Child Abuse Story From
Charlotte

Charlotte is from Aylesbury, United Kingdom

The following child abuse story from Charlotte depicts: emotional child abuse

The child abuse effects on Charlotte: victim of bullying, feelings of loneliness, fear and confusion, self-harm in the form of cutting her arms and legs

When I was 7 years old, my dad had cheated on my mother again with my best friend's mother who lived next door to us. This caused my parent's to divorce, and my life was turned upside down.

The children in primary school saw me as a sitting duck, so they befriended me and then bullied me. It was mostly emotional, but some was physical. The taunting and teasing never seemed to stop, and for a small child this can be dangerous.

One day, I had taken as much as possible. My "friend" had threatened to strangle me when we got to break time. I burst into tears and screamed the place down, demanding to see my mother. After a while I calmed down, but when I saw her again at break, I turned and ran as fast as I could towards the main road, so I could get away. Luckily, my very kind head teacher found me and took me to one side. Sobbing uncontrollably, I told him everything.

By the time I was 9, things hadn't looked up. I began to look towards suicide, by cutting myself, burning my fingers under hot water, and various other things. When my mum found out, she took me to a counsellor. She was shocked that someone as young as me was doing something like this.

When I went to secondary school I thought things would get better. New school, new people, a new start. I was wrong. I started to rebel, realizing that I could, forming my own opinions and realizing that, yes I loved my mum, but my dad ... was a whole other story. I hated him for what he did and what he hadn't done. I started to rebel against him more and more, causing bad arguments. I wasn't thrilled when I met his new girlfriend, and didn't try in the slightest. He didn't know what I was afraid of.

When my dad moved out and lived with the woman he had an affair with, they didn't get on too well. I will always remember that one day when I was the only kid in the house and my dad and this woman were having yet another fight. As I crept downstairs to try and sort it out, I suddenly heard a massive BANG! I stopped dead for a few seconds, scared out of my wits. My first thought was "oh my god, he has killed her." I didn't stop to find out. Grabbing my dad's car keys, I ran out of the house, took my things from his car, and ran over the field and hid in the bushes.

I stood in the rain for 3 hours, shivering and crying, telling myself it would be ok eventually.

Then things began to get on top of me in my new school. People always have something to say, moaning and complaining about something, whilst my past still haunted me. Somebody was always questioning me about my looks, my friends, my hair colour. I hated it so much. Why couldn't they just be happy with me being me?

I then had another bombshell dropped on me. I had a brother. I had grown up an only child, wishing for a sibling, and now I had one, all due to a drunken fumble that my wonderful dad had on holiday. My mum never liked me putting my dad down, but she didn't realize how I felt. I was lonely, scared and confused. I had one off day and it sent me over the edge. I began to cut myself again, all over my arms and my legs. I was so scared, but I didn't know what to do. The worst part was I didn't cry. I lost all emotions for months on end, cutting myself and not feeling anything but sadness, but having nothing to show for it. My family pushed me over the edge, especially my dad. I still don't understand why he chose a quickie over his daughter and wife. I might forget the memories, but my scars won't fade.