Ask Darlene

Ask Darlene a Child Abuse Question

Welcome to Ask Darlene, the page where you get to ask me your child abuse or site related questions.

Have a question I haven't yet answered?

Ask me!

Do you have a question about a specific form of child abuse?

Are you unclear about what constitutes child abuse?

Do you want more information about the signs and/or effects of abuse?

Do you want something on my website clarified?

If you've answered yes any of the above, or if you have something else you'd like to ask me, use the form below. Once I approved the contribution, I'll post the question and my answer as pages on my site, then visitors will be encouraged to offer their thoughts and comments. So go ahead, ask me. But before you do, check out the links at the bottom of this page; I may have already answered the question you want to ask.

Problems with child custody or visitation issues? Co-parenting Nightmares may be the book for you!

Archived Ask Darlene pages on this site:

This Ask Darlene feature has become so popular, it has become necessary for me to create archive pages that separate questions into one of five categories:

Family Issues Q & A

What To Do When... Q & A

Legal and Statistical Q & A

Site and Webmaster Q & A

Signs, Types and Effects of Abuse Q & A

I will continue to process and answer all questions through this Ask Darlene page. Once a month, I will archive Q's & A's into their appropriate categories. Although I concede that some questions do cross more than one category, there are no provisions to allow a question and the accompany reply to appear on more than one page. I move all submissions to the category I feel best suits the question asked.

About Automated Notifications: If you've opted to be notified when your submission is approved�that is to say, once I've posted your question�you will receive an automated message through the email. In order to receive that email, you must provide your email address immediately after you've submitted your question (no email; no notification). Don't worry, your email address will NOT be posted.

The automated message will provide the link (URL) of where to find the post that houses your question. Click onto that URL. Once there, you'll find the comments link at the bottom of your question. That link will take you to my corresponding answer.

I cannot notify you privately. Nor do I have the ability to re-set the automated notifications for you, as Canadian law prohibits this. How do I change my email address for notifications will take you to the step-by-step instructions on a work-around if you want to change the email address you have provided for automated notifications.

PLEASE NOTE MY PERSONAL LIMITATIONS:

I am not an attorney. I cannot offer legal opinions or give advice on specific child abuse cases. Contact a lawyer if you have legal questions.
I am not a psychiatrist. I cannot provide psychiatric evaluations or diagnoses. Contact a qualified medical professional if you have mental health questions.
I do not provide assignment or essay answers for students. You'll benefit greatly by doing you own homework. If you need my credentials for the bibliography of a research paper, you'll find them at credentials.
I cannot help you find lost, missing or stolen children. Contact the authorities for your options.
I do not comment on Ask Darlene questions privately or directly through your email. All approved submissions (questions) and my corresponding answers will be posted on this site for the benefit of all my visitors.
And yes, I am the person who answers the questions that are submitted through this page. I do not have a staff; I answer questions, indeed, ALL that I do on this site is on my own free time. So please be understanding and respectful of that time.
If you've sent me a question through Ask Darlene and have not received an answer after several days, it either falls into the above categories (in which case, I will not answer it) or I have answered the question before. Check out the links toward the bottom of this page, as well as Ask Darlene Archive Pages above. The answer you are looking for may be there. If you know of a child who is being abused, read on...

Want to know what to do if you are aware of a child or friend who is�or was�abused? In order to avoid further duplication on the various forms of this question, the following pages on this site provide both the questions and my answers:

Have a question?
Ask it here!

If you have a child abuse or site related question that you'd like me to answer, then you've come to the right place. Ask, and I'll do my best to answer.

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Child Abuse Questions on this Site:

Check out questions from my visitors on this page...

Is wedging of children by adult males considered sexual abuse? Is wedging of young children sexual abuse by adult men? The children are all minor children. I have addressed the issue on two separate occasions with ...

Are these long-term effects of sexual abuse for male survivors? I have very fractured memories of child sexual abuse and torture from when I was four, lasting about a year. Now I'm middle-aged and I see that my siblings ...

Disclosures of Abuse: How do I know for sure if my niece is being or was abused? For the longest time, my niece, at the age of 11 and younger, complained about the way her mother treated her, that she was abusive, left them alone at ...

Should I continue to work or stay home with my baby? I am a mother of an 18-month-old boy, and I am myself 22. I leave my son behind to go to a 9 to 4 job. My son is a very happy baby. He never complains ...

Stepfather showering with toddler: Is she being sexually abused? I have a 2 1/2-year-old stepdaughter who told me the other day that her and her stepdad take showers together. Is there something wrong with this? My husband ...

Unable to make love with my husband: Could I have been sexually abused as a child? Needing Advice: I came across this site hoping to find some answers.
This may sound crazy but I do not remember being sexually abused. But I ...

I was sexually abused: Can I marry? Hello Darlene. I want to ask a very valid question. I have been affected by this thing from 6 years to 12 years of my age massively. Now I am 22 and my ...

I want to report child abuse but I don't know their address: What do I do? I have a family member who is abusing her 3 children. She gets a large amount of food stamps each month, only to cash them to people for cash and buy her ...

Older stepbrother makes my young niece rub his feet: Cause for concern? My mother told me earlier today that my niece had told her something odd. My niece is 7 years old. She told her that her step brother of one year who ...

Didn't receive treatment for allergic reaction: Was I neglected? I am an adult male that was raised in an alcoholic home. When I was 4 or 5, I had an allergic reaction to penicillin. It caused significant swelling in ...

From my son's mouth: How do we handle the disclosure? Today my son, 4, was riding in the back seat of the car with me, mouthing the words to a Bon Jovi song and stopped all of a sudden. He looked at me with ...

Is "cutting" an effect of child abuse? Can cutting be an effect of child sexual and physical abuse?

Reply from Darlene: Yes, cutting and other forms of self-harm are effects of child abuse:...

Is it sexual abuse when parents have sex in front of a child? I was wondering if parents having sexual intercourse with a child present in the room (while the child is asleep or not) would constitute sexual abuse?...

How do I help my friend who disclosed sexual abuse? HOW DO I HELP HER? One of my best friends, she's been physically and emotionally abused by various people, and also raped twice. She tells me about all ...

How can I get justice? Pain: When I was 3 my dad died. My mom started going with a man named Joe W. He abused me from the age of 3-10 very badly. When I said something,...

Concerned my toddler is being sexually abused... I have never trusted my dad. I've seen him be uncomfortable when I caught him alone with the dog and later he read the bible, when I was pregnant.

My ...

Question on Statute of Limitations? I was raised in Manitoba where I was sexually and physically abused as a child. I am currently living in Alberta. I am wondering if there is a statute ...

Can I disclose what my friend's dad did to me anonymously? I have recently posted a story on this website ( Child Abuse Story From Maddison ) and have a few questions.

I want to report my friend's dad, but I ...

How do I stop my younger sister getting hurt? I have read your other stories on this subject, but they all say to report it. I was wondering if anyone can think of different ideas.

I live with one ...

Suspect my toddler is being sexually abused: Don't know what to do? I have a nagging suspicion that my two-and-a-half-year-old may have been, or may be, being sexually abused by her father. We are not together, but he does ...

My toddler was sexually abused at daycare: How do I function again? Mom Gone Crazy!!! I have just found out my 3-year-old was sexually abused at daycare. It has made me absolutely crazy!! I can't eat, sleep, or ...

When do I finally let go of the hope that my family will believe and support me? Dear Darlene,
I have read your answers on "Why doesn't my family believe me" and "Why do families abandon incest victims" and though it helps to understand ...

How do I help my girlfriend who I think was sexually abused as a child? I'm a lesbian, and I think my girlfriend of 2 years was sexually abused by her adoptive father. She doesn't trust, and she is very jealous. Could these ...

My sister is living with my abusive dad: Should I report to police? My little sister is living with my dad. He is mentally abusive and he moved her to Florida. I am in California, and he has a gun. I don't know what to ...

If my son was sexually abused by a minor, what should I do? What should I do if my son was sexually abused by another minor?

[Note from Darlene: Ale, your question got trapped in queue with a recent system glitch;...

Where can I find more information about sign and effects of abuse? I want more information about the signs and/or effects of abuse?
Chat back soon.
Ana

Reply from Darlene: My navigation bar on the left has eight ...

Back to Child Abuse Effects Homepage from this Ask Darlene page

Page updated with a new question and answer July 24, 2008

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Archived Ask Darlene pages on this site:

Have a question?Ask it here!

Child Abuse Questions on this Site:

Have a question?
Ask it here!