Hmmm. These stories fascinate me as well. I want to know about the original trauma, too. What made the grandfather think such a practice was okay? Someone must have abused him or children in his extended family when he was a child. That “energy” of sexual desire for children was likely planted in him early on. Did any of the history of this particular family go back that far? Though we know, as Alison points out, the history of humans shows that abuse and “power over” women and children has gone on for forever.
Change seems to me to be something that could happen so much more quickly now with social media available at every turn, with people and ideas literally becoming famous and followed by millions in a matter of days. Why not PACEs Science? Why would it take 100 years? Do we have to wait for all the old white male politicians to die for people to see that supporting mothers with infants pays off? Why doesn’t preventing ACEs get as much press as preventing abuse of dogs? Or does it? Why isn’t promoting positive childhood experiences as popular a practice as putting an “elf on the shelf”? Why don’t we have 5.5 million members instead of almost 55 thousand?
How do we make prevention of childhood trauma an irresistible 24/7 mission for everyone who cares about children? How do we make acceptable the idea of living in peaceful communities where everyone has a voice? Where children being upset or violent is seen as a symptom to be checked on instead of a behavior to be punished?
How do we get policymakers to see the sunk cost of perpetuating paddling kids in school, expelling or suspending students who are desperate for connection, rewarding educators and law enforcement professionals who seek to control rather than to inspire cooperation and connection?