I am a creative nonfiction writer and speaker with the mission of creating a paradigm shift in society’s consciousness regarding physical punishment as an acceptable child rearing practice. As a child abuse survivor, I’ve spent the last 30 years healing from my violent childhood. Child abuse reached its tentacles into every aspect of my life, forever altering my life’s path.
As long as physical punishment is acceptable, there will be an intangible line defining where punishment ends and abuse begins. That line becomes a slippery slope when it’s placement is dependent on the subjective opinion of an angry, frustrated parent with poor impulse control. It is my belief that violence is violence, whether it is done to another adult or a child. If I were to hit another adult, I would be arrested for assault. Why then does society sanction that same violence when it is used against a child?
Neglect and physical child abuse take the lives of five children every day in the United States. And as horrible as that statistic is, think about those who survive. They are the walking wounded among us who attempt to escape from their pain by becoming co-dependent, mentally ill, suicidal, alcoholic, drug addicted, or become abusers themselves. And I wonder, when the seeds of childhood maltreatment ferment in silence and the mental anguish becomes unbearable, of the 33,000 U.S. suicides each year – how many were due to child abuse?
My writing and speaking examines the damage physical punishment does to our spirits while bringing a message of hope and healing to those who are still suffering the long-term effects of child abuse. If you would like to discuss how I might raise awareness of these issues in your community and /or raise funds for your organization to help at-risk children or child abuse survivors, you can reach me at 612.619.8886.
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