Abuse - The Hidden Problem

To disclose a hidden problem such as abuse is can be diffcult .
To write poetry about abuse is even harder still because there are so many who , what , why , where and when issues that need to be addressed .
In order to open my mind I started to write little scenarios and short sketches to deal with this theme .

Before writing scenarios on such a serious matter like abuse I decided to brainstorm some of the the target areas of abuse and discovered five headings of abuse .

1 -Sexual abuse – Harassing or assaulting .

2- Financial abuse - Illegal or wrongful use of anothers money or assets .

3 - Neglect – Not providing proper shelter , food, clothes, or food .

4- Physical abuse – Hurting another person by hitting , kicking , etc .

5-Psychological Abuse – Humilating or threatening or intimidating .

Any behaviour which causes harm to another person is abuse .

Who is the victim

In every situation or relationship the victim is usually isolated and other never see what is going on . The victim can also feel ashamed that some one they trust has done something to them and they often fear what will happen if they tell somebody about what has happened to them At times the victim could feel that he or she is to blame . The victim also can think he or she is the only person in this situation . The victim may be too young to even speak or really understand what has happened .

Who is involved

In recent times there have been many cases of small babies being mistreated by their parents or partners of either parent .
There have been cases in the workforce where the employer abuses his or her employee in some way .
The abuser can sometimes be an unknown or random person as well as a family member , friend husband or wife .

The abuser may have drug or alcohol problems or mental health issues where he or she is not aware of what they are doing . The abuser could be stressed and not able tyo cope with his or her current situations .

Thwere are many triggers of abuse .

There are many scenarios .

In the following scenario there are varuious forms of abuse involved and more than one victim and one abuser .

1 - Psychological Abuse Anne called her Mother a stupid Old Cow .

2- Physical Abuse Anne slapped her Mother.

Scenario about what is happening behind the scene and why is Anne behaving like this to her Mother .

The reason why Anne has become short tempered and angry is mainly due to stress . She is finding it hard to cope with her sons drug problems . The fact that her husbands also gambling heavy adds to her financial hardships and emotionally Anne is over taxed and suffering from mental and physical stress . One thing that immediately presents itself in this case is the fact that Anne does care for Edith her Mother as well as her son and hussband . It is clear that Anne is suffering from stress and can no longer provide the quality of care that is required for her Mother at home .

Shes Got Problems - A poem written around this scenario .
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She’s Got Problems

By Paul McCann

She feels helpless and falls down on her knees with her emotional situation ,
She needs to have some councelling and therapy and possibily medication .
She doesn’t know who she can trust out there and there is so much that she has to say
She doesn’t know how to come to terms with the things that she has ften put away .
She finds it hard to cope with her sons drug problems ,
and the fact that shes lost her job
Her husbands gambling adds to the financial hardships and now he owes the mob .
And she needs some real help urgently before the situation gets any worse
She has to hide her handbag because they’re always taking the money from her purse
Some days she wants to run away and then she has to find another way to cope ,
Her husband and son are unable to stop but she doesn’t want to give up hope
She puts up with all the daily abuse and she doesn’t know there is help out there
Like the police and doctors and legal centres that can provide her with some care .

There are of course many other scenarios and poems to be considered about where other problems lie .

Anne needs some assistance to cope with her current emotional situation and contend with her anger management and stress with either cognitive therapy , councelling or medication . All could provide Anne with a method to deal with her current problems .

Anne’s son who has a drug problem should make a decision and come to terms with dead end street he is on . Maybe then if he accepts he has a problem he can seek some assistance or intervention for his situation .
If he then could get off the drugs this could allieviate the terrible domestic scene and assist his Mother Anne as well as himself .
Also Annes husband could seek help with his gambling problem which would be another stab at uncovering the hidden problem of abuse and making it more of a reality .

If Annes huband could get some councelling he would gain confidence and control over his problem and introduce a positive feeling in his life rather than rejections of what he has lost .
There are many outcomes with this scenario that create a fertile process of creative writing .

By Paul McCann

The End