I'd like to give a "shout out" to my sister, who will be the opening speaker at her university's Take Back the Night event this evening. I am incredibly proud of her. She is going to be speaking out against child abuse. She is no public speaker, so this is a huge leap forward in her healing from child abuse.

For those of you who are not aware of the program, Take Back the Night is an event in which people speak out against all forms of violence, including rape and child abuse. I first learned about the event during an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. I thought the event was made up for the television show, but I have since learned that Take Back the Night has been a movement throughout the United States since the 1970's and that its history goes even farther back in Europe.

Personal testimonies are an integral part of the event, which is where my sister comes in. She is going to read a poem that she wrote about her child abuse experiences and then share a few words about her history. She only gets 20 minutes to speak, so we have been joking about how she cannot possibly even scratch the surface of her history in that brief amount of time. There will be a candlelight vigil and other activities. Then, the program will end with another woman sharing her acquaintance rape story.

If you are parenting a teenager or young adult adopted child who has suffered from violence, you might want to tell your child about this program. Attending one of these events can be empowering as the adopted child watches numerous people speak out against violence. If your child feels the need to speak out at one of these events, perhaps he or she can find the same healing that my sister is hoping to find tonight.

Related Topic:

Healing from Child Abuse: Take Back the Night

Photo credit: Take Back the Night website