Dear Sheelanagig:

We do live in a world where a lot of people do exploit others. Children are the most mistreated group of people because they are so  needy, desperate and vulnerable. Lots of men do exploit women for sexual purposes, that is common. And then, men exploit other men, women exploit other women and men as well.

We have to learn who a person is before we make ourselves vulnerable to that person.

You wrote, “having to do with intimate relationships, I can get very very triggered and totally feel like a child”- when that happens, protect that child, stand between her and … the strangers out there. Make sure she doesn’t go play unsupervised. See to it that she doesn’t play with a person who is likely to hurt her.

anita