Oftentimes, perpetuators isolate their victims in order to control them –psychologically physically, mentally. Their game plan is to keep their victim from people who can help them and as they are kept, they are abused more and more. The life in captivity is heart-breaking: the abusers demand that their victims help them perpetuate their crimes; they are treated with no respect, demeaned, and physically beaten. They are taught they have no rights, they are no good, and that there is nothing out there for them —that there is no hope for them, their life is over. That there is no better than what they have right now.

The hopelessness and broken self-esteem keep victims shackled to their perpetuators. And, with the exposure to hate and violence, they learn only violence as a way of life. Thus, they become angry and violent people themselves especially to those who cannot defend themselves.

Reintegration into society takes so much love and understanding because working with abused victims: they seesaw from being strong to weak; from getting better to backsliding. Healing is a lifelong process

Image borrowed from Health e-news