Home | Lifestyle | Babies & Children | Read to Children | How Does Learning to Read Help Abused Children?

How Does Learning to Read Help Abused Children?

by Contributing Writer

How Does Learning to Read Help Abused Children?
The Feelings of Helplessness Common in Child Abuse

Abused children struggle with feelings of shame and self-loathing. In many cases, they have no idea what "normal" is because growing up in an abusive environment is anything but normal. Because of the toxic environment of abuse, abused children see themselves living in a world in which they do not matter. They believe that they are worthless and there is no one in their environment to tell them otherwise.

Immediate Benefits in Learning How to Read

Abused children who are just learning how to read receive immediate benefits from the process. In order to learn how to read, another person must invest the time to teach the child how to read. By spending time with a caring adult, an abused child finds the hope that not every adult is cruel and abusive. Also, by succeeding in learning how to read, the abused child experiences the joy of working hard to reach a goal and then achieving it. He can apply this experience to other areas of his life, especially when he reaches the place of working through the child abuse healing process.
Expanding World View Through Reading

Learning to read can open doors for abused children who may have lost hope. Once an abused child learns how to read, he can meet many of his emotional needs through the joy of reading. Even though he is not experiencing nurturing at home, he can read about nurturing in books. He can learn about a way of life that is very different from the violent life he has always experienced at home. Many books offer life lessons that the child can apply to his own life.
Learning About Other Families

Children apply what they experience at home to the world around them, so if they grow up in an abusive family, they view the world as abusive. However, by learning to read, abused children have a way to compare and contrast their own experiences with the experiences of others. They can read stories about parents who love their children and keep them safe. They can also "escape" to a more loving home every time they read.
Developing Hope

By reading books about children who overcome adversity, abused children can find the strength to face down their own demons. For example, when they see the strength that Harry Potter had in facing down Voldemort, they can find their own strength in surviving an abusive environment. Also, by reading about children like Harry Potter who make their own "families" through friendships, abused children can find the hope of meeting many of their emotional needs through friendships themselves.
Reading About the Healing Process

Many books are available to walk a child abuse survivor through the process of healing from child abuse. A person who is too ashamed to talk to another person about the child abuse can still find support through reading books that address child abuse and provide insight into how to heal from the pain.