milk

𝐿𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓇𝑒.

because they were lonely and needed human interaction/attention

or had emotional needs not being met

because they thought it was the price of being treated with care

or because it was a way to understand/reenact/overwrite/escape previous trauma

because they thought it was normal

or because they had picked up the message that this was how to be daring and cool and sexy/mature

or because they didn’t really understand how it would affect them

because they felt like they deserved it

or because they thought there wasn’t a big difference and “age is just a number”

or because being sexual around adults was the only time people said nice things to them or seemed to like them or notice them

or for any other reason

… still did not deserve the abuse they suffered.

Kids who initiate flirtation with adults still don’t deserve abuse.

Adults who aren’t abusers will not take advantage of a kid’s crush or advances. It’s the adult’s responsibility to set clear boundaries and enforce them. It’s an adult’s responsibility to not become sexually or romantically involved with a child. Adults who do are abusers.

Children did not cause those adults to become abusers. Children cannot tempt nonabusers into becoming abusers. Children are never responsible for adults deciding to abuse.

Even if you feel like you made it really easy for them to abuse you, being vulnerable to abuse around a nonabuser doesn’t result in abuse. Your vulnerability wasn’t the cause of the abuse. Their choices were.