Stop Molesting Our Children
All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come ~ Victor Hugo
A story about the silent voices of children who are being molesting or taken advantage of all over the world.
Trigger Warning
This is a very difficult subject for me to write about.
I honor and respect those who have survived molestation and are still trying to make sense of an egregious act that should have never happened.
The molester:
You come into our rooms when no one is aware; some call you Daddy, Uncle, or family friend.
You sit at our table, and no one knows what you’re doing under the table.
We call you a friend when you are a foe.
You molest girls and boys and show up in church on Sunday talking about God.
You are not ashamed of what you have done, because if you were, you would not keep doing it.
If someone molested you, why would you want to harm another person in that way?
There are not many days that I don’t hear personally, read, or encounter someone who has been molested.
I become so enraged that I normally have to listen with no response or remove myself.
I see the after effects of molestation and how it rips the soul of a child.
I see how a once-thriving, bright-eyed girl no longer smiles after being molested.
I see a young, rambunctious little guy who climbed tree becoming isolated in his room after being molested.
When a child is molested, it takes years to process what happened, and some try to figure out why it happened.
Others learn to cope and self-medicate with food, poor relationships, and overachieving to compensate for being molested.
Talking about molestation is not an empowering topic, and I would rather tell everyone how wonderful their day is going to be.
The reality of life can be ugly sometimes.
I have to gently allow survivors to process and say, “No words you can tell yourself will ever make sense”.
I write this story because I’m so angry that in 2024 we cannot trust that an uncle, stepfather, or family friend who is a foe in disguise will sit at our table and, at night while we all sleep, will slip into our girl’s room.
What is even more egregious is that our boys are being molested or touched, which is rarely reported.
I am a mandated reporter, so I report abuse, and I will not blink an eye if the investigation validates that molestation or abuse has occurred.
If a child tells me they have been abused, if I see evidence and they have not told me, I also review cases like those.
I’m so tired of people hurting children. Yes, I’m angry, not vengeful, though.
I don’t try to understand. I do know that a lot of molesters molest, but not all.
My colleagues, while working in certain settings, know I cannot counsel molesters, and most of the therapists who are moms cannot either.
We treat everyone with dignity, but when you molest a child, I understand. For me, I have my tolerance and refer them to someone else.
This story is intended to let survivors of childhood molestation know we see them.
You are a survivor, and you have done the best you can.
Thank you for not giving up on yourself or life.
I recognize that accepting the hard truth that a relative or someone you thought you knew brought harm to you is a process, not a destination.
I say to you, don’t let them win; don’t give the enemy of your youth another day.
If you are angry, bitter, or resentful, you have a right to be.
However, the anger, bitterness, or resentment is hurting you.
Seek healthy tools to begin the journey of healing.
Forgive yourself for what you had no control over.
I know your tears burn when they run down your cheeks; that’s okay, cry anyway.
The day will come when you will smile.
Don’t feel like you need to explain yourself to anyone.
Don’t feel like you have to be in the presence of or in a relationship with the person who molested you.
I guarantee you that you were not the first one they molested.
I don’t wish harm on people, but those who molest children will reap everything they have sown and worse.
To your inner child:
Heal you, help you, and love you.
You will never be that little girl or boy, but you can get to know the new person that is emerging.
God bless you, and I hope you have many years of peace, joy, and happiness.
Thank you for reading.
Be Well!
