Child sexual exploitation is a world epidemic. The grooming processes may differ dependent upon cultures and belief; and the ‘rewards’ for the children most certainly are different, preying on what the children need most. Stories like this highlight how present sexual abuse is. We as a world try to maintain that so much is done on the fight of sexual exploitation, but the truth is this is a war of its own. And one we are not winning. Once again I’m sat here reading stories of children being taken advantage of, their innocence stolen, at the hands of selfish and manipulative adults. The same adults whose duty it is to protect the very same children. Heartbreaking.
Emotional Abuse is not something which is easy to recognise. I was involved in an emotionally abusive relationship for five years in total, I was married to him and had two children with him. I did not realise at the time that the relationship was abusive. I thought we just had a ‘roller coaster’ of a relationship and there was so many ups and downs because we were passionate about the relationship an really loved each other. That is what he told me anyway………
Many people think someone in an abusive relationship is in denial, but in actual fact most do not realise there is a problem. They are not burying their head in the sand or covering up for them…..they just DO NOT relate themselves to being in an abusive relationship. Full Stop.
Abuse is usually something which is thought to be physical….something which can be seen….marks on the body for example. It is also important to remember that abuse of any type is not limited to a male abusing a female. Abuse happens in same sex relationships and some females abuse males. We need to learn to pick up signs of emotional abuse, whether this is for yourself or someone else. Emotional abuse is something which is more difficult to pin point as there are often no signs. At first things are great and then one day something happens but because you are hoping that this person is ‘THE ONE’ you are looking at them with rose tinted spectacles! You will justify their behaviour in your own mind with things like ‘they ve just had a bad day’ or ‘they are nice to me all the other times, they do not mean it.’ Every time you smooth over a situation and let your partner get away with the unacceptable behaviour the next time it is likely to be worse, it is a steady decline. The power they feel makes them want more and more. They will no doubt apologise, they may buy you gifts, take you somewhere nice to make up for their behaviour. Some will cry telling you how bad they feel… (this means that they are sorry….does n’t it?) HELL NO!!! You could not be further from the truth. They are simply manipulating you into feeling sorry for them, transferring the guilt on to you, and over time ‘chipping away’ at you, slowly unpicking your personality, stripping you of your charisma self-esteem and independence, simply so they can control you and you will be totally dependent upon them. They will suck out your ambition, crush your spirit and stamp on your feelings. They will rule you with an iron fist.
“This won’t happen to me” I hear you say……. THAT’S WHAT I SAID……But it happened to me.
I did not realise it, my family did not realise it (in fact he even managed to turn some of my family against me) and it was only thank you to a caring work colleague who one day took me to one side and said “This is emotional abuse, he is doing all he can to try and break you down….” That was the day when the penny dropped. That was the beginning of the rest of my life. So what are some of the signs of EMOTIONAL abuse?
1. THEY WANT YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION 24/7 This sounds great does nt it. When you first get together it is normal to want to spend time together. But if they drop all his friends and stop doing the normal things like their hobbies etc, your relationship may be going in the wrong direction. If you feel you do not have much time for yourself, or your friends or family, and feel that you cannot do the things you normally would do as you do not want to upset your partner then your partner is probably trying to control you. This may seem dramatic….but think to 6 months or so down the line, when you are constantly attached to each others hip, and your friends or family no longer invite you to do things as they know your answer will be ‘no’. How will you feel when you realise that the only person you have is your partner? Probably fine…..until something goes wrong and you feel lonely and stuck. Is this really how a relationship should feel? “I had a little boy when I met my ex, I did n’t realise at the time, but my partner was extremely jealous of my little boy and tried to push him out. He not only emotionally abused me but he emotionally abused my son too. that is something I find difficult to deal with and it has taken a long time for me to forgive myself. Luckily my son is growing up to be a good level headed young man, of whom I am very proud of. It could have been a very different story.”
2. THEY ACT LIKE A DICTATOR AND MAKE ALL THE RULES IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP They do not want you to hang out with your mates, but it is fine for them to do what they want…..they will complain that they do not like your friends, saying they are a bad influence or are too slutty or they do not trust them. They hate your best friend (probably because they are trying to indicate your partner is controlling….). Does this sound familiar? How about this: They do not like the clothes you wear, always choose what you are doing, what you are eating, what you are drinking…. “My ex hated my best friend. He was very clever as he managed to turn things around so that I felt sorry for him and I ended up not seeing my best friend for over two years. I never fell out with her we just eventually lost touch. She was frustrated because all she wanted for me was to be happy and to be with someone who treated me right. I was so in love with him that I could not see the tree for the woods. Looking back he was always controlling, very clever and calculating and in the end I paid the price. Luckily my best friend and I are now back in touch and things are as they always were. We are always here for each other. We may not see each other from one week to the next, but we share a bond which has always been present from the day we first met at nursery at the age of just three years old. That bond will never be broken. The day we reunited we picked up from where we left off. I was lucky but many people would have lost that friend for good.”
3. THEY ISOLATE YOU FROM PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE This related to the point above, but goes a little step further as it moves from telling you that they do not like your friends, family etc to then actually managing to stop you from seeing them. You will stop going out with friends so that they stop accusing you of cheating. You will stop seeing your parents to avoid you getting backlash from your partner because ‘you stayed too long’ or ‘you said something wrong.’ Your partner creates situations to try and force you to choose between them and your friends/family. You should be able to talk to and spend time with people you like without having to justify yourself. “My ex used to insinuate that my parents had said something horrible about me to them, such as “they say you are out of control” or “well that’s not what they ve said.” but would never elaborate, leaving me to stew. This allowed me the time to create whatever situation my brain wanted. It left me feeling like I could no trust anyone.”
4. THEY ‘RE TAKING AWAY YOUR FREEDOM AND NEED TO KNOW YOUR EVERY MOVE A really bad sign of an emotionally abusive relationship is if your boyfriend demands that you tell him details like where you are going, what you are doing and who you are with. He gets mad whenever you do something without telling him. If you do not tell them, then they will do all they can to find out. They cannot deal with not knowing! “My ex went so far as to check my phone and social media accounts, he would log in as me and response to message as if it was me. It was only when friends responded saying things like “What are you talking about?” that I would realise what they had done. My ex once even text a work colleague pretending to be me, saying something along the lines of “Great night last night, can’t wait to see you again.” The colleague asked me what was going on. Although it was extremely embarrassing I am so glad that he did, as I was able to prove the message was not from me as it was from another number (and it made no sense anyway as I was not with them the night before) but I also have a very good indication of who it was…..”
5. THEY USE THE SILENT TREATMENT TO PUNISH YOU An emotionally abusive guy will refuse to answer text messages, phone calls and e-mails when he gets mad at you. He won’t tell you the reasons that he is mad at you either. Instead, he’ll just disappear off the face of the earth until he feels that you have been punished enough. “My ex ignored me for weeks on end. We lived together and the atmosphere was unbearable. It was only once he could see I was at breaking point that he would then offer ‘an olive branch’, a cuddle, a kiss….but never a sorry. That was my job!”
6. THEY PUT YOU DOWN AND HURT YOUR FEELINGS “He would call me ‘fat’, ‘ugly’, ‘manipulative’, ‘horrible’, ‘bad mum’ etc etc, anything he knew that was important to me, he would pick at. I now know that he put me down so that he had control over me.” An emotionally abusive guy will accuse you of making a big deal out of nothing when you tell him he’s being hurtful. (Like my ex who always used to say ‘oh as normal you are making a mountain out of a molehill’, or ‘you are such a drama queen, get a grip.’) This type of person is so insecure of themselves that they need to lower your self-esteem to ensure that you always stay with them.
7. THEY ARE EXTREMELY JEALOUS….OF ANYONE IN PARTICULAR FRIENDS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX When you are out together, they constantly accuse you of looking at other people. They will accuse you of trying to make them jealous whenever you dress sexy. They do not let you wear sexy clothes like a little summer mini dress or (men) taking your top off to show your abs! “My ex used to tell me that I looked better without make up and did not want me wearing shorts or short skirts telling me I looked like a slut.”
8. THEY HAVE NO LIMITS Some emotional abusers are drug/alcohol dependent and will often put their addictions before you. This will bring out the worst in them and will often be when they are at their worst.
9. HE INSTILLS FEAR IN YOU Most healthy romantic relationships offer support and security. “I never felt secure and I never felt supported. This only made me try and get more affection from him by trying to please him more.” You should feel comfortable in being able to talk to your partner about anything without having to worry about what their reaction is going to be. whatever I discussed with my ex, he would turn it back on me so that I was the person who was at fault. “Why are you always playing victim!” Would be a favourite statement of his. You and your partner should be able to accept each other for who you are. If your partner instils fear by threatening or intimidating you to the point where you hesitate to do things without your partner’s approval, it is time to re-evaluate the relationship. I would in fact suggest ‘getting out’.
10. HE LOWERS YOUR SELF-ESTEEM What do you think when you imagine your favourite partner. Mine make me feel like I am the only woman in the world, they make me feel beautiful, they build you up, they hug you and make you feel loved. If they begin to make you feel like nothing, you start to doubt who you are and what you are worth, or being to feel like you have nothing to offer and are worthless, then your partner is not having the effect on you that they should and it is time to re-consider.
11. HE TREATS YOUR LIKE PROPERTY You know that it is time to end an emotionally abusive relationship when you no longer feel like you have any input in it. Your partner only cares about self-preservation and uses you to benefit himself or herself. There is no “we” in your relationship, it is solely based on the interests of one person. And we all know that that is not how things should work out.
12. ROLLER-COASTER RELATIONSHIP If there is never a constant in your relationship and you never know what to expect from it, it would be categorized as unhealthy. Although it is typical for couples to go through their ups and downs, cyclical highs and lows should not become a pattern. Once you get into a habit of severe fights followed by make ups, you will never gain stability. This erratic relationship can only result in lots of stress and heartbreaks. “From the start we used to argue and fall out, he would throw me out of the house, and then in a few hours we would make up. He would justify it by telling me that his friend had said ‘It is the day when you stop fighting that you should worry, as that is when you feel you have nothing to fight for.’ Another favourite: ‘It is only because we love each other so much that we argue.’
13. THEY USE GUILT TO GET WHAT THEY WANT “If I was ever due to go anywhere whether with friends or family, my ex would write me letters insinuating that he was going to harm himself then take off in his car. He would go missing for hours. He would nt answer my calls or texts and would often turn off his mobile, only returning after ensuring I had missed my prior arrangement or just beforehand telling me I could go, knowing full well I would not go as I was not ready and was too upset to do so. If it was ever brought up in a later argument he would tell me ‘well I told you to go!’
You are worth so much more.
Your life is valuable.
It is a gift.
It is your duty to grasp it with both hands.
Enjoy it.
Do not allow anyone to take this gift away from you.
We all know what it is like when we meet someone new, and we fall head over heels in love with them. It does not matter what the do or say, as to you they are perfect. However, you should always be aware of what a healthy relationship consists of. This can keep you out of trouble. If you know the signs before you get into a relationship this should help you to attract the type of partner that you will actually be loved and cared by, and in return you can do the same and of course live happily ever after, just like you have always dreamed………well maybe not ‘ever after’ but for a long time at least, and at least you will be happy 🙂
So what is a healthy relationship?
A healthy relationship is a relationship where you feel happy, safe and secure. You completely trust your partner, you are not afraid of them, and they do not make unreasonable requests of you.
What makes a healthy relationship?
Mutual respect. Do you respect each other? Do you listen and understand each others point of view? Do they know the real you and you know the real them? Can you be yourself or do you have to act like someone else. Mutual respect is a sign of a healthy relationship.
Trust. You are talking to a guy, laughing and joking when your partner walks by. Do they act jealous and ask you if you are sleeping with each other/seeing each other behind his back, or do they say hi and join in the conversation, completely trusting you. If there is trust between the two of you this is a sign of a healthy relationship.
Honesty. This goes hand in hand with trust. If you do not or cannot tell the truth then you cannot expect your partner to trust you. Most people know when another person is lying, even if not straight away. Are you open with what you are doing or who you are with or do you feel you have to cover this up from your partner. Do you feel they know you are lying but you justify it because you feel your partner will be upset with you? If you cannot be honest this is a sign of an unhealthy relationship
Support. In the good times and the bad. Some people thrive on drama and are great when the going gets tough, but forget to be supportive in every day life when you need that extra encouragement to finally sign up for that college course you ve always wanted to do or take a part in a local play. Offering support to you consistently is a sign of a healthy relationship.
Fairness/equality. Give and take. Do you spend as much time hanging out with his mates as you do your own, do you take turns in choosing which movie you are seeing at the cinema, or who will be making tea. If a power struggle starts and one of you are constantly trying to get your own way then this is not fair, nor is it equal and this is a sign of an unhealthy relationship.
Separate identities. In a healthy relationship, everyone needs to make compromises. But that doesn’t mean you should feel like you’re losing out on being yourself. When you started going out, you both had your own lives (families, friends, interests, hobbies, etc.) and that shouldn’t change. Neither of you should have to pretend to like something you don’t, or give up seeing your friends, or drop out of activities you love. And you also should feel free to keep developing new talents or interests, making new friends, and moving forward.
Good communication. Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars. You’ve probably heard lots of stuff about how men and women don’t seem to speak the same language. If something is wrong and your partner asks you, stay calm and speak to them about what is upsetting you. There is no use in bottling up your emotions and feelings as it achieves nothing. If you are not ready to speak, tell them you would like a little space, but you will discuss it with them shortly. The right person for you will allow you this time to gather your thoughts and emotions. If you can communicate effectively this is a sign of a healthy relationship.
By now you should understand what is seen as a positive, healthy relationship. If you believe you are in one of these then a big ‘hi 5’ to the both of you and long may your happiness continue. If you have read this and feel you may be stuck in an unhealthy relationship maybe it is time to consider if the relationship is worth taking forward. Should you have found yourself in an abusive relationship where your partner is controlling or you have been groomed into things you are in a loving, healthy relationship, then you need to get out of it and quick. Stay strong, find local professionals to help you and you will be ok. Nothing in life can survive if it is toxic.
NSPCC Campaign puts abuser in jail. A mother spoke to her 3 year old daughter about the pants rule, to which her three year old daughter disclosed to her that a family friend had touched her inappropriately. This just shows that education is key. You can educate younger children as well as the older ones, and when done in the right way it shows that it can be very successful. It is likely this campaign has saved this little girl from a long period of abuse. Read the full article by clicking on the link above.
It is good to talk – parents urged to talk about the underwear rule with their children
I am struggling at the minute to write much for the ‘Diary of a Divorcee’. I know this is unusual, but for some reason I no longer see myself as a divorcee. I know I was once married, but now so much time has passed since we were together that I feel it never really happened. It is as if it was someone else who lived that part of my life. I have changed and grown so much in the last two and a half years that although the person I was then is still in there, it is only a small part of me. That small part is not significant enough to really have an impact on me any more.
The fact I have struggled to write for the diary is strange in one way because at the minute I have a real battle on my hands regarding contact with my children and their father. This is not something I ever anticipated I would be involved in (but then again I never anticipated divorce either did i?!) Not much of a psychic am I……god damn it, I really need to dig out that crystal ball!
So, anyway, due to some safeguarding issues for the time being I have had to make the massive decision to put a little bit of space between my children and their father. This is not a decision I have made lightly, and it is not one that I could make over night either. But when you are put in a position where you are actually questioning the safety of your children it is not something you can take a chance on really. I’ve had numerous meetings with solicitors and other professionals to ensure I am making the right decision. It truly has been one of the most difficult decisions ever.
Do not get me wrong…..I do not like the guy (my ex) one bit. For the past four to five years he has made my life a misery, or at least tried to. For the past two years I have learned to accept that this is the way he is and developed certain coping mechanisms. These are by no way ‘bullet proof’ but they get me through most situations. However, I would love some super hero on my side at the minute. If only there was such a character that could come and magically neutralize your feelings and emotions when it comes to dealing with your ex partners, especially where children are concerned. This aside, no matter how much I dislike him because of how he treats me and indeed communicates with me (in front of the kids), I have always tried to be reasonable. I have always realized that is is the children who would suffer otherwise (mainly because I saw it first hand with my parents so I have that hindsight). I have also seen the looks on their little faces when they are repeating to me what their father has said to them about me, and they are truly sad by the fact their parents do not get along. It hurts them.
This time though he has crossed a line which I simply cannot ignore. Things have come to light which when I have actually been able to consider their true meaning and seek professional advice I have been advised to stop contact. This has not gone down too well at all. Which is no surprise, if this happened to me I would simply die without my children. I was literally in tears writing a letter to him advising contact has to be stopped. As I said I do not like the guy, and I do not agree with what he has done either, but if I could not see my children then someone may as well rip out my heart, screw it up and feed it to a pack of dogs. Following that they may as well shoot me or take out my brain as I would surely go insane. As cliche as it is to say it, my children are my life (and I make no apologies for saying that). My ex will never know how difficult this decision has been for me as I know he thinks I am doing it for my own hidden agenda. Even when I have written a letter explaining the reasons for my decision and the fact that it is for no reason other that I do not believe our children are safe in his care. The sad thing is he does not have the capability to understand what he has done wrong. He does not understand the hurt and upset he has caused nor the impact this could have on our children long term. He blames me. Apparently I am the cause of all of this situation and he has gone so far as to say that he hopes I will explain to our children when this is all over why I have caused this upset to them, and indeed their father.
If he wants me to explain that he has put their safety in danger, that he has spoken about our children in a way that is unforgiveable, and decided to choose his bravado over his children’s wellbeing that sure, I can do this. But not until they are old enough to understand, and due to the nature of the incidents I am not sure when this will be, but it will not be any time soon.
Luckily, I have a strong network of family and friends behind me. This keeps me sane and strong. Without these people in my life I would surely struggle as an ordeal such as this tests even the strongest of characters. My advice to anyone who is going through something similar is, no matter how difficult things appear, keep going. Write down at the outset the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Because believe me if your ex is anything like mine, they will try and manipulate you and break you down, trying to destroy all your beliefs and reasoning. You have to be strong for your children. If you do not fight for them then who will? Your number one job when you have children is to be their protector. You always hope it will never come to it that you will have to protect them from their father (you ve probably never even considered it!), a person who once was supposed to protect you all. Sometimes, life happens and you just have to deal with it. One day it will all be over, and your children will thank you for what you have done. Never question your motivations as mother if you are truly putting your children’s welfare and well being at the center of your decision making. You can only do what you feel is right. Similarly though, this goes for men who have this the other way around. I know a man who is in exactly the same position with me and his ex-wife.
As a parent whether you are mum or dad, you have a duty to ensure your children are safe…..from everyone, including if the situation arises, the other parent.
May be I have struggled to write for this diary because I have needed time to accept the situation. (And it is a lot differnt to the posts about me and the stream of bad dates or nor so great propositions). It has taken a lot of digesting, strength, courage and adjustment. I know this is going to be a long-haul type of situation and not something which can be resolved over night. However, I am happy for this situation to be decided by a professional and not just be pushed into a decision by my over powering ex-husband. If the Court looks at all the information available to them and decides he should have contact, supervised or otherwise at least that decision is out of my hands and I have done my best to protect them. Cop out? May be…..but at least I won’t question whether or not I have fulfilled my chief role as parent: Protector
CSE is Child Sexual Exploitation. In very basic terms, it involves a victim being targeted and groomed by adults, with the intention of sexually assaulting and/or raping them.
The children are targeted because they are vulnerable; due to their age.
Grooming can take place in many forms – both ‘on line’ in social media chat rooms, via mobile phones or in person. The child will not always realise they are being groomed.
Often the grooming starts with friendship or a relationship, where the offender may supply gifts such as clothes, money, mobile phones, which may progress to the supply of alcohol and drugs.
Sometimes the children are given lifts and transported around. The offender will usually encourage the child to distance themselves further from their usual family and friends. Soon into this friendship/relationship, sexual assaults and rapes may occur upon the child.
The offenders are very organised and deliberate in their actions, in some cases working together within a group. They are predatory sex offenders, targeting specifically vulnerable children.
How can we educate young people about the dangers?
A great deal of work has been ongoing to make young people aware of the dangers of Child Sexual Exploitation. This includes regular work from partner organisations within schools to make pupils aware of this offence and how to identify it. There have also been a number of educational events which specialist officers have attended. This preventative work compliments the proactive operations, resulting in significant custodial sentences.
How can people recognise where sexual exploitation is taking place?
We offer literature and information via our websites to highlight the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation and how to get help. For instance, some offenders may use gifts to encourage young people to engage with them and is one of a number of indicators.
There will be acute cases of children subject to ongoing abuse and those children whose lifestyle and association means they are at risk of sexual exploitation.
Does technology make this offence more difficult to identify?
Although technology enables such offences to take place online through chat rooms and other mediums, it also leaves offenders open to being caught. We monitor these sites and where there is evidence of Child Sexual Exploitation, we can take action by seizing equipment such as computers and mobile phones. These strengthen the weight of evidence against the offenders.
From a preventative perspective, we also have nationally trained officers who work in schools to alert them to the online dangers and how to recognise the potential for grooming.
Know the Signs
Even something that seems like normal teenage behaviour could be a sign that a child is being sexually exploited. Some of the visible signs include:
Regularly missing from home or school and staying out all night
Change in behaviour – becoming aggressive and disruptive or quiet and withdrawn.
Unexplained gifts or new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, mobile phones or money that can’t be accounted for.
Increase in mobile phone use or secretive use
Appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Being picked up or dropped off in cars by unknown adults
A significantly older ‘boyfriend’ or ‘friend’ or lots of new friends
Spending excessive amount of time online and becoming increasingly secretive about time spent online
Sudden involvement in criminal behaviour or increased offending
Sexual health problems
If you have any concerns that a child you know may be a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation report it to West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
For more information about bullying, please click on the following link that will take you to ‘Bullying Online’, a registered charity that provides internet help and support for parents and children experiencing the trauma of school bullying –
Taken from the above link. I am no expert in this, but I do feel passionately about this issue. The only way it can be tackled is to raise awareness of the issue and help people to identify what the signs are.
Yesterday I read an article about former lingerie model Melanie Sykes, 42, being arrested for assaulting her 27 year old husband. It was reported that her husband called the police after an argument escalated and she was taken to the cells for an overnight stay. Any form of domestic violence is unacceptable. I find it astounding that some people think when a female attacks a male that in some way it is humorous. Some comments I have read are even from men stating “She can assault me any day!” It is perhaps this attitude that in someway it is a joke in which domestic violence is desensitized.
The harsh reality of domestic violence is that in some cases it is so severe that people can die. *Approximately 1.2 million females and 800,000 men reported domestic violence in England and Wales in 2010/2011. 100,000 individuals are currently at risk of serious harm or murder. Alarmingly, in the same period an average of two women a week were killed by a male and/or former partner. The average length of an abusive relationship is 5 years and there are 130,000 children who live in an abusive household. What is also interesting to note is that since the age of 16 years almost 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will have experienced some form of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse takes many forms whether it is physical, emotional or sexual. Many people do not realise they are in an abusive relationship as the abuser can be very clever and bide their time, wearing down the victim until they have such little self esteem that they really do believe they are receiving the abuse because they have cause it or it is their own fault.
There are many reasons for people to direct abuse at others. They themselves are generally very low in self esteem, may have suffered at the hands of another abuser or are very angry and frustrated at other aspects in their life and are directing it in the wrong ways.
So what can be done if you are suffering from domestic abuse, you suspect someone you know is or you are the abuser? You need to speak up!
Please always ensure you do not put yourself at risk. There are many organisations you can contact for help and advice. Take the first step and you could change your/their life for the better.
There are many other sites available and there may be an organisation local to you. You can also speak with your GP or any health service as well as the police if you are in immediately need of help.
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