Richard Ramirez: Myths, Facts and Stigmatizing Child Abuse and Trauma Survivors

Online, June 10, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Globally, society is rightfully horrified when someone like Richard Ramirez is exposed for the crimes and murders he commuted against fellow humans. The media is quick to publish the horrors these killers experienced in their childhood. With this media exposure of these killers, it also creates an unreal picture of child abuse and trauma survivors that stigmatizes all survivors of child abuse and trauma. Currently many people that never experienced abuse and trauma believe that all survivors of trauma are a danger to society.

One of the major problems associated with this unrealistic public fear of child abuse and trauma survivors is they are not treated with the same respect and dignity as the rest of society. This unrealistic public fear causes many to lose job opportunities and job promotion opportunities. They are also treated as if they are a threat to the general population. This unfair and inhuman treatment of all child abuse and trauma survivors must stop. The myths and truths of child abuse and trauma must be exposed.

MYTH #1: Child abuse and trauma survivors repeat the trauma they have experienced in their past.

Fact: Most child abuse/trauma survivors never repeat the trauma. In fact, many of these brave survivors go on the break the abuse cycle. They often think they would never treat another person in the same way they were treated. They often abhor abuse and never want to repeat the abuse they have experienced. Look at the child abuse and trauma statistics, millions each year are abused and how many people like Richard Ramirez really exist? In comparison to the shear large numbers of survivors few ever go on to harm others.

MYTH #2: Child abuse and trauma survivors are mentally ill and pose a danger to society.

Fact: While the diagnoses of PTSD is considered a mental illness according to the medical definition, in reality PTSD is nothing more then an injury to the mind and emotions. PTSD is a normal reaction to a life threatening event. Experiencing a life threatening event does not in itself make a person a danger to society. Few child abuse/trauma survivors ever go on to cause harm to society or family.

MYTH #3: Child abuse and trauma survivors that have seen death will eventfully kill or harm others.

Fact: This is totally false. Look at war veterans both current and past. How many of these war veterans are now living exemplary and peaceful lives? The answer is millions of them. What about child abuse survivors that have seen death as children. While some individuals are permanently scared by seeing death as a child it does not mean they will grow up and become a serial killer like Richard Ramirez. The author of "Gabriel's Tears", Nedra Kiper, is perfect example of such a person that saw death in childhood. She grew up with in a home of violence and become an outstanding and peace loving citizen that would never hurt anyone.

MYTH #4: Child abuse/trauma survivors never heal and become normal citizens.

Fact: While healing child abuse and trauma is very difficult, there are millions of well adjusted people that have healed. PTSD is an injury and any injury can be healed. With hard work and a reliable support system anyone that is suffering from PTSD can heal and become completely normal well adjusted citizens. The author of "Gabriel's Tears" is a perfect example of extreme abuse and complete healing. The only problem is society don't have any confidence in thier healing abilities. With that low confidence the support and healing systems today are designed to treat only the symptoms of trauma. There needs to be changes to the support system to include knowledge on how to heal and not just mask the symptoms. There also needs to be media coverage of positive examples of people that have healed so survivors have a pattern of healing to follow.

With just a few myths and facts exposed it is easy to see that just because a few abused individuals like Richard Ramirez goes on to kill and commit violence that does not mean all child abuse/trauma survivors are going to do harm on society. Is it not time that the world stop stigmatizing all survivors of child abuse and trauma? As survivors of unspeakable horrors they have the right to be treated with the same dignity and respect as their non traumatized citizens. Trauma survivors have the right to not be treated like they are going to do harm to society. They have the right to not be treated like they are crazy just because they are survivors of trauma. Survivors should have the same rights to jobs and job promotions as the non abused citizens.

How are survivors going to change the social stigmatization of child abuse/trauma survivors? For all survivors of trauma, whether that be a war veteran or a child abuse survivor, they need to step out of the shadows of social repression that this society has forced upon them. All survivors need to step up and tell their stories of what they survived. Survivors need to show the world that they may have been hurt but they pose no danger to society solely based on past history of child abuse and trauma. They need the world to know that abuse and trauma often leads survivors to become kinder and more abuse conscience citizens. They need the world to know that not all trauma survivors turn out like Richard Ramirez. They need to world to know that just because they survived horrors in life most survivors would never kill, harm or abuse others.

Gabriel's Compassion is now making a call to all brave survivors to step out of the shadow of repression and social stigmatization. Let your voices be heard! Step up and help fight the social stigmatization that the media stamps survivors based on the behavior of the Richard Ramirez's of this world. Most survivors are not like Richard Ramirez, they are hard working citizens that would never harm anyone. They deserve the same media attention as the Richard Ramirez. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

For a positive example of how to treat and heal child abuse/trauma, "Gabriel's Tears" by Nedra Kiper is now available in paperback at www.GabrielsCompassion.org. A Kindle version can be downloaded at www.amazon.com.