The Founder C/- SCA-S.O.S! (now known as The 'VSAS Team)
and the majority of our Members
Are Victim/Survivors of Abuse
Especially Child Abuse in Any/All of its Forms!
And
We understand The Pain, Suffering, Mental Anguish
And The Many other Frustrations that Victim/Survivors' Experience
on a Daily Basis!
We know how it feels to be invalidated
Not ONLY by Our Own Families
But also by many of who We 'Believed' were Our Friends also.
We are Continually Rejected
Invalidated and Unfairly Discriminated against by
The Majority of Our Own Communities.
We
have been faced with Many Obstacles and Challenges in relation to being Victim/Survivors of Abuse
In Any/All of its' forms
Including,
but NOT Limited to
Many Physical, and Mental Illnesses
Which are a Direct Result of Our Abuse!
One
of the Many Obstacles that We have to Deal with
And face Personally
Has been, And Still is,
Trying to Obtain Appropriate Medical Treatment
Especially when We have been
Or are in a Crisis Situation!
The most Traumatizing
Issue that many of us have had to Deal with on a Daily Basis is
Watching our Children
who We Love Very Much
Remain Locked in Abusive Situations
with NO Help from 'The System'
who only seem to make matters WORSE
And the feelings of Powerlessness
Are just TOO Much at times
Especially for those who have lost their Child/ren as a
result of this Serious Neglect and Abuse!
We are Very Hurt and Angry with 'Child Protective Services', Family
Courts, and all other such Departments, who are Allowing This ABUSE to Continue, and they will NOT do Anything to Protect
Our Children!
We have NO Choice but to Stand back and watch
as Our Children become More Distant
Withdrawn and Bitter
just to name a few!
So, We understand
what the word Neglect means here too!
Therefore, We understand how it feels to Live in Deep Pain, and Sorrow
In 'Silence' and 'Isolation'.
However
ALL of these Barriers have NOT and will NOT
Stop Us from Advocating
TO
"STOP The STIGMA"
Especially including against Mental Illness
And/or any other forms of Disability:
AND
To
"BREAK The SILENCE"
'BREAK The DENIAL'
'STOP The CYCLE'
'STOP The COVER UPS'
'STOP The SHAME'
'STOP The SECRECY'
'STOP The LIES'
On ABUSE
Especially Child Abuse in Any and/or All of its forms!
This is because We understand and realize
That Abuse grows rapidly in *Silence*
And We choose to do this because
We do NOT want to see anymore Innocent Children/Adults Suffer
And have their entire Lives Damaged and/or
Taken away from them as a Result of ABUSE in ANY
And/or ALL of its Forms!
We have chosen to do this, because
Now We are Adults,
We would like to believe that
because We are Adults
that We *CAN* behave in a Responsible
Caring and Mature Manner!
One That is FREE From ABUSE!
We did this when We 'Broke The Silence'
and
Denial of Our Own Abuses
And therefore,
We 'Broke the Cycle' of Our Own Personal ABUSE Patterns!
This
Action of 'Breaking The Silence'
and
'Breaking The Cycle' of ABUSE,
has also freed us
enabling us to be available to Offer and Share Support
Help, Advocacy, etc.
With/for Many Others
Who, as We were,
And still do at times
Suffer Alone in Pain
Silence
And Isolation!
We would Like to believe that when a Victim/Survivor, Especially Any One of Our Children
Cries Out for HELP
We Will Be Able to Hold Out Our Hands to Them
And Offer some Support, Validation, Care and Love!
We believe that this *CAN* be acheived by
EVERY One of US
Offering something
No matter how small
To help build up a Strong and Caring Community
Support Network System!
WE *CAN* build this - Together - as A TEAM!
We Can!
