For our third fieldwork, we talked with a child abuse survivor about her experiences with an abusive father a child. This meeting really made me think about how child abuse really has no face. I would never have been able to tell that this positive, well spirited person was treated in such awful dehumanizing ways. She was abused in all three categories of child abuse: Mental, physical and sexual. When her mother became sick, she was taken out of school and used as a house slave. She was dehumanized until she ran away from her family. However, when she went back to India for her sister’s wedding, she was kidnapped by her parents and beaten worse than ever before. She still sees her family occasionally, but not unless she has to. Child abuse has impacted this person’s life deeply, but in a way has made her a stronger person. She feels that she can overcome anything if she overcame such appalling experiences as a child. Growing up in India, she was in a place that child abuse was ignored, and sort of part of her culture. The unnerving experiences she shared, made me think about the statistics of child abuse, and how, most likely, one of my friends is currently being abused. She felt trapped, not wanting to go back home from school. No child should ever feel afraid to go back home. Home in my opinion, “home,” should be thought of as a safe place. I feel very fortunate to have been able to interview this survivor. Her experiences gave me a greater picture about how child abuse really has no limits. She also breaks the stereotype that child abuse is a vicious cycle. Many people think that those that have been abused, will abuse their children. However, she has worked very hard going to therapy and different organizations to give her child the best, happiest childhood she can get.
