“If we don’t want our children to be viewed as sexual objects and commodities, then, among other, more immediate interventions, we’re going to have to change the language of society. Simple, huh?!”
Linda Kay Gifford
SELF TALK - in plain sight
You fear sexual predators.
You worry about perverts lurking around the corner;
in the bushes;
Evil-doers in dark-windowed vans, picking up your children and selling them, or sacrificing them… and, to be clear, that all does happen. It’s true.
Every
day.
An estimated 4.8 million - say that again - FOUR POINT EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE - are trafficked for forced sexual exploitation every year. 1.2 MILLION of them are CHILDREN. (ILO, 2017)… add in forced laborers, and that number rises to over 20 Million Human Beings.
Some mother’s child.
Some father’s joy.
But I’m here to tell you, you’re looking in the wrong places. MOST of your children’s potential assailants …and I BET you see the distinction between “abuse” and “assault” when you put it in the context of your OWN child…
I’m here to tell you that YOUR child’s rapist is more likely to be
~ Your friend;
~ your neighbor;
~ a coach, teacher,
~ priest, or preacher.
~ a stepfather
~ a father.
~ And for some, like me, it will be an indirect family member.
~ Someone I adored.
~ Someone I trusted.
~ Someone my loving and kind parents entrusted me to.
They are the people you never suspect and might initially defend; People who have easy, and unsuspecting, access to your child.
The “groomers”.
Long-term Sexual grooming and violation - Rape - is insidious. You/We/They tell our adult selves that WE should have known better. But, grooming happens before we are old enough to understand it ourselves. We don’t KNOW our violation is assault, at first.
The creeping nature of grooming leads to a neurological growth diversion, including an inherent dissociative ability that carries over into every aspect of most Survivor’s lives.
I have 3 alters, for instance. Yeah… let that sink in; That’s a whole ‘nother chapter, and it’s written. So look for that, lol. But…
You are missing the big picture, and I’m here to paint it.
I’m here as proof…
~ Walking, talking, trauma-card carrying PROOF that we are collectively focusing on the least potential threat, while ignoring one of the most obvious, (you would think!) things we CAN do to stop the sexualization of children, and reject the Justice system’s lenience towards adults who find children to be acceptable prey for sex and trafficking!
If we don’t want our children to be viewed as sexual objects and commodities, then, among other, more immediate interventions, we’re going to have to change the language of society. Simple, huh?!
Read on…
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