severe child abuse

Trauma Tuesday: Powerful Video on Organized Pedophilia, YouTube adoption

Submitted by FaithA on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 08:00

Traumatized Adopted Child (c) Julie C

Last month, I shared that the Senate was considering Senate Bill 1738, which would provide funding for law enforcement to track down child predators who upload child pornography to the Internet. I am happy to report that the Senate passed the Protect Our Children Act. This means that law enforcement will now have the resources to break up more child pornography rings and rescue more children.

Unfortunately, the majority of children who are abused are being abused by their parents or other close relatives. So, as child pornography rings are disbanded, we will likely start filling our foster care system with children who have suffered from all sorts of horrors. Those of you who are fostering children or adopting children out of foster care need to know about severe forms of child abuse, such as animal rape and child pornography.

An online friend of mine has put together a powerful video that talks about the missing child abuse statistics.

Talking with Abused Adopted Child about Severe Abuse

Submitted by FaithA on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 20:07

Boy in Field (c) Lynda Bernhardt

I have a personal blog that I write to encourage adult survivors of child abuse along their healing journeys. I keep track of the topics that bring people over to that blog. I have been surprised that I get the most page views for topics on severe forms of child abuse, such as mother-daughter sexual abuse or animal rape. Those are tough topics that most people do not want to think about, much less talk about.

If you have adopted a child who has suffered from one of the more severe forms of child abuse, you might be at a loss about how to talk with your child about the abuse.

Adopted Child with RAD: Rejection & Self-Loathing

Submitted by FaithA on Tue, 02/12/2008 - 09:57

Child pushing away (c) Lynda Bernhardt

One of the most frustrating parts of parenting an adopted child with reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is being constantly rejected by the child, even after pouring so much love and nurturing into the child. I have several friends who either are parenting or have parented children with RAD, and they often question whether anything they are doing is making a difference. The adopted child continues to reject their love, but the child will seemingly "bond" with strangers on the street. Why are children with RAD like this?

The Guarded Heart of the Abused Adopted Child

Submitted by FaithA on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 14:15

One of the biggest misconceptions in adopting an abused child is the belief that a person can love a child to emotional health. Hopeful adoptive parents often think that an abused child's problem is that he did not receive enough love. They believe that they will shower the child with enough love to heal all of his emotional wounds, and he will be all better. Unfortunately, the amount of love you have for your child is not enough to heal the damage.