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A Bunch of Good LinksD
"How Deep is Your Love"
In my lifetime I have never found anything as confronting or as testing of my love and trust as being confronted with the issue of child sexual abuse. Not only did I have to face my own family's anguish and denial head-on, I had to deal with my own issue of sexual abuse that had happened at ten years old.
It is only with the thanks and clear-sightedness of my daughter that I had the courage and yes, the humility, to understand that I needed help, too. My thanks to those at Rape Crisis who helped me to understand the deep-seated roots of my insecurities and lack of self-esteem.
From that point on it was not plain cruising. I had to face my need to confront my own origins and search for them all the way to England where I found my birth mother: a chronic alcoholic, also the victim of child sexual abuse, raped by an uncle when she was 8 years old and, a mirror of me, trapped in abusive relationships all of her life.
I've promised myself that I'll write to her tonight: I have an airmail envelope and my trusty computer, so there's no excuse....but I've been making excuses all the same, scared stiff of being hurt by her again. Her parting words to me haunt me still....
"You don't drink, you don't smoke - you probably don't even shag!!"
Poor lady, I'd gone there in rescue mode and believed that my presence in her life could be a turning point for her. "Mrs Fix-it!" that used to be me. But life is a learning-curve from the cradle to the grave and those wonderful people who help me to grow and give me strength to reach out and help others where I can, to those and to every other parent who, like me, is facing or has faced the trauma and anguish of knowing that your child has been sexually abused - I dedicate this page to you.
I check out all the pages and this take time, so please, bear with me because there's a grandma hard at work here....
For Parents
Note to Parent s/Caregivers
Identifying the child abuser and the abused child.
"When parents or other care givers are accused of child abuse, it is normal that the
whole country follow the court case. The perpetrators are condemned in the strongest
terms (Roos 1988:42). However, in final analysis nothing is really done to stop these
perpetrators. This is very discouraging, especially in the light of the fact that
rehabilitation of these offenders do not seem to be effective at all."
Life Beyond "Yahoo!"
A complete page full of useful links to every imaginable aid to help parents and kids sort out the various issues contected with safet internet surfing etc.
Child Lures - Prevention
"While performing in New York City's old Palace Theater back in 1921, comedienne Gracie Allen quipped to George Burns, "My mother told me to 'Never Talk to Strangers'..." From the dawn of the 20th Century through its sunset, the "Never Talk to Strangers" adage has served as the bedrock of child safety efforts. Ironically, the literature and safety programs generated over the years from that catchall phrase may have actually put children at greater risk for sexual abuse."
Child Abuse - What Everyone should Know
Suggested Reading
The books on this document are available through Amazon.com and are those which are usually available in most local book stores or can be readily ordered by giving your local bookshop the correct title.
It's a great list of books. Well worth checking out.
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Computer Security4 Your Family