Through the Eyes of an Abused Child
My name is
Sarah,
I am three,
My eyes are
swollen..
I cannot
see.
I must be
stupid,
I must be
bad,
What else
could have made,
My daddy so
mad?
I wish I
were better,
I wish I
weren’t ugly,
Then maybe
my mommy,
Would still
want to hug me.
I can’t do
a wrong,
I can’t
speak at all,
Or else I’m
locked up,
All day
long.
When I’m
awake,
I’m all
alone,
The house
is dark,
My folks
aren’t home.
When my
mommy does come home,
I’ll try
and be nice,
So maybe
I’ll just get,
One
whipping tonight.
I just
heard a car,
My daddy is
back,
From
Charlie’s bar.
I hear him
curse,
My name is
called,
I press
myself,
Against the
wall.
I try to
hide,
From his
evil eyes,
I’m so
afraid now,
I’m
starting to cry.
He finds me
weeping,
Calls me
ugly words,
He says
it’s all my fault,
He suffers
at work.
He slaps
and hits me,
And yells
at me more,
I finally
get free,
And run to
the door.
He’s
already locked it,
And I start
to bawl,
He takes me
and throws me,
Against the
hard wall.
I fall to
the floor,
With my
bones nearly broken,
And my
daddy continues,
With more
bad words spoken.
“I’m
sorry!,” I scream,
But now it’s
much too late,
His face
has been twisted,
Into an
unimaginable shape.
The hurt
and the pain,
Again and
again,
O please
let it end!
And he
finally stops,
And heads
for the door,
While lie
there motionless,
Sprawled on
the floor.
My name is
Sarah,
I am three,
Tonight my
daddy,
Murdered
me.
This
tragic poem is said to have been originally written in 1996 by a Misty Nicole
Ramsey of Dell Rapids, South Dakota. It details, in first person, a
horrifying murder of a three year old child who is beaten to death by her
father. As sad as this poem is, the statistics of this occurrence are without a
doubt truly the tragedy.
A report
of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the United States.
More than four children
die every day as a result of child abuse. Approximately 70% of children that die from
abuse are under the age of 4 and About 30% of abused and neglected
children will later abuse their own children, continuing the
horrible cycle of abuse. This is
evidenced by further statistics such as these:
- Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
- More than a third of adolescents with a report of abuse or neglect will have a substance use disorder before their 18th birthday, three times as likely as those without a report of abuse or neglect.
- Children who experience child abuse & neglect are about 9 times more likely to become involved in criminal activity.
- More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way
- The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2008 is $124 billion
So as
detailed through the eyes of Sarah at three years of age, can you imagine how
scared, and hopeless she feels? We hear of child abuse and neglect every day,
many times often happening here in our community. Too often, people are afraid to report or
speak out in fear of retribution or being wrong. Would you rather be wrong and the child safe
or be right and know you could have helped end their pain?
For more
information on how you can help or to volunteer, please visit AVA-CASA’s website at www.humboldtava.com . “How wonderful it is that no
one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” ~Anne Frank
This column is not intended to be a substitute for any
medical or legal advice.
Advocates for Victims of
775- 623-2328,
775-530-9310 or 775-530-1104
Fax: 509-695-4626
E-Mail Address humboldtava@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.humboldtava.com
The mission of AVA is to empower those victimized by abuse and/or violence through
advocacy and crisis intervention and to raise awareness in
the community about the cause, impact, and prevention of relationship abuse,
sexual violence, child abuse and neglect, and bullying.
Tri-County CASA supports and promotes volunteer advocacy to protect
the best interests of abuse and neglected children in Humboldt, Lander, and Pershing Counties Nevada
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