Ben’s Only Christmas Wish…

This holiday season, Ben has one wish:

“Dear Santa, some people want a phone or a computer for Christmas. Well, all I want for Christmas is for the violence to stop.”

Ben is one of thousands of children who will draft similar letters to Santa this year, as domestic violence continues to poison the holiday cheer. An unfortunate result of heightened financial stress and family anxieties during the holiday season may be increased violence in the home: it is well known that Christmas is a peak time for psychological troubles, but domestic violence incidents peak around the holidays as well.

Ben’s family never celebrated Christmas in any special way, for fear of abuse if Ben’s father were to drink for the occasion. After years of violence, Ben’s mother finally fled Ben’s abusive father, deciding it was time for a change. His touching wish was recorded as part of a program designed to help him understand his past and move forward on a path free of violence.

Children coping with their traumatic past write similar letters in programs throughout the country. One “Worry List” includes the plea “Please help children like me. Don’t ignore what’s going on behind closed doors.”

We cannot continue to allow Ben’s wish and the pleas of thousands of children alike to go unanswered this holiday season. The innocent children who suffer daily from domestic violence are asking us to help break the cycle of violence from which they suffer.

Amy Richards