What To Do About Abuse

Tough question. I am sorry that you feel the need to ask it. For this answer, I am going to assume that you either know for a fact that the abuse is happening, or have reason to strongly suspect that it is.

The short answer is 'yes.' Go now. Do not pass GO, and all that.

The long answer:

If you know, or strongly suspect, that someone is abusing a child, you should go to the authorities. Abuse is one of those familial horrors that, if left uncorrected, carries forward through time. It creates a cycle of fear, pain and shame that does not just go away. The abused becomes the abuser in the next generation, if the abused child survives the abuse. If the abuse stops and the child gets help, there is a chance that the cycle will not repeat.

I could go on and talk about other types of abuse, but I do not think that I will. At least not right now. Instead, I will close quickly so that you can go make a phone call.