Child Abuse Story From Albert

by Albert (Bert)
(Baltimore, Maryland, USA)

My wife showed me this website and suggested I tell my story, which she knows very well. I'm 42 years old now. I have a great wife and three wonderful kids. I know most sexual abuse is done to girls, but when I was 9 to almost 11, I was also abused in a group foster home.

There were 4 foster kids living in the house, and every one of us were abused in some way. The foster parents, I think, were probably in their mid fifty's. Most of the time the daily care was done by the foster mother's niece, who was probably in her late twenty's. The actual foster parents both worked during the week and were away on weekends often. I assume the reason they took in the kids was the financial end, as they didn't seem to care about any of us.

The niece was a very mean woman and very strict with all four of us. There were 2 boys and 2 girls. The boy was 7 and the girls were 8 and 10 when I first went there. Now that I think about it, the niece (Dottie) had no morals or modesty. She wasn't very attractive and was sloppy and often dressed in skimpy clothing, or would go around with a flimsy robe with no undergarments a lot of times. She would make us kids go around in our underwear most of the time, since she did all the laundry and I guess didn't want to wash or iron clothes for us too often. The worst part was she wouldn't let us bathe ourselves, and would give me or any of the other kids baths in front of each other. This was very embarrassing to us all, and she would not even close the bathroom door. I think the sexual abuse part of this was when she gave me a bath. I had to stand up in the tub, as she would take extra time washing my privates and even make me bend over to wash my bottom. This was done most of the time in front of one or more of the girls, which was so embarrassing I would start to cry.

She would also spank us bare-bottom in front of each other if we were bad. She was just as bad with the girls, and the older of the two I know was mortified that the boys were seeing her naked. Especially at her age, as she was the oldest. If any of us complained to the foster parents, she would be worse the next day.

We learned never to complain about being sick, for if we did she would give us enemas and a foul-tasting medicine of some kind.

I guess I wasn't actually abused sexually, but the bathing and humiliation she imposed on us sure seemed like it. Thank God, just before my 11th birthday I went to live with my aunt and uncle, which was heaven.

Kids are forced into a lot of bad situations and have to learn to deal with them. A lot of kids have gone through a lot worse than I had. My experience did bother me for a number of years. Hopefully, websites like yours will help more kids and adults alike to learn to adjust and live well and put the abuse behind them. The most important part is realizing you had no control at the times you were taken advantage of by some immoral or sick person.

Thanks for letting me vent....

Note from Darlene:
I am currently working on creating e-books which will provide my visitors access to specific and relevant child abuse information more readily. As this project will require a great deal of time and focus, I regret that I can no longer continue the practice of offering comments on all submissions. Please do not take my lack of response to your story personally; I mean no disrespect, nor is it intended as an invalidation of what you have endured. Indeed, I am honoured that you have chosen to post what has happened to you on my site. Whenever time permits, I will endeavour to provide supportive and validating replies. I hope you and my other visitors will continue to offer words of support and encouragement to the many contributors who have courageously shared of themselves through this site. I thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Darlene Barriere
Violence & Abuse Prevention Educator
Author: On My Own Terms, A Memoir

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