I Want To Run Away

I Was Being Abused

It's Not Your Fault

I Ran Away

Tell Someone

Abuse
It’s Not Your Fault

Abuse is to misuse another person that in anyway causes them injury or harm.

If someone does something to you and it makes you feel all dirty inside or empty go with that feeling. Do not make the abuse that is happening to you your fault. Do not try to make yourself believe that it didn’t happen or that it wasn’t that bad. If someone does something to you and it makes you uncomfortable in any way tell an adult that you trust everything that happened.
No One should ever make you feel small, empty, alone or worthless.
• I don’t understand what I did wrong. She’s telling me how worthless I am, how I don’t care about anyone else but myself. How I’m a selfish brat, that I can’t do anything right.
• I am so confused. I’m only 10 years old what have I done wrong to deserve this?
• She’s my own mother but I feel she doesn’t want me around. I can’t tell “her” that I love her. Shouldn’t I be able to?
• I can’t believe I made her feel like crap? I can’t believe what a bad child she’s convinced me that I am.
• I feel terrible, horrible. But I’m not sure why. I know I’m not happy, I feel like I hate myself, I feel like “she” hates me, I feel worthless, like absolutely nothing, alone in a house of 3 other people. I wish there was something I could do to change this.

It is NEVER okay for an adult to have sex with a child.
• He was always nice to me. Never threatened or hurt me, and he give me spending money. He didn’t rape me; at least if he did, my mind won’t let me remember that.
• Now I’m afraid to tell anyone what I have been letting him do to me. Therefore it must be my fault!
It is NEVER okay for an adult to touch a child inappropriately or ask the child to touch them.
• I liked it that he cared about me and although I felt weird, my body responded.
• Now, not a day goes by that I don’t feel ashamed, cold, lost, alone, and hopeless.
• When I began to feel that it was wrong, I thought it was too late to do anything!
It is NEVER okay for an adult to hit a child hard enough to leave a bruise.
• If I were a better son I wouldn’t have been beaten.
• They don’t hit me hard all of the time.
• They are adults so they are allowed to punish me.
• It’s normal.

If you’re being abused, no matter how many times it has happened, you can do something now. It is never too late and it is never your fault! Tell someone that you trust and stop the abuse!

Jessica

It's not your fault.

I want you to know that no one should ever make you feel small. Jessica, you should tell someone that you trust that you need help. Tell your grandma, teacher, friend’s mom, anyone that you can trust how she treats you. Tell them about what she does that makes you sad. I am proud of you Jessica and I know that you can do anything that you want.

Jake

It's not your fault.

There are a lot of kids that run away for the same reason that you did. They feel empty inside except for anger and they have no idea why they have to face the problems that they are facing. Please tell someone that you need help because horrible things happen on the streets and you do not deserve to be abused. No one does. I know that you are a surviver and that you will do the right thing.

Steven

It's not your fault.

Thank you for sharing your story. You are older than most of us so it is good to see from someone who has gone through abuse like us that things can get better. I felt a lot like they way you described how you felt when I was being abused. Scared, lonely and empty inside. I thought that people could tell that I was being abused just by looking at me too. Being abused was all that I thought of even though I tried never to think about it. Thank you Steven.