Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors Information - Issue #132
What impact does financial security play in preventing child abuse?
The TikTok video below is something worth thinking about. There is plenty of data that show a massive dip in child abuse reports. I’ve read many advocates explain that away by claiming abuse didn’t go down, but since kids weren’t at school there was no one to report it.
I believe that explains some of it. I’m skeptical that it can explain the level of drop that we saw.
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The thing for me is that teachers report a certain percentage of abuse cases. Other reports come from various places that wouldn’t have been eliminated in quite the same way. Medical staff, neighbors, etc. So, yes I was not surprised at a significant lower rate of abuse reports. Many of us warned of the possibility, in fact.
But, that doesn’t change the research quoted in this video. Parental stress is a contributing factor to abuse and parental stress often is a result of financial insecurity. Given families extra money during pandemic lockdown was likely part of the the extremely low rate of abuse cases too. Do we know how much it contributed? No, but we know poverty can create vulnerable kids and we know vulnerable kids are at higher risk, so it makes sense that better social safety nets would decrease child abuse.
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Unfortunately, there are too many people who don’t understand how helping parents protects children. We miss a great opportunity to make a difference for kids when we don’t make that connection.
New from the Blogs
We are survivors because we are still here. We are victims because someone harmed us while committing a crime. There's no reason to complicate those terms and there's no reason any of us who experienced abuse can't be both.
Sharing - Are Adult Survivors of Child Abuse Ever Fully Healed?
This is why I look for the definition when I read anything about being fully healed. What does being healed mean to you? Is your definition possible? A definition that includes the abuse having zero impact on who you are today? Because that's not realistic. But it also doesn't mean you can't go on to have a healed life while acknowledging that it is still part of who you are.
Quick Thought #22 - Kate Middleton and Filling in the Blanks
Most of the time, we don't know what people are dealing with, but even when we do know, they may react to trauma and stress in ways that don't make sense to us.
That's life. That's being human; being mature means accepting and being comfortable with it - not trying to fill in all the blanks yourself.
Shared from Elsewhere
Mental Health Myths – Busted! - I wish these posts weren’t necessary, but they are.
Some reading - Books That Talk About Eating Disorder
An interesting idea, maybe the apps can be useful as a part of overall mental health treatment plan - AI chatbots can help with your mental health. Just don't think of them as therapy.
This is undoubtedly true - Depression and Job Hunting Can be a Vicious Combination
From the Archives
The Importance of Just Listening
Which reminded me, once again, of the power of just listening when someone is sharing their story. It’s not easy. When we hear someone we care about talking about their struggles, it’s just instinct that makes us want to help, to “fix” the situation, and we have no business doing that.
This is also an interesting metaphor for healing. Sometimes, the path you start on changes mid-hike, and you have to adjust to new conditions you hadn't planned for. Healing is never a straight road. It's full of changing conditions, unforeseen obstacles, and more ups and downs than any mountain hike you could take in one day! That can be a challenge, but if you roll with the changes and keep persevering on the path you've set for yourself, you may find some rewarding views on your way and some joy at the end of the trek.
Thanks for reading. If you find this newsletter informative and helpful to you, spread the word. That’s the best way you can say thank you for the effort I put in each week.