A child's innocence is the greatest joy to behold. To
see children laughing and playing in innocent abandonment is the way
God intended. They have no fear. They have complete trust in their
parents love to nourish and protect them from all harm.
This is the way it should be. This is a parents
greatest challenge. If they fail, their children's innocent lives could be forever impaled. Their children's lives ruined in the blink
of an eye. For a parent also, they suffer the consequences of taking
their eye off the ball, even for a few minutes, when someone warped
and perverted can steal their child's innocence.
All children should have the right to a childhood where
they can thrive. Where they can grow and mature into healthy and
happy individuals. This is what society wants and needs more than
anything else, in my humble opinion. If, however, we fail to protect
our children, what are the consequences? What happens to a child who
is abused? I believe their emotions often retreat, close down. This is
natures way of protecting them from the reality of their abused
lives. Consequently they may no longer thrive, but they do continue to survive. They may believe from their horrific experiences that they are no longer
innocent, that they are not protected by their parents, their family or the law. For an abused child, health and happiness seem to have closed the
door. They could feel ruined as well balanced individuals, it
may seem to them, forever more.
If they tell, they may be saved from their living hell
but they often fear they may not be believed. In the past this was
often the case, but no longer.
We have seen since the revelations of the 'Saville'
child abuse scandal, just how important it is for the child's future
healing that these children are taken seriously by parents, family
and those in authority. If such child abuse can be halted at a young
age and the child can see that Justice is administered against
perpetrators, then that child can begin to heal and recover from such
rape of their innocence and heartbroken lives.
These children depend on being believed. If they are
not, what hope have they got? The answer is 'not a lot'. They will probably struggle at school. They will often retaliate against society and their perceived sickening fate. Many will withdraw, perhaps never feel again. How
else do they deal with such trauma? They may bury themselves in
work, drink and or drugs. They may fear becoming abusers themselves,
or they may choose to not take the risk and never marry or have
children of their own. If an unhappy child's emotions shut down they
may grow into callous and cold individuals whose relationships never
thrive. They may become the socio-paths in our midst that reek havoc
in society in a myriad of destructive ways. Or they may have a
family where they are distant and cannot relate which will in turn
affect their children's lives. They may simply become over protective
parents who emotionally suffocate their precious child. Or, with
Justice and help they may rise above the scum that sort to ruin their
lives and become great mum's and dad's who are determined to not let
'others' ruin their lives or prevent them from raising their own
children in love and security where they and their children will
thrive.
The importance of being a good parent has never been so
great. I believe it is beholden upon every single adult in Society
today to protect our children and to wipe out the scourge that is
'Child Abuse'. If we can teach tolerance and understanding and
preserve the innocence of childhood so that all children can grow
naturally into fully rounded, happy individuals with a history of
childhood that they can smile at, then they too will raise their own
children in a world where innocence in childhood is treasured and can
thrive.
For any parent there is no greater pleasure of a
challenge such as that which God put us on earth for. Our children
are our future. Child abuse must be prevented wherever possible, not
covered up by a suture that will never allow such trauma to heal.
Our children deserve a future that is happy and tranquil, not a
bitter pill to have to swallow because adults prefer to sweep the
'not pretty facts' under a carpet of denial.
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