NAGOYA -- Adult survivors of child abuse in Japan opened up about their experiences and how their mistreatment continues to affect them today in a recent online conference hosted by Abuse Dialogue, an internet platform for those who suffered growing up.
Abuse Dialogue was launched by a pair including social welfare worker Kenta Isomura, 25, of Nagoya's Naka Ward, in June 2020 as "a place for abuse victims and people who are interested in issues regarding child abuse to open up and discuss about solutions." They host a workshop twice a month via an online conference system.
The recent workshop to commemorate the second anniversary of the platform was joined by three survivors of child abuse. Of them, a medical student who was physically and mentally abused by their father when they were little told some 20 people in the audience, "I honestly thought I was no good from the bottom of my heart. I still get flashbacks from my abuse experience." They also talked about their dream of becoming a child psychiatrist, applying their experience as an abuse survivor. They said, "Through treating children, I want to relive my childhood and save myself because I couldn't in the past."
All three survivors agreed that by talking about the abuse they had gone through, they were able to face their issues, with one saying, "I was ashamed of my existence, so I couldn't talk about my experience of abuse at all until I was in my mid-20s. But thanks to the many opportunities I've since had to talk about it, I'm surviving." Another participant commented, "By speaking to other people (about the abuse), I was finally able to accept that I was abused."
Isomura commented, "Abuse survivors in some cases feel they're having a hard time in life even after they've become adults, such as not being able to build relationships well and having mental problems. We want to continue holding these workshops for people to open up about things they can't tell those around them about and to make peace with their past."NAGOYA -- Adult survivors of child abuse in Japan opened up about their experiences and how their mistreatment continues to affect them today in a recent online conference hosted by Abuse Dialogue, an internet platform for those who suffered growing up.
Abuse Dialogue was launched by a pair including social welfare worker Kenta Isomura, 25, of Nagoya's Naka Ward, in June 2020 as "a place for abuse victims and people who are interested in issues regarding child abuse to open up and discuss about solutions." They host a workshop twice a month via an online conference system.
The recent workshop to commemorate the second anniversary of the platform was joined by three survivors of child abuse. Of them, a medical student who was physically and mentally abused by their father when they were little told some 20 people in the audience, "I honestly thought I was no good from the bottom of my heart. I still get flashbacks from my abuse experience." They also talked about their dream of becoming a child psychiatrist, applying their experience as an abuse survivor. They said, "Through treating children, I want to relive my childhood and save myself because I couldn't in the past."
All three survivors agreed that by talking about the abuse they had gone through, they were able to face their issues, with one saying, "I was ashamed of my existence, so I couldn't talk about my experience of abuse at all until I was in my mid-20s. But thanks to the many opportunities I've since had to talk about it, I'm surviving." Another participant commented, "By speaking to other people (about the abuse), I was finally able to accept that I was abused."
Isomura commented, "Abuse survivors in some cases feel they're having a hard time in life even after they've become adults, such as not being able to build relationships well and having mental problems. We want to continue holding these workshops for people to open up about things they can't tell those around them about and to make peace with their past."
