In the novel The Skinny Girl, author S.M. Matthews has chosen Daisy as his lead character, and like many victims she is unaware that she is being abused. After leading a sheltered and lonely childhood, Daisy has grown into a young woman with low self-esteem and self worth. She is emotionally vulnerable - the perfect target for abuse.

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When Daisy meets Jeff she is overwhelmingly grateful to be loved, but deep down she feels undeserving of his attention. Jeff soon conditions Daisy to become the woman he believes she should be. After enduring many emotional battles resulting in lifelong scars, Daisy eventually understands that she is a victim of abuse.

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So what is abuse? There are many forms of abuse, some more obvious than others. Black eyes and broken bones are evidence of physical abuse that cannot be hidden, however the scars of emotional and psychological abuse are often unseen. Put simply, abuse is the intentional action to harm another: To inflict fear with the use of words, is abuse; to inflict fear with physical force or the threat of harm, is abuse; to force someone into sexual relations is abuse; to isolate a person in order to disempower them, is abuse; to manipulate a person for personal gain is abuse; to withold or manipulate money/income is also abuse.

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The theme of abuse runs throughout The Skinny Girl in ways that are very real for many men and women and we hope that The Skinny Girl will help those who continue to suffer silently identify their own experience of abuse. We also hope it serves to empower them to seek the help they deserve. You are never alone.

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Kate Glancey, Psychologist

BSc (Psych), Grad Dip App Psych