My name is Kelli Deister and I am the new editor of the Child Abuse site here at BellaOnline.

I am a survivor of domestic violence. I am also a survivor of childhood abuse. Being that my parents were alcoholics, my siblings and I endured a great deal of abuse. I also endured childhood sexual abuse.

I was married in early 1990 and left my abuser in late 2000, after enduring nearly every form of abuse that there is. I have two teenage children, ages 13 and 15-years-old. They are both survivors of domestic violence, as well; although, my son received the brunt of the abuse, between the two of them.

I have witnessed the effects of domestic violence on children, firsthand. Unfortuantely, there are many forms of abuse, as well as several effects on the victims.

It is important to me that I write articles which help to raise awareness to the plight of the thousands of children in the United States that suffer from abuse. A sample of my articles will be those discussing the forms of abuse, the long term effects of abuse, and the signs of child abuse. I also plan to write articles that provide information on getting to safety and finding protection.

I look forward to being the editor of this site. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me, using the link on this site.