You Are The Expert And The Superhero!

Watched a video on the news this morning, of a disabled women being beaten in a group home, in Connecticut.
I was going to post the video on my blog and I changed my mind. It was so disgusting to me I refuse to post it.
Things like this happen all the time, in fact the support center told us getting our son to communicate was vital because it makes him an easy target if he can't. We live in a world of technology that allows us to catch these people in the act, but the one time we see it for ourselves is just one time. Every time I see a video like that my stomach literally turns when I think of all the things technology didn't record for us to witness.
Abusers are everywhere and when they are caught, they are charged and hopefully held accountable. The scary thing is, if someone has that kind of nature to them, being caught and held accountable is a temporary fix. The victim is never the same and the public is never completely safe from the next time. Even then, it's only the abusers who have actually been caught and there are many who are not.
So what do we do as parents because no child, disabled or not, is safe from the horrific nature of someone who hurts others for self gratification. In the group home case it wasn't even a child, but it is someones child no matter what her age is.
We don't want to scare our children into thinking every person in the world has the potential to hurt them. It takes away the trusting innocent nature that is so awesome about our kids. They are born that way and we want them to hold onto that as long as they can.
A parents intuition is a powerful thing. The man whose autistic son was being verbally abused at school knew something was not right. He knew his child and he had unanswered questions, so he acted on his instinct. Of course the teachers faced no punishment, but he was able to help his son by trusting his intuition. I am not suggesting we all wire up our kids, but something in his gut told him in that case he needed to.
If we want safety measures in place for our children, we have a right to request it. Maybe you will be seen as paranoid, over protective, and more then likely tagged as a difficult parent. As a mother or father you know your child or children better then anyone does.
You parental intuition didn't come with years of schooling or some certificate hanging on the wall. Hopefully it came to you the moment you held your child in your arms. A natural ability to protect and provide security almost like gaining a hidden superhero power we use when we see fit.
It's OK to be the paranoid, over protective, difficult parent because you are the expert and the superhero all wrapped up into one. On the days you just don't feel like a superhero and we all have them...see yourself through your child's eyes.
Get up, put your invisible superhero cape on and find your stride.