This is a story of a tragic and terrifying childhood, as told by a little girl living in a dysfunctional family in the Midwest during the seventies and eighties. You will see it as she did, telling it day by day as best she can. How could one possibly view the world with all the horror she endured? You will see it thorough Amara's eyes as only she can tell it. You will share in the few triumphs and the many failures in her search for innocence. In her own words, "July 23, 1971 was my first beating from my father, Jeb. He beat my mother, Rose. And sent her into preterm labor taking me from the only safe place I will ever know." We understand from the opening words that this will be unforgettably tragic. As the tale unfolds, it becomes apparent that Amara was born into a world that offered little compassion or love, only pain and terrifying defilement at every turn. If ever there was a family that was destined to suffer the torments of hell, this was it. You'll meet her mother who suffered nightly beatings in hope that it would somehow end. You'll see the inhuman sacrifices she made in order to hold onto her daughters and sonsr. And you see her failures as the torment overcomes her and she moves the family away from the horror only to return to it over and over again. Jeb, born from a generations of abuse could see no beginning nor end to the horror he would bring to those around him. To those on the outside, he was a charmer, a hit with the ladies. To his family, he was a Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, an evil man to be feared, that inflicted mental and physical abuse that knew no bounds. You will see the effects of the torment upon a little girl as she attempts to retain her sanity. How does one slip from the sane world into the shadowy world of delirium? You will see it slowly twisting and turning, cutting, like a knife, moving her wounds ever closer into the brink of madness. Will she survive or will she slip into a world of damnation? Readers will get a glimpse behind the scenes with the creation of the book when Amara corresponds with Reynold Jay (co-writer) and Michelle, a reader. Actual emails between the trio give the reader a peek at Amara many years later. This is fascinating reading as we see the trials of completing this enduring manuscript. It is a miracle that the tale can be told at all when one sees the horrors inflicted upon Amara. It is a blood lettinga cleansing of the soul to tell this remarkable tale so that the world may make of it what they will. There are precious moments of joy and she will share that in her story. Co-Author, Reynold Jay says, Be warned. This is a shocking tale told close-up in all its horror. There is only one Amara and this is her story. Be prepared for terror beyond comprehension as you read this unforgettable true story of eternal defilement. It is Amara's hope that the silence of others will come to an end and that the cry of the defiled may be heard as never before. Book two is already underway as readers will wish to discover what happened to Amara after the age of seventeen.

The astonishing true story of Beverli Rhodes, child victim of a sick, high-profile paedophilia ring and, years later, of the London Tube Bombings, who rebuilt her life with the help of one very special animal - the horse. Horses saved Beverli Rhodes' mind, and life. As a child, her world consisted of sexually abusive men, and her beautiful saviour horses. She survived to make a life for herself - only to suffer a second, devastating blow when she was caught up in the London Underground bombings of 7 July 2005, in which she was seriously injured. With the British healthcare system failing her, she sought other avenues to cop with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, her recovery directly resulting from contact with horses. She is now able to live a peaceful life, and continues to maintain her strong connection with the animals that helped save her. Moving and at times horrific, The Horse Girl is an extraordinary story of hate redeemed by love, as well as a testament to the triumph of the human spirit over the most terrible adversity.

In January 2002, reeling from a growing awareness of child sexual abuse within their church, a small group of Catholics gathered after Mass in the basement of a parish in Wellesley, Massachusetts to mourn and react. They began to mobilize around supporting victims of abuse, supporting non-abusive priests, and advocating for structural change in the Catholic Church so that abuse would no longer occur. Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) built a movement by harnessing the faith and fury of a nation of Catholics shocked by reports of abuse and institutional complicity. Tricia Colleen Bruce offers an in-depth look at the development of Voice of the Faithful, showing their struggle to challenge Church leaders and advocate for internal change while being accepted as legitimately Catholic. Guided by the stories of individual participants, Faithful Revolution brings to light the intense identity negotiations that accompany a challenge to one's own religion and offers a meaningful way to learn about Catholic identity, intrainstitutional social movements, and the complexity of institutional structures.

A harrowing, yet inspiring true story of a young boy's abusive childhood, from internationally bestselling author Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother - a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games. She no longer considered Dave a son, but a slave; no longer a boy, but an 'it'. His bed was an old army cot in the basement, his clothes were torn and unwashed, and when he was allowed the luxury of food it was scraps from the dog's bowl. The outside world knew nothing of the nightmare played out behind closed doors. But throughout Dave kept alive dreams of finding a family to love him. This book covers the early years of his life and is an affecting and inspirational book of the horrors of child abuse and the steadfast determination of one child to survive.

The most controversial book on family violence published this year, BREAKING SILENCE was initially banned from major book chains after a 50,000 strong Facebook boycott campaign ripped across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the UK protesting its publication.The boycott campaign had been based on false information, however, and designed to deliberately whip up public hysteria during a Coroner's Court hearing into the deaths of two twins. Now that the book has been published the critics are praising it.Breaking Silence uses the life story of mother Macsyna King as the narrative to explore the problem of intergenerational child abuse and its impact on modern society. Herself the victim of terrible abuse and abandonment as a child, King's life falls apart when her premature identical twin sons are murdered and the father is charged with the crime.Although we frequently hear "about" such cases, it is rare to hear "from" one of the key participants in her own words. Breaking Silence is the story of a mother's journey to hell and back, and the search for justice for her twins in the face of a backlash from a society that turned its back on her. It explores and sheds light not just on child abuse and violence in the home, but analyses society's attitude to women in child abuse cases.The latest forensic debates about child abuse injuries are explored, as are the social choices many of us face every day that can lead to disaster.REVIEWS: "This mammoth book is a top achievement & should be a school text.." - Rachael Ford, psychiatric nurse*****"The book so many maligned before it came out reveals a mother we haven't met. When I last wrote about Macsyna King, I said I didn't think I'd like her. I've changed my mind. I certainly think she outclasses the Wellington radio announcer who posted on Facebook that after receiving her advance copy of "Breaking Silence," she had "spat on it, wiped my ass on it, and ripped it up.""Imagine your life reduced to sound bites of everything you've ever done wrong -and many things you haven't."Oh, how we've loved to hate her. But the woman who emerges from the book is a far more complex human being. There isn't the space here to list the ways in which she's been unfairly maligned. Yes, she made incredibly dumb choices. But she's smart, hard-working, big on cleanliness and loved her kids." - Tapu Misa, NZ HERALD*****"I feel sad that we seem to have entered a time in society where for many it is acceptable to attempt to ban the sale of a book before knowing its contents and I wonder at the motives of those who have joined efforts to stop bookstores stocking it. Could it be we have reached a point where to make ourselves feel better we have to find someone to hate, to direct our fear and uncertainty about the future of our world towards, and that for now, at least, Macsyna King is that person? Could it be that underlying the public discussions about the need to stop the book being read is a deep-seated fear that reading it will in some way leave us all with the question of what part we as members of society played in the death of these babies? Not in the sense of "Who was in the room?" but in "Have we really reached this level of disconnection in our communities?""Ian Wishart's Breaking Silence: The Kahui Case...is not a book to ban, but one to read for whatever it can add to our understanding of child abuse." - Celia Lashlie, NZ LISTENER MAGAZINE *****"We are very glad to have read it and thankful that Wishart (and King) have written it. Wishart has done the entire body politic a great deal of good. We would, accordingly, encourage everyone to read it...Breaking Silence will likely enhance Wishart's reputation considerably." - CONTRA CELSUM

With one in four adults having been abused or maltreated as a child, Chris Tuck is trying to bring awareness of child abuse and the fact that it's happening behind closed doors in her powerful, new book, 'Through the eyes of a child'. As a child, Chris and her siblings could have wound up being just another statistic of child abuse. For them, it wasn't just one or a few isolated incidents, but a tidal wave of neglect, bullying, starvation and survival. Recent statistics show that nine out of 10 children who have been abused were abused by someone they knew, and this was the case for Chris and her siblings, who were abused by their parents and step-parents. Chris says: "Child abuse never leaves you. You're not supposed to be beaten, touched or starved when you're a child. Mummies and daddies are supposed to love you, not leave you, beat you, or molest your little sister." For many victims of child abuse, they never get over that experience and it will completely change the course of their live. Chris was determined that would never happen to her, and wants to give strength to others who have had the same experience by sharing her story. She says: "No matter what has happened in the past, it doesn't need to dictate your future."

The words came from his mouth,'Don't say anything about this to your mum. She won't believe you.' At the age of 11, a beautiful happy girl found herself thrust into a nightmare of abuse and violation that ripped her world apart. At the mercy of three men, she endured a four-year ordeal of sexual exploitation and degradation before eventually finding the strength to say 'no more'. Confusion and shame made her keep her secret for 16 years. This is her remarkable story. Sarah has endured what no child should. Subjected to extreme abuse from a family 'friend', she turned to her father only to experience the same treatment from him. Utterly devastated, Sarah even stared to wonder if she was somehow to blame for this most unforgivable of betrayals and was driven to attempted suicide - a life was nearly destroyed by the selfishness of three deeply troubled and wicked men.

'Molly II' is the sequel to 'Little Molly' the true story of a little girl who suffered so many beatings and experienced so much sexual abuse that she suffered from an enormous fear of human contact. In Molly II; I have tried to give some insight into the aftermath that occurs in a victim's life following child abuse. It is a true account of broken marriages, failed relationships, abduction and attempted murder. It depicts the true story of a young mother and her children's struggle to survive after being destroyed by the effects and aftermath of child abuse.

When Senior NSW Police Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox told the ABC's Lateline programme on November 8, 2012, that the Catholic Church had covered up crimes by paedophile priests, silenced investigations and destroyed crucial evidence to avoid prosecution, the public outrage across Australia that ensued triggered a Royal Commission into institutional child abuse. A case of Church interference Fox outlined was that of Patricia Feenan's son, Daniel who was a fourteen-year-old altar boy when he was first raped by a priest in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese. - - - - - - - - - - - - One of the many shocking aspects of the case was how the priest, a close family friend, set about secretly grooming his altar boy victim. The priest was later found guilty of nine charges of sexual abuse of a minor in a public criminal trial in 2004. - - - - - - - - - - - - Patricia writes with raw honesty about her son's terrible ordeal, and it's effects on her family. She bravely reveals the scars that linger from the callous and often cruel ostracism they endured, as well as the denial they encountered from the Catholic community for seeking to bring a paedophile priest to justice. - - - - - - - - - - - - Detective Chief Inspector Fox describes Patricia Feenan as "an extraordinary woman who never gave up the struggle to rescue her family from the terrible abyss of despair created by a paedophile priest."

This brief-easy-to-understand book explains what happens when a child discloses abuse and how various systems may respond to this disclosure, from investigation through prosecution or juvenile court involvement to therapy.

Intended for children ages 9-18, this book is written in a supportive tone and helps children to understand what abuse is, the steps that are taken to protect the child, the process of prosecuting the abuser, and the child's own feeling and healing process.

Adopted as a baby and raised by a devout Jehovah's Witness family, Joy Castro is constantly reminded to tell the truth no matter what the consequences. Nevertheless, Castro finds this tenet to be the most violated. Here, in her very own Truth Book, Castro bears witness to a childhood lost but a life regained. Castro's parents divorce after her father is excommunicated for smoking. She is twelve when her mother marries a "brother" in the church who, though exhibiting an impeccable public persona, is violent and controlling at home. For two years, Joy does not grow at all; in fact, she loses sixteen pounds in response to the physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse she suffers at his hands. Her battered mother does nothing to protect her, nor does her church. She is sustained by humor, books, and her protective love for her younger brother until their daring escape. This courageous personal account looks freshly at the disturbing effects of religious hypocrisy and the resilience of the human spirit.

Most people are aware of the Jewish Holocaust, the German concentration camps and the slaughter of thirteen million people. At the conclusion of World War II, many of the survivors of the camps came to New York, where physicians and psychiatrists worked with them to transition back to normalcy. These patients all shared symptoms, new to the medical field at the time, broadly called "Survivor Syndrome" and explained in the book, Massive Psychic Trauma, edited by Dr. Henry Krystal, NY, 1968. Twenty years later, Survivor Syndrome began to be associated with the symptoms of domestic violence within the home. TRAUMA & Survivor Syndrome explains these specific symptoms, differentiates them from post-traumatic-stress-disorder symptoms, and gives a case study of a child-witness to domestic violence who later, under unique circumstances, presented with the symptoms of "Survivor Syndrome." Survivor Syndrome material derived from Dr. Henry Krystal's "Massive Psychic Trauma," 1968. About the Author: Sherry Lewis Henry PhD, MSW is a retired clinical social worker. She was motivated to write TRAUMA & Survivor Syndrome by the desire and need to investigate her mother's murder, despite the obvious cover-up. Seeking for Truth became a healing journey, which led her to Israel. There, among Holocaust survivors and their progeny, she found peers, validation, and existential restoration. Dr. Viktor Frankl's words rang true, "The Survivor's Mission is twofold; healing of man-made, deliberate trauma for others and oneself is an on-going, life-long quest." "It Is Good To Be a Seeker, but sooner or later a Seeker must give that which he has found,unto the world, to whomever will receive it." (Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull)TRAUMA & Survivor Syndrome is that Gift. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/SherryLewisHenry

For the first time - a recovering sex-offender tells how to PROTECT your children "I know how sex offenders think. I know what they do. I know why they do it. And I know how to protect your children."

She called herself Silent Anna because she couldn't tell anyone what happened between her and her stepfather. Now, many years later, she breaks the silence to reveal the sexual abuse she suffered, its impact on her life and how she has finally managed to overcome it. It's me, Anna is based on a true story. This book is a must read. Not only because it tells the story of a young girl's determination to survive and to overcome her traumatic childhood, but also because the story is told with such sincerity and honesty.

An innocent child requires love, understanding, nurturing, guidance, acceptance and care. Nia received them all even after being born of a drug addicted mother and having four siblings residing with her. It was her Great Grandmother, Mama Francine, who made sure that Nia received all that was essential in her first nine years of life while living in Tallahassee Florida. After the death of her loving Mama Francine, Nia and her brother, Jerome, would be split from their siblings and sent to live with an aunt and uncle they barely knew. It was there in the confines of her aunt Lovell and uncle Whit's home where those words of care, love and acceptance turned into torment and cruelty. The worst crime of all was the abuse that both Nia and Jerome would suffer, all the while holding it inside. Follow Nia in her journey through self doubt and shame, until one day where those clouds that followed her would be turned into A Gift of Sunshine, that in time, she would offer to another. A Gift of Sunshine is a story that is true, in a sense that it deals with facts that undoubtedly take place in our society today. It is a story that reveals hope at a time where there was none. It is a story that conquers doubt and shame and uplifts those in despair. It is story that in fact will instruct YOU to look into your own heart and realize it's your responsibly as well to present A Gift of Sunshine to one more.

JANE DOE is a true, cruel and brutal story of a childhood destroyed. Even though most of the events in this book will shock you, you will be amazed at her strength and she will inspire you.

The sexual abuse and exploitation of children rob the victims of their childhood, irrevocably interfering with their emotional and psychological development. Ensuring that all children come of age without being disturbed by sexual trauma or exploitation is more than a criminal justice issue, it is a societal issue. Despite efforts to date, the threat of child sexual exploitation remains very real, whether it takes place in the home, on the street, over the Internet or in a foreign land. Because the sexual abuse and exploitation of children strikes at the very foundation of our society, it will take our entire society to combat this affront to the public welfare. This authors of this book examine the nature of the child exploitation problem and the significant efforts being undertaken by federal, state and local agencies to address this epidemic.

As recently as 1970, child sexual abuse was seen as extremely rare and usually harmless. Over thirty years later, the media regularly covers child sexual abuse cases, many survivors speak openly about their experiences, and a thriving network of public and private organizations seek to prevent child sexual abuse and remedy its effects. This is the story of these dramatic changes and the activists who helped bring them about.
The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse is the first study of activism against child sexual abuse, tracing its emergence in feminist anti-rape efforts, its development into mainstream self-help, and its entry into mass media and public policy. Nancy Whittier deftly charts the development of the movement's "therapeutic politics," demonstrating that activists viewed tactics for changing emotions and one's sense of self as necessary for widespread social change and combined them with efforts to change institutions and the state. Though activism originated with feminists, as the movement grew and spread to include the goals of non-feminist survivors, opponents, therapists, law enforcement, and elected officials, participants were pulled toward formulations of child sexual abuse as a medical or criminal problem and away from emphases on gender and power. In the process, the movement both succeeded beyond its wildest dreams and saw its agenda transformed in ways that were sometimes unrecognizable.
A lucid and moving account, The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse draws powerful lessons about the transformative potential of therapeutic politics, their connection to institutions, and the processes of incomplete social change that characterize American politics today.

This is a true story of Molly, who by the age of four had suffered so many beatings and experienced so much sexual abuse that she suffered from an enormous fear of human contact. In a period of six years among a family of twelve only her abusers themselves were aware of her constant pain and suffering. Her other siblings, her father and her mother knew nothing until it was too late, and even then they found it difficult to accept that it happened in and around the house where they lived.

An abandoned Australian child struggles to survive and find her American father. An unacceptable liaison, a secret birth, a mother's silence, and her black child's journey to discover the truth... It is 1948, Sydney, Australia. Pretty, blonde Grace discovers she is pregnant to a black merchant marine who has sailed back to America. The White Australia Policy is in place and society's judgment matters; so what will Grace do with this baby? This is the true story of the inconvenient child. Rescued from neglectful foster care by an American champion boxer, the baby is taken to live in a party house in Sydney's red light district of Kings Cross. Her absent, elegant mother then abandons Sharyn in a convent-orphanage, at age five. By fifteen, discrimination within her family, resentment and clashes over her father's undisclosed identity see the troubled teenager running away to the streets of Kings Cross where she's arrested and sentenced to notorious juvenile detention centers. Sharyn's solace is her love of music but can she realize her dream to become a singer if, by twenty-four, she is trapped in the Kings Cross lifestyle? Determined to find her father, Sharyn sets out in search of her roots, a quest taking her across the world and eventually to America's Deep South. But will she find the loving family and belonging she has yearned for all her life?