I never really knew that there were so many ways that children are abused. I always thought if a child was beaten, then that was abuse. I was not aware that abuse came in many different forms. I guess in some ways we were all abused in one way or another. I am not sure that a single person is aware that they are abusing there child because how they discipline there children may be more acceptable than just physically.
Discipline comes in many forms. I know now that taking it to certain levels is considered abuse. For instance, cursing at your children. Calling them names, putting them down, messing with there self-esteem and confidence. A normal everyday person who uses fowl language may not realize that they are abusing another person, because in society others don't make as much of a fuss about it as they would if it were more apparent like physical abuse.
Why is it so much more acceptable to mentally, emotionally and verbally abuse a child than physically? Is it that people just look for the physical appearance before jumping to conclusions! I am not 100% sure that people are not aware; I believe they just accept it more. I personally have experienced this myself.
I remember being confronted with one who had demonstrated verbal abuse to there child. The words that were used were so unbelievable, but what was worse is that this person would do it to their own child. This child was under the age of four. Whenever it was brought to their attention, they would shrug there shoulders and say, “It's not hurting them, they don't understand what I am saying”. Denial is just as bad as another ignoring abuse. Being in denial is one way for a person not to accept reality.
I would shriek at the tone, the words, and the physical appearance of this person as they would lay this abuse on this child. What could they be thinking that is okay about what they are portraying? Is this for real, could they really be that of a person in such denial that they think what they are doing is perfectly fine? I couldn't just stand here and watch this abuse over and over. That is another kind of abuse. When someone watches another abuse a person or child and does nothing about it.
One day, I had enough? Either this person was going to change there ways, get help, or I was going to make it happen. Thank God that I made the right decision because this person is doing so much better, and the child is so much happier and all is good. If I didn't do anything, and nobody prior to me had, then who would have and when?
I know that this person themselves was verbally abused as a child, and I never expected this person to ever do the same. I figured they would learn from their experience, and never grow into what they were raised with, but I guess it was just the opposite. They became there own abuser.
