My name is R.T., and I am writing this blog about how being sexually molested at a young age has affected me as a parent. The molestation started when I was roughly four years old and continued until I was twelve. Everything is currently a blur in my mind. A lot of times when he did these things to me he would give me money or toys. I remember one time when I was about eight years old he asked me “When are you going to let me stick it in?” or he would ask me to touch it, but I won’t go into much details because these are things I try not to remember.

The events that took place caused me to have anger issues, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ve been in counseling since the fourth grade. The traumatic events that took place in my childhood have caused me to develop trust issues and be very overprotective. Trust issues and overprotectiveness almost cost me my high school diploma, because I had missed so many days of school and didn’t have child care. Turning to family to watch my children was not an option. My children are always with me. The only time we are apart is if I’m at work and they are at school. I assess my children every day at bath time to make sure nothing has happened to them during the day.

All in all, my mind is only at ease when my children are with me.

~ R.T.