Showing titles in Abuse

When detective Maggie Oliver first discovered that children as young as 10 were being groomed, abused and trafficked for sex by gangs of men in the Rochdale area, she felt like a lonely voice calling for people to act. Banging on closed doors, it seemed that nobody was able or willing to help her save these vulnerable girls, but she couldn't just sit back while countless lives were being destroyed forever in plain sight. Instead, she launched a one-woman campaign to bring down these sickening gangs.

In November 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous fax that alleged R. Kelly had a problem with “young girls”. Weeks later, DeRogatis broke the shocking story, publishing allegations that the R&B superstar and local hero had groomed girls, sexually abused them, and paid them off. DeRogatis thought his work would have an impact. Instead, Kelly’s career flourished. No one seemed to care: not the music industry, not the culture at large, not the parents of numerous other young girls. But for more than 18 years, DeRogatis stayed on the story.

Michelle Stevens has a photo of the exact moment her childhood was stolen from her: She's only eight years old, posing for her mother's boyfriend, Gary Lundquist - an elementary school teacher, neighborhood stalwart, and brutal pedophile. Later that night Gary locks Michelle in a cage, tortures her repeatedly, and uses her to quench his voracious and deviant sexual whims. Little does she know that this will become her new reality for the next six years.

Questionable advice to avoid violence, like “don’t go shopping alone,” comes mostly from the police or other men in authority. But gender-based violence is often enacted in the most intimate spheres of our lives, not when we’re out grocery shopping. To stop this violence, we need strategies that are just as intimate. In The Cost of Fear, nationally recognized violence prevention expert Meg Stone helps listeners separate fact from fiction. It’s full of practical, research-based strategies that listeners can use to keep themselves and their communities safer.

Empower yourself to transform relationships and thrive … even if anxious attachments and toxic cycles have marred your past. Do emotional swings and relationship hurdles constantly weigh on your mind? Are you worn down by repeated conflicts or struggling with trust that seems impossible to build? Do you want to break free from the cycles of emotional hurt, moving towards genuine connection and growth? These struggles are far more common than you think!

Are you afraid to feel good? Do you see everyone else pursuing their right to happiness yet feel held back? Do you feel alone, strange or that there’s something wrong with you? Here’s the good news: None of these feelings are true! This is how people feel after a childhood as the scapegoat to a narcissistic parent. These parents require this child to feel bad so that they don’t have to. Scapegoat children learn it is psychologically dangerous to feel good about who they are. This book lays out three steps to finally make it safe to feel good about yourself.

Growing up in a house filled with dirty feather boas and fearless mice, Emi Nietfeld dreams of escaping to the Ivy League. Emi’s single mom believes in her, but can’t stop hoarding—catapulting Emi into the underworld of troubled teen treatment, foster care, and homelessness. When her shot arrives to trade sleeping in her car for the hallowed halls of an elite college, Emi must decide: How far will she go to market herself as a perfect “overcomer” when her problems are far from over? And what will it cost to maintain that illusion at Harvard and into adulthood?

In Good Girl, Piyané Ung explains with raw and honest insight how she went from being a passive people-pleaser–struggling with depression and frequent suicidal ideas–to a powerhouse entrepreneur, comfortable in her own skin and leading multiple successful businesses.

Electroshock therapy, child abuse, and modern-day slavery... just another day in Christine's life. Take a heart-wrenching yet inspiring ride through one woman's incredible journey that is so compelling that you are simultaneously trying to look away and unable to stop yourself from listening on. Christine's father is a wealthy, tyrannical man renowned in the diamond business. At the age of just five, little Christine is cast aside into a boarding school where she is ridiculed for two embarrassing problems. She grows up in a never-ending circle of traumatic experiences.

To others, Dr. Lawrence Mieczkowski (Dr. Mitch) was a successful physician, caring father, and good husband—but inwardly, he was suffering from deep despair. When the 1999 Columbine shootings triggered a descent into near madness, he lost his ability to fight off the demons dragging him further into the darkness of depression and hopelessness. Something had to be done.

Fleeing intimate partner violence at age 20, Julie was stalked by her ex-partner for more than 10 years, rarely mentioning it to friends, let alone addressing it publicly. The contrast between her public career as a brave champion for women with her own private life of violence and fear meant a shaky and exhausting balancing act. Resilience Is Futile is a story of survival, courage, and ultimately, hope. But it is also a challenge to the ways we understand trauma and resilience. It is the story of one survivor who won’t give up and refuses to shut up.

Recovering from the trauma of a toxic narcissistic relationship can be a difficult journey. It’s a complicated mess of anger, anxiety, depression, shame, and even guilt. Trying to make sense of what you’re going through, questioning if you’re the one to blame for what happened.... With the help of this book, you can overcome the obstacles after leaving the relationship, pick up the pieces of your life to create a brighter future, renew your self-confidence, create firm boundaries, and gain clarity about who you are.

Like millions of women, Eve Ensler has been waiting much of her lifetime for an apology. Sexually and physically abused by her father, Eve has struggled her whole life from this betrayal, longing for an honest reckoning from a man who is long dead. After years of work as an anti-violence activist, she decided she would wait no longer; an apology could be imagined, by her, for her, to her.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is one of the cruelest forms of child abuse imaginable. It is very difficult to prove and even harder to prosecute. This story chronicles a woman's journey as she discovers that her two grandchildren are victims of this abuse that most people have never even heard of. Her faith in God kept her going as she turned their tragedies and trials into triumph. Follow her journey of faith as she fights to rescue, protect, and bring healing to her grandchildren's broken spirits and shattered little souls.

An explosive, sweeping account of the scandal that has sent the Catholic Church into a tailspin - and the brave few who fought for justice. Part history, part journalism, and part true-crime thriller, Michael D'Antonio's Mortal Sins brings to mind landmark books such as All the President's Men, And the Band Played On, and The Informant, as it reveals a long and ferocious battle for the soul of the largest and oldest organization in the world.

It was a day like any other, crystal blue sky and warm summer air, as young Nathan Spiteri walked into a change room at a familiar public swimming pool and would experience a turn of events that would change his innocent life forever. In this powerful, and vulnerable memoir, Spiteri writes about the trauma of being brutally abused, groomed and guided by the actions and lies of a vicious pedophile.

In Women with ADHD, you’ll find a compassionate, actionable guide tailored to the female experience of neurodivergence. Unlike generic ADHD books, this guide tackles the hidden challenges women face—like emotional overwhelm, societal expectations, and self-doubt—while offering practical tools to thrive in a world not designed for your mind.

Part autobiography and part personal guide to healing, The Reluctant Healer takes listeners on a journey through the reluctant beginnings of healer and author David Elliott’s life and work. Interspersed throughout the book are exercises and examples that encourage listeners to examine their own life and story, creating the opportunity for those who go on the journey with David to connect the dots around their own potential as a healer.

Brought to Casey as a short-term emergency placement, 14-year-old Adrianna arrives with nothing but her gratitude. Having turned herself in to a social services office some 100 miles away, she has no possessions, no English and, apparently, no history - not that she's willing to share, anyway. She is a beautiful young Polish girl, with the bearing of a ballerina, but is terrified, malnourished and unwell.

Foster carer Maggie Hartley is finally enjoying a well-earned holiday from fostering, savouring time with her brand-new baby granddaughter. One night, though, the peace and quiet is interrupted by an urgent call from Social Services. A man has been stabbed, and Social Services need to find an emergency placement for his little girl. Maggie is used to children arriving on her doorstep at all times of the day and night, but nothing can prepare her for the sight of 11-year-old Nancy.