![]() ![]() He had invited me to move out of my apartment and in with his parents so that we could save money to get a nicer place together, but all I found was chaos and loneliness. “It was not long before I realized that I was not seeing much of my friends and family. They attempt to focus on the good and bring that out. They see the bad, but they also see the good in the person who is causing them harm. Too often the responsibility for the actions of the person who is causing them harm is shifted to the person being harmed as they are told they should have “made better choices.” But reality is that choices are made daily. Too often survivors are asked, and victims are scrutinized, for “not seeing” the truth about their abuser. I believe that children should grow up in a supportive, health home, and so I made it my goal from that point forward to do my best to create a happy relationship with this man I barely knew.” (victim’s statement) I remember realizing that was when I needed to force myself to grow up and take responsibility for my actions. I had no intention of getting married or having children or building a “future” together, but, after just a month, all of that changed – I found out I was pregnant. I was drawn to his carefree spirit, and, as someone who had been considered a boo-nerd my whole life, I was intrigued by the attention this “cool” kid was giving me. It is what many women and children experience daily and what has made the return to a more socially interactive lifestyle a necessity. While HER story, spanning 10 years of abuse, is not one of the pandemic stories, having taken place before COVID-19 changed how we function and interact as a society, it is real and is representative of some of the worst cases of abuse that are too often experienced in a society that is supposed to be socially advanced, aware, provide equality, and claims to be morally and ethically above those in other areas of the world. The volume of contacts they have received since their inception in 2005 has increased by 46 precent, and the COVID-19 pandemic has left many persons in close proximity with their abusers due to isolation, quarantines, and national shutdowns. In 2020, the National Domestic Violence Hotline received 636,968 calls, chats, and texts from people reaching out for help or reporting domestic violence incidents, with 72 percent of those calls coming from a victim or survivor of the abuse themselves. Today her name has simply been withheld to protect her identity and that of her children. “She” is the mom on the playground laughing at her children and kissing their boo-boos. Editor’s note: The following is a true story and has taken place in the Upper Cumberland. ![]()
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