We live in a very violent society! In fact, violence has become a way of life in America, according to R. J. Gelles and M. A. Straus, authors of Physical Violence in American Families. They believe the family is the most violent institution other than the military in time of war! That is appalling, as children are also practicing this behavior. When children as young as three years of age are shooting their brothers and sisters; we have problems! Are they coming from the wombs angry? We must break the cycles of abuse!
In order to save our children and future generations, the violence must be stopped! To do this, we have to stop violating them as well as to prevent them from seeing it. According to Gelles and Straus, who interviewed over 6,000 American families, 50% of the men reported they frequently assaulted their wives and children. This is overwhelming because the word “frequently” is used, and there are no statistics on those who were physically violent on one occasion, and it does not reveal the numbers who were emotionally or sexually abusive, so the statistics are even greater!
I am constantly reminded on a daily basis of the abuses rendered to infants, children, and teens. More importantly, I am sickened each time I hear the reports of children being sexually abused. What kind of “animal” would desire sex with an infant or child, and what type of person would kill an innocent, helpless person.
Who are the abusers? Most people believe males are the perpetrators. Before we move on, we must first clarify that they are not; females are also abusers! Some women violate children and their partners just as men do. In fact, “abuse by females is on the rise,” according to Mel Feit, Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Men, Old Bethpage, N.Y., one of the first male organizations to deal with violence.
Let’s all work to stop the violence - especially violence dealing with our innocent children! As a child abuse advocate and survivor of domestic violence; I have written many articles and books on this subject. I ask you to join me in this endeavor!
