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