Children are born in innocence. They are pure in heart and soul. They are born into this world with the need for love, touch, affection etc. As a matter of fact, it has been said that touch can heal an infant that is suffering. When they are born they trust those that are in their lives. They do not know emotional pain when born. They know only love and trust. They are completely dependent on their parents. When they cry, for whatever reason, they trust that their caretakers will be there to help them. They expect help, not rejection.

Sadly, when abuse is present in the lives of the innocent children, they learn truths that other children will never know. As the children grow they learn some harsh realities. They learn that when they cry, they will not always be answered. They learn the feeling of physical pain. Instead of knowing touch in its gentleness, they learn that touch is painful and sometimes unrelenting.

The children that are being abused slowly and gradually learn that trust is something that is foreign. As they grow, they learn that tears are not okay. They learn that touch hurts. Their innocence is stripped from them and they are forced to survive the abuse they endure. Life becomes filled with messages of anger and frustration that are being directed towards them. When they cry, those that are supposed to love them only respond negatively. Perhaps they cannot handle the cry of a child; therefore, they shake them to try to get them to stop. The end result can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal.

The children are born with a trust that their parents and loved ones will provide food and other necessities for them. They trust that when they are hungry they will be fed. However, for those children that are being abused and neglected, the lessons are far different. Their reality is that when they cry for food they are not always answered and they go hungry. Their reality is that when they cry because their diaper is wet, they can end up sitting for hours in a soiled diaper. Their reality is that their tears do not bring help, just more pain.

By the time a child has grown to be five or six-years-old, they know the pain of being ignored and rejected by those they love most. They learn that words can hurt and wound very deeply. They learn that they are supposedly to blame when their loved ones emotionally and mentally abuse them. After all, each time they cry they are disciplined harshly and called terrible names. The words they are forced to hear are thrown at them like arrows on a dart board.

Children that are abused learn very early on what life is like. They don’t know any better. They only know what they are taught by their loved ones. These children deserve love, tenderness, gentleness, kindness, trust, provisions etc. Yet, day after day they are ignored and rejected. They continue to reach out for love and help from their loved ones, only to witness the cycle occurring again and again.

They are born innocent and slowly watch their innocence disappear as they grow. They deserve their childhood. They deserve a childhood filled with giggles, laughter, fun, love etc. They deserve to be gently touched and loved. They deserve to be a child.