Oh, Mark...This post...First of all, I hope and trust that you and your family are safe now? As an unschooling parent it is truly horrifying to me to hear that you were threatened in this manner. It makes me feel angry, sad, protective...so many emotions, actually. Most of all, it makes me yearn for a world where we free spirits, and in fact ALL people, are free from tyranny and oppression. And I trust on a personal that you and yours will only be brought closer together than ever, and find a place where you will be safe to continue to spread your message of peace and love without the fear of violence.

I resonate very deeply with what you wrote here because I had a very troubled childhood and almost ended up in a 'care home' at 15 years old. I spent a few months living with a foster couple in our village because of the need for me to complete my exams at school there. Fortunately, they were very sweet and harmless, although I have to say, I despised them at the time - they were even more mainstream and fuddy-duddy than my parents, which 15-year-old me found very repellent! As the end of my exams neared the threat of being put into a care facility for troubled teens in the nearest city loomed and the social worker assigned to me became more feared and loathed by myself. He took me to visit the place I'd be transferred to and it (and he) completely freaked me out. I responded by running away as soon as I'd finished sitting my exams, at almost 16 years of age. Sadly, I ran straight into a very dangerous situation with an older man who saw me coming a mile off and proceeded to ruin the next 2 years of my life in ways that devastated the next several years of it.

You are absolutely right that this issue is HUGE and needs addressing by US, the PEOPLE, as part of a systematic extrication of ourselves and our children from the system of ABUSE that currently reigns upon this beautiful earth. I am here to help in any way that I can. As you'll see from my posts here on Steemit and elsewhere, I have turned my life around and used my own horrific experiences for the good. I am an agent for change and actively promote loving personal responsibility, individualism and autonomy. But I won't tell you it's been easy. That shadow is indeed long, and escaping the trauma nearly killed me.

Sending you and your loved ones so much love, from me and my unschooled 15-year old, Mark. We're in the UK, so anybody who would like information or to correspond about the situation here is very welcome to get in touch.