Victims of Child Criminal Exploitation face as much trauma as victims of sexual abuse! We can’t help anyone if we see one as voluntary and the other as forced.
Once upon a time, that 18 year old murderer was an 11 year old boy who was groomed and exploited. He too was sent all over the country, forced to sell drugs. Forced to sleep in trap houses, beaten if anything went wrong. He too was told that his family would deal with the consequences if anything went wrong.
Years later this kid becomes angry, bitter, desensitised. He has entered a lifestyle he knew nothing about. Kicked out school he begins to develop poor mental health.
Anxiety, PTSD, depression, maybe even psychosis from the skunk he uses to make himself feel better.
He can’t be on the streets without looking over his shoulder.
He can’t trust anyone.
One day he takes a life.
Or his life is taken.
Or he ends up with a lengthy prison sentence.
Im not trying to justify or make any excuses here, I just need people to understand that there is a reason for everything.
Better support systems need to be put in place. Criminalisation is not the only option.
Good work. Child protection fails and then the children are blamed not fair.
We start a protest
💯 real talk keep it coming be on there necks. Well written Sabrina.