Mad mad mad

[Ivo]

I couldn't sleep all night. I am mad, terrible mad.
Rumours became official news on all local and national channels. Eight years old boy from my town was raped!
I am totally mad. Animal that did this is in custody, but only after he did job.
There is more.
It all happened 30 meters from office in which I work! Just outside of the fence of building in which I work are those buildings for poor people. I am talking about people that objectively have no future and no one doesn't care for them with million other problems on agenda.
And this eight years boy is so damn unlucky. All town would know who he is.
I feel so helpless and desperate. I'll try after this media circus would finish to contact his parents. They would need some financial help that's for sure.
But on long term basis I wouldn't be able to do much. This kid would need special treatment, support for school and many other, NORMAL things that he wouldn't have because his family can not provide this to him. God knows how many other are also in same problems but didn't report anything.
I'll try to do something, but I can not safe world, I am not superman, just human, it is not fair.

 

[Brayton]

Not to make it worse for you, but you are right, there are many more, very many more that are not reported in the media.

What can I do?

That's a hard question. It is frustrating to feel unable to change the environment that allows these things to happen.

I not only feel rage towards the abuser of the child I hear about on the evening news, but also towards those who abused me, memories of whom are triggered by that news.

Even before I began experiencing recovered memories, I felt myself drawn towards working for organizations that help youth who are in danger of being overlooked, discounted, ignored.

I now work for an organization that helps homeless youth, most of whom have been sexually abused as young children, many of whom are using sex as a survival tool which is abuse as well.

There is an endless supply of abusers to hate but hating alone won't satisfy my desire to change things.

It has been important for me to seek out and find those groups of people who are quietly working to help children already injured and children who are at risk of being abused.

Additionally, I have been able to express the rage, pain and hopelessness that I feel in art. For a while there was only darkness in what I created but, now, there is some light and hopefulness creeping in as my recovery progresses.

I know now, and this is important for me to know, that while I will change and will be better able to deal with feelings of pain and hopelessness and anger and rage as I grow older, some of it will always be with me.

I think that, to some extent, that has already been part of the engine that drives my desire to help others.

I know that I am fortunate in finding work that does this for me. I've sacrificed a great deal in terms of what I would otherwise be paid which, though I say "great deal" really seems small to me after all the help I have received.

I have also chosen a position in the organization that does not require me to be a counselor or therapist. I know that a position like that would be, emotionally, more than I could handle.

I hope that there are similar opportunities where you live. If not, maybe you could start an organization.

I really believe that the only answer to feelings of hate and anger are activities that lead to positive change, in my own life personally and in other lives to whatever extent I can manage.

 

[reality2k4]

Ivo,

I am deeply sorry you go through this, same thing happened in my area about 1 mild from me, the boy
will have to live with all the town probably knowing, the beast who did it, is in prison.

The boy is in his own prison for life, I too didn't get much sleep last night
Grrrrrr

take care

ste