Defined by Abuse

"Sexual abuse doesn’t define me, but it does define what happened to me."

I hope you'll ponder that statement. Too many have suffered and built their lives around abuse. Some run from the thought of it or try to deny that it happened. Others put themselves in situations where they're victimized repeatedly (or they might say taken advantage of). Or they go out of their way to protect other boys from sexual assault. They often don't say it in words, but their message is, "I want to be there for other boys because no one was there for me."

And some victims of abuse become perpetrators themselves. This is a complicated topic and I don't feel qualified to talk about it except to say it happens.

Regardless of who you are, say these words to yourself: "Sexual abuse doesn’t define me, but it does define what happened to me."