About Abuse

It's a big word, isn't it? Abuse. As a kid, I thought abuse was relevant only when there's blood involved, and it's a bad, bad thing to do. As I grew up, of course, I learned more from newspapers, tv and other media and eventually collected various perspectives. Not that I was an arts student of psychology, I was simply interested and I was and am still an avid audience of tv shows such as CSI, Criminal Minds, Law&Order, and the likes. Still, doesn't make me bulletproof.

I bumped into this article earlier today on the news website and made me ponder. These issues are still taken lightly into account in this modern world and even in developed countries. Let alone third world and developing countries, like where I grew up and live for twenty six years, yet the impact is massive on one person's life.

Born and raised as a minority in a country I love dearly and call home- both in religion and ethnic, made me an easy target. Sexual, verbal, emotional, and/or power abuse is something considered common and when it happened, it happened, period.When it comes to someone we know of, we helped, we comforted, but none of significant actions taken. And me, just like the others that falls in the same minority groups, has nothing to say but grateful that those gruesome events didn't happen to us, yet. And there once I thought, justice only served on those tv shows or somewhere on the other side of the world, while looking at our severely crippled justice system.

I have never been able to say anything about myself being sexually harassed, but here I am writing about it now. Some people might say, you didn't get raped or anything near that, so why bother speaking up? I've learned that anything done to me without my consent was and always an abuse. Abusive experience takes you into a deep black hole and could take away anyone's life anytime. And no, I won't take any accusations saying it's my responsible to take care of my very self and I could've prevent it to happen. It was just the wrong perception I've swallowed over the past years, because some people suggested me that route instead. I've also learned how I've been emotionally abused after I walked out from a long-term relationship. After. Because when no one takes it seriously, no one will ever even think it's too powerful and too destructive.

And let me say now, I'm just one of many survivors out there.