Because I Love You: The Silent Shadow of Child Sexual Abuse
By Joyce Allan, RN, MA. (2002)
From Amazon.com – The first book which investigates the beliefs and values which underlie SILENCE-KEEPING about child sexual abuse not only by survivors, but also by their friends, family and community. Presented in the form of A COMPELLING MEMOIR, rich in visual warmth, and informed by the expertise of a child activist, it describes how silence creates the “ecology of child sexual abuse.” Ultimately Because I Love You is FOR EVERYONE WHO KNOWS AND CARES ABOUT A VICTIM OR PERPETRATOR, AND EVERYONE WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. The book shows how the author’s “life was seriously impacted and nearly derailed by incestuous abuse by her father at an early age, (and) documents her personal struggle to find understanding and expertise in helping her overcome her complicated and extensive posttraumatic and dissociative reactions. “With enormous determination, Allan conducts a detailed examination of her father’s life and learns of his extensive pedophiliac history and its possible origins and motivations. And, finally, she EXAMINES THE SILENCE THAT SO OFTEN ACCOMPANIES ABUSE THAT IS PERPETRATED BY A FAMILY MEMBER, friend, or acquaintance, a silence often based on denial and loyalty that has the inadvertent effect of allowing abuse to continue undeterred. “This is a compelling look at the intergenerational dynamics of sexual abuse and its tragic consequences, and the need for improved and more effective intervention. It is also A TESTAMENT TO HUMAN RESILIANCE AND RENEWAL.”