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This article contains references to domestic abuse and may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).
The author of this story is known to Mamamia but has chosen to remain anonymous. The feature image used is a stock photo.
As I sat crying on the floor, broken hearted, I asked myself, how can someone I love be so cruel and hurt me so much?
My four-year-old son comes to me, worried by my uncontrollable sobbing. He tries to comfort me, asking if I’m ok and gives me a hug. Deja vu hits me. Why am I here again?
The only difference this time is that my abuser is not my partner, but my teenage son.
Watch: Women and Violence - The Hidden Numbers. Post continues below.
Fifteen years ago, I left my teenage son's abusive father. Leaving with my then two-year-old son, I never wanted him to experience that fear. I swore that my son would be different, that I was going to raise him to respect women and treat them as equals.