. Sue Cornbluth When a child experiences or witnesses any form of emotional or physical abuse, their trust can become shattered. Trauma survivors may have trouble trusting their close family relationships or friendships. The symptoms of trauma can cause problems with trust, closeness, communication, and problem solving. These problems may affect the way the […]
By Janet Lansbury I loved my mom and always felt we were close, but I never told her the sorts of private things my daughter tells me. There was plenty Mom did not know and (yikes!) that I didn’t want her to know. I sensed she didn’t want to know either, even though she adored […]
Republished from American SPCC Silence is a child abuser’s best friend. You name it. Any kind of abuse… physical, sexual, emotional and even neglect… flourishes under the cloud of silence. Child abusers know this… and use this to their advantage. To ensure silence, abusers will often implore children to keep the abuse “our little secret” […]
Michael J. Salamon Daniel Kahneman, in his book, “Thinking Fast and Slow,” pointed out that self-control requires attentiveness and determination. Most individuals, however, react promptly, even impulsively without taking the time to perform a clear analysis. Decisions made in haste are often made according to cognitive delusions we all have, two of them are among […]
By Deborah Rosenbloom. Published in the JTA. WASHINGTON (JTA) — When I read the recent article in The New York Times detailing the accusations against Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt of the Riverdale Jewish Center, I was deeply saddened. This is the synagogue and community where I grew up. My parents moved to Riverdale in the 1950s and are among […]
In the coming weeks, thousands of parents in our community will send their children to overnight camp. For most, this will be a thrilling experience with wonderful friendships and memories to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, a small percentage of these campers will return home with devastating memories of sexual abuse at the hands of […]
Republished from picklebums.com He has never been a touchy feely kind of kid. As a toddler he pushed away as often as he reached out, as a school kid he doles out his hugs fiercely but selectively, and he has never liked kisses. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. If you give him time you […]
Republished from Parenting Safe Children By Melina Stock, Chicago Mom Years before I had my own son, I was working as a nanny for a family who had three young daughters. During that time, it was discovered that a classmate of their eldest daughter, Bea, (name changed to protect her anonymity) was being sexually abused […]
By Matthew Tull, PhD Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) Expert Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com’s Medical Review Board. Many people with PTSD struggle in coping with flashbacks. Flashbacks are considered one of the re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. In a flashback, a person may feel or act as though a traumatic event is […]
