This article is the first in a bi-weekly set of articles on the forms of Abuse. Women's Week was chosen as the time to kick this off due to personal interests of the Author.


<sub>a·buse /v. əˈbyuz; n. əˈbyus/
–verb (used with object)
1. to use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one's authority.
2. to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one's eyesight.
3. to speak insultingly, harshly, and unjustly to or about; revile; malign.
4. to commit sexual assault upon.
5. Obsolete. to deceive or mislead.</sub>


Abuse. The University of Michigan Health System website states that in

1998 women experienced an estimated 876,340 rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault victimizations at the hands of an intimate. Eighty-six percent of women have been victimized at least once before by an intimate partner or ex-partner. Twenty-five percent of women who seek medical care for any reason have been battered.

These numbers are climbing, and, coming from a recovering abuse victim (as I do not believe one ever really recovers), this is not acceptable.


Abuse comes in many forms, but for this week, we will be focusing on sexual abuse. In the future, I hope for more news editorials focusing on each form of abuse documented.

Sexual abuse, which is also called molestation, is the forcing of sexual acts upon a person which are unwanted, whether expressed or not. Some of the forms of sexual abuse are spousal sexual abuse, rape, and child molestation. Within these, depending on the abuser, can be non-consensual sexual behavior, psychological abuse, and using a position of power and trust for sexually controlling purposes.

Spousal abuse falls strongly to the use of a position of trust for control in a sexual situation. Without consent, this is consider molestation or rape, regardless of the fact the individuals are married or in a relationship. In that same light, as we have seen in the news in years past, this position of trust has been used in schools to manipulate young students into sexual 'relationships' with their teachers. Countries vary in their age restrictions for the legal age for consensual sex; most striving to set the bar at the age they feel most individuals are mature enough in all aspects to handle a physical relationship. These are set in place to protect the youth from being exploited and in some cases traumatized by unwanted sex or sex they are unprepared to handle.

Psychological control is a measure used by an abuser to ensure that their victim feels there is no way out, or that, should they tell, no one would believe them. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that this can be one of the most damaging things in abuse. Without the
belief that you can turn to those around you for help, you can and often times do sink into a depressed state and withdraw from your world, feeling as if no one can help you, or would ever believe you over the older and more 'respected' individual inflicting said hardships upon you.


I would like to thank you, the deviants, for taking the time to read my first news article on this important matter, and I especially express thanks to `bellchild for helping me figure out exactly what I should say, and helping me to remember block quoting.

In closing, I am providing links to websites on sexual abuse (some of which I have cited in this news article), as well as some deviations concerning abuse for you to view.

Thank you.

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Sexual Abuse Links

University of Michigan Health Systems - [link]

The Women's Institute for Incorporation Therapy - [link]

Survivor's Healing Center, Santa Cruz, California - [link]

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network - [link]

Sexual Abuse of Males - [link]

Child Sexual Abuse - [link]

The Sexual Abuse Center, Christchurch, New Zealand - [link]

and, of course, google.com to search for any centers in your hometown.

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Deviations