Summary
In this six-week curriculum, author/lecturer Earnie Larsen interviews adult inmates in community and institutional settings to examine the role that childhood abuse plays in their lives. Staring with the observation that "people who have suffered abuse in childhood - especially if it's intense and constant - don't lead the same kind of lives as those who weren't abused”, Larsen help adult offenders identify instances of early abuse, recognize how it has impacted their lives, and learn how to live a productive life in spite of it. Some of the inmates interviewed carry horrific memories: -- An eight-year-old repeatedly sexually abused by his brothers, then held by his ankles from a seventh-floor window for the fun of seeing him cry; -- A six-year-old tied naked to a tree for bedwetting; -- A seven-year-old locked in a closet for three days for talking back.
Session 1 shows how recidivism can be connected to the effects of child abuse, and suggests exercises. The exercises shows that abuse fixates the victim at the point of abuse, that overreaction can injure, and that living in the past negatively affects the possibility of having a good life today. Session 2 discusses how to recognize abuse and deal with it. The exercises in Session 3 draw the connection between past abusive events and reactions to present-day events. Session 4 defines some of the common symptoms of abuse, including disassociation (unplugging from life), chronic excessive anger (overreacting to situations), psychic numbing (not feeling much emotion), and hyper vigilance (always feeling in danger). Session 5 looks at how past abuse impacts the quality of daily life, including the ability to parent and have intimate relationships. Session 6 provides tools for dealing with the legacy of abuse – becoming sober, accepting the abuse as a part of life, beginning to trust others, recognizing when past abuse is starting to control present actions, taking any prescribed medications, and having conscious contact with a Higher Power.