NAASCA-National Association Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

NAASCA offers hope and healing to many still-suffering adult survivors of child abuse and trauma, and educates the public about prevention, intervention and recovery. Our founder, Bill Murray, writes, "In my case I was a severely sexually molested child (starting at 11 years old and lasting through high school), the victim of multiple male pedophiles (many of them clergy, sometimes "sharing" me between them), the survivor of a two week interstate and international kidnapping (at age 13) and the child-model for thousands of pre-pubescent pornographic photographs. I tried to get help numerous times, telling some of the adults in my life about these traumatic experiences, but without avail. but the man turned out to be a predator himself. Not only was he interested in me but he revealed my vulnerability to other of his fellow clerics. Raised a devout Catholic, this was a devastating trauma. In the end I just held on, naively waiting for a time when I would be old enough, big enough and "adult" enough to not be a victim anymore. I decided to keep it a secret. But I now understand that child abuse trauma effects a person across their lifespan. Its my belief that we child-victims were diverted from our destiny, and our lives were changed forever, in the moment we were first violated."