Was in the library today??

[puddicat]

Starting reading snippets from a book about a childs abuse by his father any ideas made me very very sad!!!

[saxy_jag]

Would it be Kevin Lewis' The Kid?

[Shoesandsuga]

Sad books eh?....
I read Black Beauty...
That's about as sad as I can go!

[puddicat]

no dont think it was that saxy,very plain cover possibly english!!

[Quizmonkey]

People like you, who for some reason want to read this exploitative, and mostly invented, rubbish, now have their own section in most bookshops called 'tragic memoirs'. It beggars belief - as do most of the stories.

[silverlace]

Itseems to me that too many books of this kind are being published. Not sure I believe they are all true accounts. Just aformat that sells books. Why would anyone want to read them. I read a couple years ago. They were very similar accounts. After I read them I wondered why I had. What could I possibly get out of it. Now I see so many on the shelves in book stores. I am suspicious. What a strange topic to get into. No dont go there. Its disrespectful to all the genuine cases of people who have suffered terrible abuse. Its like these awful books written about child murderers and the like. How terrible for the victims families to see them on the shelves and know that someone is making money out of their terrible suffering.

[jno]

the 'misery memoir' sector seems to be booming, though I suspect it'll eventually become all too samey. It may be that in hard times (and these are fairly hard) people like to be reassured that it could be a lot worse.

Also, people like to remind themselves that they do still have a sense of right and wrong and they don't let themselves become immune to tales of mistreatment. There's a fair bit of it on AB: every time there's a child abuse case someone will post a link to it in the News section and others will come on to say how awful it is. They're quite right, of course, though I don't know how much good it does some of them to fantasise about the many ways they'd like to see the guilty people tortured.

[pinktwink]

its exactly because of views like these abuse and neglect remains hidden and taboo in society, When people like these speak out many are sceptical or doubtful as society struggle to believe abuse happens in families. I work in childrens services and if half of my clients published their stories or journeys people would doubt the level of abuse and neglect they suffered. Those that publish should be proud they have survived to tell their tale as too often abused children are the adults in the peychiatric hospitals or prisons

[jno]

but there's also the risk of over-reaction, pinktwink. Remember that demented witch-hunt over 'satanic abuse' about 20 years ago that ended up with children who'd been given loaded questions inducing fake memories, and taken from their parents as a result? I think it's important for readers not to believe everything they come across - and yet it's very hard to know where to draw the line.

[pinktwink]

nothing is fool proof there will always be biographies that are over dramatised and exaggerated. I have read several of these memoirs and to be honest its just like reading a casefile at work . The abuse these people describe happens in every day life in every community. Too often people turn a blind eye as they do not believe such things can go on behind closed doors

[silverlace]

I dont believe the American have been to the moon. Perhaps you do Pinktwink. I have as much sympathy as the next person for anyone who has been abused. I simply said that I dont believe that all the books written on the subject are true accounts. You obviously belive they are. So you are the best person to buy them. Happy reading to you. Goodnight.

[pinktwink]

silverlace i know too much how true the reality of abuse is I work with it all day every day and hear the stories of the children i have removed from their families and see first hand the conditions they live in before they come in to care the neglect and abuse suffered by many in society is a true reality for too many

[silverlace]

Of course the abuse you are in contact with is real.I admire the work you do. My point was that some of the books seem to me, to be suspect. I dont trust that some unscrupulous people are jumping on the band wagon to make money. Did not mean to upset you pinktwink. I do understand that this is a very sensitive subject.

[pinktwink]

ta for that silverlace i wasnt upset. My point really is far too often society turns a blind eye to abuse or neglect believing it isnt as bad as it seems. Often by the time we get involved so much damage has beeen done to children. If children are removed neighbours will always say how they knew things were not right but never reported it. I know its hard to accept families can damage children so much but they do. Equally social services can also fail these children due to inadequate resources