As children, we grow and learn the ways of the world and what is right and wrong. Our parents and carers, who we rely on, are our guides. But what happens when those adults or any person asks you to do something, or someone does something to you, touches you in a way that doesn't feel right or makes you feel strange? Maybe you're told it's special or a secret, or that it's your fault. When someone who professes to love you should protect you, hurts you, it's confusing and damaging at any age, especially for vulnerable children. How do you make sense of it, escape it and cope? Tonight's episode is the Child Abuse Club.   Beth interviews three brave, astute and articulate women who speak together anonymously to share their stories of abuse when they were children and how it has affected their lives.    Some topics included in this discussion may be triggering or distressing for some listeners. If you need support, please contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.   Topics include:  >         why the perpetrator sexually abused a child?  >         love/coercion/grooming/using idea of love as manipulation  >          pornographic images >         familial assault  >         abuse begets abuse as an excuse  >         if most victims of sexual assault are women, why isn't there a pandemic of female abusers?  >         forgiveness  >         stranger assault  >          psychologist  >          entitlement/sickness of perpetrators >          inflicting devastation on children  >          immediate tangible effects of assault not evident or even understood by the victim  >          allows perpetrators to excuse behaviour >         invisible harm, but mental devastation  >         strategies of violence or emotional manipulation to comply  >         sexual abuse survivor triggers >         addressing sexual assault as an adult head on >         mistrust and defensiveness, violent reactions  >         scepticism from others because of nondisclosure as a child  >         scepticism because you didn't go to the police and report the offences  >          facing/confronting the perpetrator many years later  >          visualising little vulnerable self and protecting her  >         name change/moving away from the perpetrator  >         hatred  >          strength, using your voice  >          crossing the road to avoid men  >          Hannah Gadsby show, “Nanette” >          validating having experience confirmed  >          family dysfunction  >          abuse has a ripple effect through families  >          parenting style >          anti-secrecy  >          body autonomy  >          abusers more