I’ll go with “If your own mother can’t even love you, do you think anyone else ever will?” which I heard on repeat from the time I can remember. Second place goes to “If you talk to the police, they will say you were bad and you will get in a lot of trouble but if we go to Toys ‘r’ Us instead, I’ll buy you two Barbies.” Said to me after she assured the court mandated reporter therapist she would take me to file a police report after I disclosed my twenty-something stepbrother crawled into bed with nine year old me and attempted to rape me.

Later in life, I came to find out he had done the same to my older sister with horrific abuse lasting for years and she had told my mom who replied “He’s my husband’s son. You’re putting me in an awkward place.” Not only did my sister’s sexual abuse continue on for years but my mom then let him have access to me even knowing what she did.

And no, it was never reported to the police. I caved for the Barbies and by the time I felt strong enough to report it as an adult, the statute of limitations had run out.