| It's an all too familiar story: A child is abused, finally | | | | could have happened; she just didn't remember it. By |
| finds the courage to tell someone, and nothing is | | | | then, it was too late to bring her to court. In the |
| done. The child is then forced to live with not only | | | | meantime, she ensured my silence by demeaning me |
| any abuse still continuing, but with the past abuse | | | | when I attempted to get help for myself.Now, at 37, |
| and all the issues abuse brings. The child is also forced | | | | I've developed bipolar disorder. My doctors believe |
| to suffer silently and is made to feel as though it is | | | | the bipolar manifested as a direct result of the abuse. |
| his or her fault because their abuser was never held | | | | I am a single parent, medically disabled, worse than |
| accountable.I am one of those adult children.When I | | | | broke and angry that I cannot take this woman to |
| was 10, I was adopted by a single lesbian woman in | | | | court because there are statutes of limitation on |
| New York. Before I was adopted, she molested me. | | | | reporting abuse.There are none for murder. That |
| I never was asked if I wanted to be adopted by her. | | | | makes sense, since a victim of murder will always be |
| My caseworker at the time only wanted to hear the | | | | a victim; they can no longer speak.But for victims of |
| good things. I'd already been through three other | | | | abuse who are trying to survive, there's no help. We |
| foster homes and I was too much to handle, so it | | | | are stuck with monstrous medical bills, counselor bills, |
| was natural that everyone wanted me | | | | medications, nightmares, issues- the list goes on.We |
| adopted.Finally, a few years later, I found the | | | | don't want huge sums of money, because money |
| courage to report the abuse to my high school | | | | won't take away the horror. However, the money |
| guidance counselor, Dr. Jason Schwartz, Nyack High | | | | would pay for our medical bills, and help in the interim |
| School in Nyack, N.Y. He believed me.Unfortunately, | | | | as we await disability.We never asked for what they |
| CPS did not.I kept my mouth shut for years after | | | | did to us, yet we are forced to pay as a common |
| that. There is another story in between that which | | | | criminal.We are in our own private prison for |
| forced my silence as my abuser made sure I was | | | | something we did not do.The laws must be |
| ridiculed enough to that point.I tried for several years | | | | changed!Thanks- |
| after turning 18 to get her to take responsibility and | | | | Jacqui OdellLifeWriter is an author on |
| tell the truth.She went from all out denying | | | | which is a site for Writers.She writes frequently on |
| everything to eventually coming as close as she | | | | issues of child abuse, mental health and animal issues. |
| would to telling the truth by letting me know that it | | | | |