Contact Linde: (513) 309-6884 - lwhite6@cinci.rr.com
Book Highlights Prevalence of Hidden Childhood Sexual Abuse
(Editors: October is Sexual Assault Awareness Month)
How can parents know for certain that their children are safe from sexual predators? Are they even aware that the vast majority of sexual crimes against children are committed by a relative or close, trusted friend? Do they know that most abuse does not involve rape, kidnapping or violence from strangers?
Grisly sexual crimes against children have been front and center in the news lately. However, most parents are not informed about the hidden dangers awaiting their children from sexually predatory wolves in sheeps' clothing, says Linde Grace White, M.Ed., author of a new book called "Dollbaby: Triumph Over Childhood Sexual Abuse."
"If all molesters or predators appeared to us with horns and a tail, we would be snatching our children from them before any harm came," White says. "The problem is, they are often under our very roofs or next door in the guise of nice, 'normal' people who befriend us and our children."
How does White know? She suffered the confusion and horror of almost daily sexual abuse from her own father decades ago. She also saw children bearing those same scars in her classroom as a special education teacher for 20 years. Her own abuse went on for years, and her mother apparently felt powerless to stop it. "I certainly couldn't stop it as I was only two when it began," White recalls. "I felt trapped, with no way out. I wanted to die at a very early age."
The emotional and physical devastation from her father's sick "games" caused little Linda (she changed her name to Linde Grace later) to retreat into a cocoon of "alters" or coping personas that protected her from the pain and allowed her to live her life appearing as normal as possible. She eventually repressed the memories of her abuse, not to recover them again until she reached middle age.
White's quest for truth and healing led to the writing of "Dollbaby." Writing poetry had long been a comfort to her, although she never really understood why. Gradually, the pieces of her past life fell into place, confirmed by interviews with other family members. She learned to let go of her subconscious alters and rediscover herself. Today, her goal is to bring awareness and healing to the countless other girls and women who are struggling with this pain.
Linde Grace White's journey forms a poignant backdrop for Sexual Assault Awareness Month during October. She has devised a SECURE system to help parents recognize potential danger and keep children safer. She stands ready to be interviewed or to provide more information. An online media kit is available at www.cedarhousepublishers.com
Review copies of "Dollbaby" may be requested through Cedar House Publishers.
