Child Abuse Story from Kailum

by Kailum C
(Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)

From the age of birth to five my life was good. I lived with my mother then. My mom and dad separated previously and had an official divorce when I was five. The battle for custody started and my dad won. My mom was an "unfit" mother, yet my dad had been reported to F and CS (Family and Child Services) for beating us on weekend visits.

My dad started beating me more frequently than my sister. If I told the truth, I got beat. If I told a lie, I got beat. I could never do anything right, so I started to act out at school. I was a little terror. So the frequent beatings turned into everyday beatings. On top of the physical and emotional abuse from my dad, I got emotionally abused by my stepmom.

I am not saying my mom had no faults. She did wrong too, but she never laid a hand on me or my sister. When I was seven, my mom's boyfriend sexually abused me for almost a year. This is the only time in my life I can ever remember my dad being supportive of me.

The beatings went on, and when my stepmom left my dad--I was 10--they got worse. My dad ended up beating me so bad, my sister and I were put in foster care. I hated it. I ended up becoming so angry that I would punch holes in the wall.

A year later, my grandma came and brought me into her house. For the first year or two I was the worst. I threw temper tantrums almost every day. I was just plan hurting inside and I didn't know any other way to deal with it. I lived with my grandma six years. We had an argument and it was the "straw that broke the camels back" as the saying goes. I was sent back to live with my dad. That was when I was 16, almost 17. The first month was great. I thought he really changed. Then things went downhill. We argued a lot. He tried to control me and I would rebel. He would then belittle me. It hurt. My grandma never did that, she treated me with the utmost respect.

Once, we got in such an argument that he beat me. After that I lost all respect and trust for him. He started grounding for a month and that turned into 2 then 3. At the end of three months, I went to the library and came home on time and he told me I was grounded for another month. I couldn't take it. I lost my temper and called him a f-ing a**hole. He kicked me out. I am now back with my mom and I am the happiest I have been for the past year.

I can honestly say I do not hate my dad. I do not like him, but I do not hate him. I only love him because he is my dad and for no other reason. I have lost all respect for him and I do not trust him.

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