The ELEPHANT in the room

What will an elephant be doing in the room. To me, this sounds like a situation that I have no control over, a situation that brings the feeling of anxiety, fear and hopelessness. As child, for that matter a girl, I feel endangered, squashed and separated from the rest of the world. Oh yes! I feel separated because am the only one who knows about the evil deeds of the ugly elephant in the room. It warns me of killing whoever I will open my mouth to. This could be the thoughts of a child who is a victim of cruelty, including, rape, physical, emotional, mental and verbal abuse.

Home Affairs, a South African TV drama broadcasted on Thursday on SABC 1 explains it all. In this drama, there is a 9 year old girl who is sexually abused by the mother’s boyfriend. Most saddening is the fact that the little girl cannot tell anyone about her horrifying experiences because this elephant has threatened to tear her apart if she ever did.

But the power of a woman within her can hold no more. She tells Vuyo a young lady who is trying to better her life as well as her community through sport. Who then confronts the little girl’s mother but to no avail as she denies the allegations. It is so sad to see that mothers cannot tell if something is wrong in the behaviour of their own children. Instead of giving the claim a second thought, she goes on to verbally and physically abuses her daughter and accuses her of lying. This just makes it two elephants in the room.

Are we paying attention to our children? What are we doing to protect our children from harm? Do they have hope for help in when in danger? Or are blinded to allow elephants in the children’s rooms?