Why this happened to Me?

I became very involved in issues relating to sexual abuse a long time ago. This story about sexual abuse is not just a story but also a reality that is very close to me. I remember when I was fourteen and I attended a teen program, where there was a teen girl who I befriended that was sexually assaulted. One afternoon she came into the program and took me by the hand crying, telling me that she was raped.

Since then I’ve been very concern about sexually abuse people. I am someone very close to a sexually abused victim. It is an issue that just doesn’t go away if you stop thinking about it. Trust me I tried. Anytime I hear something like this it upsets me. Since then my friend who I call Faith has been sexually assaulted several times. The pain and burden that she still bears today is hard for me to deal with. So many boys and girls go through this experience through no fault of their own. Why me? Is the question she asked me? I still don’t know the answer. It hurts me to know my close friend still feels depress from time to time and goes through a great deal of pain. I want to share the issue to bring about awareness to others because there are numerous children going through this same problem.
A family friend first sexually assaulted Faith when she was seven or eight she told me.However, she said she was so young that she did not understand or felt as angry because she did not know what was really going on. All she remembers is that it did not feel good and she knew somehow it was something wrong. Since graduating from the teen program I returned as a teen adolescence volunteer. It seems that from the years I attended, the issues teen faced got worse.

The very personal stories I heard from several teens is astonishing. What I also learned that sometimes these issues start for some victims from a very young age. I know of a girl who was assault at the age of five. This is why I am sharing this story. Our children today are in danger of sexual predators. Most of them are people we know. I want readers to understand how dangerous it is as a victim to feel like your living and dying in silence. We need to talk to our children. We need to get them to talk about all things good and bad. The real danger is growing in fear and living in silence if you’ve been abused. I have two children. Ages four and two. I have already experienced as a parent, with another child touching my child. No physical harm was done, but fear of physiological damage. I am fearful at times cause I know the danger of what sexual abuse can cause. And I hope that changes can be made today in efforts to protects all youth from sexual abuse.