I Am a Survivor
Saying No More to Domestic Violence
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Hi, My name is Daniela, and I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and of emotional and verbal abuse. Yes, you’ve heard right... I AM A SURVIVOR. And here is my story. I always thought of myself as a typical victim of childhood sexual abuse and of emotional and verbal abuse, that in much of what you hear about in the news. Typical, as it was someone I knew, someone I was close to, someone I loved dearly, someone I knew all my life, someone I trusted, and someone I looked up to. My uncle, who was my father’s brother, whom is also my godfather, was someone who was about 15 years older than myself and more mature was the person who sexually abused me for two years. On top of that, my father was emotionally and verbally abusive from as long as I could possibly remember. He had the typical narcissisict behavior, as he always had to be in control, therefore emotionally and verbally abusing my mother, as well as myself, pretty much my entire childhood years. And I didn’t realize, or understand what narcissist behaviors was until I was older. It wasn’t until I finished my first semester of college that my mother and I were able to break free of the emotional and verbal abuse that we have endured for so many years. Is it coincidence that two brothers in the same family were abusive? Maybe. Maybe not. I’m no psychiatrist, but there can be some background history within the family I may not be aware of. Unfortunately, it the early 1980’s, when I was abused, not much in support or awareness was available for the victim. And not much was really done to help the victim or was there any severe punishment for the abuser. Back in the 1980’s, the abuser just received a slap on the wrist. From my experience, my abuser never received any jail time, nor was he ever arrested. All he had to do was go to counseling, and there was an order of protection to stay away from me. But now, there is so much more support, so many resources and so much awareness for the victim. There are so much more punishment and psychiatric help provided to the abuser. There is so much more information and assistance available for the victim/survivor. Whether for you, or for a friend or family member, I encourage anyone to use the resource information provided in the back of my book, the support group, and advocate awareness with your friends and family.
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About the Book
The misdeeds of people in power and in the limelight have brought a lot of media attention to the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault. Society, as a whole, needs to learn how to discuss and control this unspoken nightmare that affects our mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. Author Sophia Moreno is a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault, both beginning early in her childhood years. She wanted to share her experience to help others realize that they are not alone. With the help of Sophia’s personal narrative, she hopes to inspire women to shatter the vicious cycle of abuse and assault. The goal of I Am a Survivor is to provide necessary resources and bring inspiration to the abused. You are not alone. Other women have suffered similar horrors and escaped to live purposeful, happy lives. The path might be difficult, but there is healing on the other side of darkness.
About the Author
Sophia Moreno volunteers as a rape crisis counselor at Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS), where she assists victims in need of support and advocacy. She provides information to help victims receive the legal and counseling resources necessary to obtain justice against attackers. Sophia has won “Volunteer of the Year” Award through VIBS and from Suffolk for 2018.