Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2118

Tonight's special guest is Bailey Smith from Deerfield Beach, Florida, a survivor of domestic violence mental illness, and the resulting suffering and abuse of her children. "My story is of domestic violence from my ex-husband [and] the effect on my 3 boys." The middle child of 5 children growing up in a strict religious home, Bailey craved attention and found it at age 20 when she met and fell in love with a man who “put me on a pedestal and made me feel special, showered me with all the attention I craved.” Eight years and 3 sons later, Bailey started to realize the control her husband had over her when he talked her out of her dream of going for a degree in Social Work to go into business with him. As Bailey relates, “I never realized that the verbal, mental, controlling, manipulating violent raging behavior was ABUSE. Looking back now, I see I walked on eggshells around him. … My oldest son witnessed things and even as a young boy I believe now it really affected him.” After 20 years of marriage, her husband totally snapped one day and became physically violent to the point of Bailey seeing her life flash before her eyes. She knew she could not allow her children to be victims of this abuse any longer. Bailey left and enrolled herself and her three boys into therapy. However, the trauma, PTSD, and triggers never went away, especially for the children who witnessed one parent being violent to another. Bailey’s oldest son had a mental health breakdown, which started Bailey advocating for Mental Health Awareness. One of Bailey’s goals is to get a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. “I want to help advocate in Law Enforcement. I truly believe so many deaths, suicides, abuse, etc., could be prevented if our Law Enforcement were better trained.” Welcome to NAASCA!