Dear Reader,

It hasn't been that long but I hope you enjoyed your trip! 

I'd like to take this moment to clarify that abuse was used not to condone but to explain. I hope you understood that :)

Also, in my collection I always do an 'fun fact' after my short stories so I'll put the one linked to this story here:

Juvenils commit about 6–8% of homicides (in the United States). Factors that can lead a child to such extremes are:

- Abuse (40–60% of cases)

- Mental health issues (30-50% of cases)

- Exposure to violence (50–70% of cases)

- Pressure from comrades (20–40% of cases)

- Bullying (10–20% of cases)

The % are approximatif and the causes aren't mutually exclusive.

60-70% of the victims are family members.

If anyone is interested, here are a couple links:

The Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment forAdult Survivors: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3ca7/59ecd5d4c8d710cd6d3523428c74bc682359.pdf

Behavioural Consequences of Child Abuse: https://www.cfp.ca/content/cfp/59/8/831.full.pdf

The Consequences of Child Abuse: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10252384/

If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse (specifically child abuse), here are a couple help lines:

Global:
- childhelplineinternational.org
-https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/

USA:
-Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 (text or call). Website: https://www.childhelphotline.org/

Canada:
-Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868. It's anonymous support.
-Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453. For emergencies, support and information. Website: https://www.childhelphotline.org/

Australia:
-Kids Helpline (5 to 25 years): 1800 551 800. Online support. Website: https://kidshelpline.com.au/
-Blue Knot Foundation: 1300 657 380. It's support for adults who went through trauma as a child. Website: https://blueknot.org.au/

UK:
- Childline (for children up to 19): 0800 1111. It's confidential. Website: https://www.childline.org.uk/ 

If there's any country you'd like me to add, feel free to ask <3

Bye!

Emily STARFALL, the author.