Talking about sexual abuse a step in right direction
“It’s kind of hard to say. What happened to me when I was a little kid, when I was 7 … I got molested by my neighbors. Ever since, it sparked a fear of men.
“Growing up, when your parents are strict — not mean, but strict — you think, oh, I must have done something bad. So you don’t want to say anything or tell anybody. And you don’t. You just go on thinking, what did I do wrong? Why did that happen? Why was that necessary? Who’s someone safe to talk to and who isn’t? It took a long time for me to finally realize that it wasn’t my fault. Sadly, it took me until very recently.
“And it doesn’t matter how safe you feel you are, because it happened to me again. You try to be safe. You try to be careful. You calculate and you calculate. But when that moment happens, you’re at a loss. All this stuff that you wrote down in your mind goes out your ear, rolls down your shoulder and onto the floor. And you’re just kind of stuck.
“I think it’s important to mention what happened. I think it’s good for people to talk about this issue, to bring more awareness to it. Because a lot of times, this kind of assault is by family members, relatives. I have friends who had that happen to them by uncles and cousins. Parents need to realize that sometimes even your own family could be dangerous.
“More people need to believe their daughters and their sons when they speak up. Believe them when they say it’s their uncle. Believe them when they say it’s their neighbor who always comes out and talks to their father with this big smile and everything. Please take care of your daughters and your sons. Keep an eye on everybody. And always ask when your child is angry or too sad. Because I grew up sad.”
— Andrea Alvarado
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