Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month – April 2012

It’s that time of the year again and the blogosphere is going ahead with Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month – April 2012.


Do you have a story to tell? Tips to share? A video, a link, an ebook? As a parent, as an adult, as a child? As before, all requests are honoured for anonymity.

Bring your experience and your expertise to this awareness initiative via
Blog posts with the logo (you can copy the image above), linkback to the blog, with the words “CSAAM April 2012” in the title

Twitter posts or links to @CSAawareness, tagged “#CSAAM”

FB notes linking to our Facebook page

Emails to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com

Or just simply show support by displaying the Picsquare badge on your site/page/profile

Lets join hands and hope to increase the focus and reach out with the new CSAAM App and more sensitisation workshops. You’ll find both in the blog

Let's take the oath

Most of us already know about CSAAM April 2011 drive going on in blogosphere, twitter world and on Facebook . All the action and contribution- survivor stories, therapists views, legal aspects have been remarkable. (I also posted on this here.)

After going through heart-breaking stories everyday, i realised how much pain is there in every heart. On the face of it the whole world seems like smiling while we crib non-stop about our everyday problems. All this has made me realise how much every tiny gesture of true love and care mean. How difficult is to have that someone in life who can be there not only in smiles and joy but also in sorrows and pain. Someone who would understand and not judge. Someone who will support and not shrug. Someone who will understand the unspoken words.

CSAAM - the month long initiative by blogger friends has added a new dimension to the thinking. We live in the denial world unconsiously repeating in our minds - "This cannot happen to us". All different perspectives on this subject have been very awakening. Honeslty, how many of us bother to go and find out the legal aspects of anything.The whole intitiative has given hope to many and helped heal up. For some - to be thankful for having got the support and love of that "someone" and for others for getting over that what that another  "someone" did to them.

Speak up, Talk, Discuss, get professional help, provide space and biggest of all "LISTEN" and listen with support. - All these have been the keywords this month. A gentle reminder to ourselves every now and then about this is what we need. We need to be aware and prepared ourselves to listen and provide the right advise and support. Be well-informed yourself first so you can give the right information to your kids. React sensibly to anything your kid talks to you about. It might start as a simple incident from kids' day but might mean a lot. Like us adults, kids also first try to develop a comfort zone before they can let out the actual inquisitiveness or fear. Again - LISTEN and react accordingly. Ignoring something small as just another incident from school/daycare might have dire consequences. Be Aware, pay attention!! Nothing is worth ignoring.

It's an ongoing and lifelong effort and goes on beyond this month - Let's pledge to make this world a safer place for oursleves, for our kids and for all future generations!!

Once again - as I already wrote here

It's time we take oath

That noone can loath

Every child will grow up safe

Lets give them this faith!!

CSAAM - It's only the Beginning!!

A touch here and a touch there...

Who knows its affecting where

Tiny brain tries to make sense

the adult brain makes it tense

Little soul senses trouble

Tries to run away from the fumble

Something haunts day and night

Noone knows that there is no light

Deep inside the darkness grows

Kills desires ...only pain flows

Mind tries to move on

Pain n guilt keeps tagging along

Life goes on...

And along grows the refusal to go on

World’s unaware and noone notices change

Making it all even more strange

Confidence vanishes

And dreams get crushed

Years pass by...

thoughts don’t give way

Hiding behind

Was all one could say

O a simple wish...
wish that someone would come one day

And understand it all the unsaid way

Take away that agony
Take away that pain
Give me my childhood
So I can grow up again

Come stand up

Come join in

We still have time

Together we can chime

Its time we take oath

That noone can loath

Every child will grow up safe

Lets give them this faith!!

© 2011 Life Begins. Please DO NOT COPY.

CSA – something the majority of us have experienced as much by known and as by strangers. A topic much suppressed by family. Afterall who wants to face the shame and guilt that it will bring to the family. In this whole shame-avoiding scene The family forgets about the shame and guilt that gets embossed in the child’s life.

How much impact an ignorable incident can have on one’s life is immeasurable. The Fear experienced can manifest itself in anxiety, panic, depression and insomnia. This is accompanied by feelings of powerlessness, insecurity, worthlessness and loneliness. Children often remain silent about sexual abuse. They feel ashamed, feel guilty or fear the perpetrator and think it will be more difficult for themselves when the abuse comes out.

After going through so many posts this month – we do not need any further proof of how deep a so-called minor and “sshhh….ed” incident can have on an innocent mind. It is a mutual responsibility of us parents and grownups to stop and punish anyone who tries to invade the territory of innocence.

I have been reading a lot on internet and came across wonderful and simple information on “From Darkness to Light”


A matter of 7 steps - 7 Steps to Protecting Our Children

• Step 1: Learn the Facts
• Step 2: Minimize Opportunity
• Step 3: Talk About It
• Step 4: Stay Alert
• Step 5: Make a Plan
• Step 6: Act on Suspicions
• Step 7: Get Involved

And it was so apty said - The 7 Steps is Only the Beginning!!


Another very important aspect in this hi-tech era is to protect our kids in digital world. CSA is not just physical abuse – it includes all the porn some perverts try to introduce to youngsters.
Here is another good source on …

5 Tips to Protect Your Children in the Digital Age


All this has been said and emphasizes many times this month. But the idea is to generate as much awareness as we can. We need to stand up and take the right steps well in time. The healing will happen in the whole process along with confidence getting stronger. Our kids need us! And we need our kids – safe and happy!!

Go Visit - Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month - April 2011