Abuse has, through the years, been one of the most devastating things anyone can go through, as it can go a long way in ruining our mental well-being and the like. It's not something I wish for anyone to go through, given the fact that I myself have been a victim at one point in time. Before I delve into an abuse experience and how we can help out victims of abuse, it's worth noting that we've got different forms of abuse, such as physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse, and several others; none of them is good, and no one should have to undergo them, so without further ado, let's get to my story.
Talking about abuses, I've seen loads of people undergo this treatment, and it's quite disheartening that most of them can't speak up about it, probably out of fear that has been instilled in them by the abuser or fear of how they'll be looked at or treated by the outside world and many other reasons to name but a few. Anyone can be a victim of abuse, be it a child, a man, or a woman, although it's believed that it's mostly women who undergo sexual and physical abuse, but it's worth noting that men also experience the same, just that most of them aren't bold enough to come out without being criticized or looked at as though they're not man enough.
I remember a man in my neighborhood back then when I was young; this man's wife literally beat him black and blue at every given opportunity, and despite the fact that we usually heard his cry during such physical abuse melted on him by his wife, he'd come out to mouth about how he was the one doing such instead that we heard otherwise, despite the fact that we could see bruises all over his body and the wife having none. It's funny, though; I guess his ego doesn't want him to look vulnerable amongst outsiders, but at the end of the day, he ended up leaving the house one fateful day and never came back. Even till the last day he was beaten, that we all know, he never admitted it.
Another situation of abuse I witnessed is the case of a man who abuses several children in a neighborhood quite close to mine. It was strange because up until when he was caught red-handed, many people used to see him as a good man who loves children, unknown to them that he's only attracting them with his gift and then abusing them once they're in his place, then he'll instill fear in them to make sure they never share the tale of what he did to them with anyone, but after he was caught, many parents who lived around that place and usually had their children around him questioned their children, and it's shocking to know at least 7 other children were his victims after he was caught pants down with one.
To help abuse victims speak up, I guess we need to create a safe space for them to speak without the fear that they'll become the talk of the town and the like; instead, we should encourage disclosure. Also, parents and people should try and create a cordial relationship with their children to the point where they don't hide anything from them regardless of who's trying to scare them from talking. Making your child your best friend makes this easy, not when you don't always offer a listening ear to their words.
So basically, to help an abuse victim, we should encourage disclosure, like I said earlier, by creating a safe space, asking open-ended questions, and avoiding the blame game when dealing with them. Also, we should try to empower these victims by providing support in the form of counseling, shelters, and numbers to call when in need. Overall, each situation is unique, so we can't use the same method for everything, so we should use our discretion and prioritize the victim's well-being and safety; either we help them ourselves or call a professional (counselor or support center) to come deal with such.
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