Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 3125

Tonight's special guest is Albert Grieve from Missouri, a child abuse survivor who's an attorney with prior law enforcement experience. He's a former foster youth, and motivational speaker in child abuse, neglect and domestic violence. Albert is the author of 'Little One, You are LOVED!' – a book designed to aid children facing adversity. Too often children internalize the negativity around them without a means to express themselves. They may lash out or engage in self-destructive behavior. Albert says, "My Father was(is) an angry and abusive alcoholic. My Mother suffered trauma as a child but was diagnosed with mental disorders as an adult." When he went to school there would be concerned phone calls home or brief visits from social workers, and things would be worse after they left. The three siblings learned to hide what was happening, and punishments became more twisted and creative to avoid detection. "My Mother ran away from home often," he says. "My Father would have the most sex with my older sister when my Mother was in a shelter or institutionalized. I would be awake in the same room when this transpired." Albert explains, "The violence escalated to the point of my Father killing my Mother. As a child, I learned what rigor mortis was as the fire department carried my Mother out, her body frozen in a hog-tied position, clothes soiled." Albert goes on, "I suffered the worst sexual abuse from my Father after this time. Several months later, my older sister tried to kill my Father and herself." The child welfare system got involved. "I was placed in a group home for two and a half years, went to a few different foster homes, and finally started thriving."