I think your point about the differences in the way a child brought up in a more healthy environment vs a child brought up in an abusive environment speaks a lot also to why child abuse survivors tend to find themselves in abusive situations many times in life: we were never allowed to fight for ourselves. We often don't figure out until much later that hurtful and scary situations are not normal, and that we do not need to tolerate them. I felt so stupid when I finally figured out in college that all much of what I went through growing up was not right. I knew I felt like crap before hand. I knew I created a lot, but I was never aware of my own self - worth. I had no clue that I had the right to fight my first bf, refuse his advances, and that he should have stopped at that point. You were very lucky to grow up knowing to stand up for yourself, and knowing that you would not be destroyed for it... child abuse sucks. All abuse sucks, but child abuse can really **** a person up for a long time. :/