I didn't tell anyone because I didn't even know that I was being abused. I was raised in isolation to a great extent, so I didn't experience any other kind of treatment by people. I was not allowed to speak to anyone outside of our home or allowed to leave home except to go to school, and I was not allowed to speak at home, either. Speaking out loud would get me a beating. I was this quiet child who never spoke.

That's a good question. I really don't know the answer to that one.

I can guess that I was so intimidated by my family and separated from the world that speaking to outsiders about private things within my family life was unthinkable. But this is only a guess. I was raised to believe that the world is filled with dangerous, hostile people who should not be trusted. That is of course true to a great extent.

And of course like many abused children I didn't know what other families were like. I assumed that all fathers are cruel and violent and all mothers are cold and indifferent to their boy children.

When my father was finished the last time, he got up, went to the bathroom, came out and said, "Now DON'T YOU EVER LET ANYONE DO THAT TO YOU." My little brain had already dissociated during the act, now it went somewhere else. The Shame was embedded from his wods. I wasn't there for the first part, so the second part seemed like I had really done somethng wrong.

I didn't tell anyone because all the people I knew were in on it. I even tried to tell the pastor of my mothers church but he didn't care. He told me it didn't matter what my mother did, all were welcome in his church. I didn't tell because there was no one TO tell.

I didn't tell anyone because I was completely terrified of my uncle, but for the first few years I wasn't aware that he was doing anything wrong...I was too young to understand, and as I got older he would use threats and violence to keep me quiet.

We learned from other smaller TRUTHS that we were not believed, we got in terrible trouble if a favored person was part of a truth where they smelled less than rosy, being scapegoated for every other wrong all day long there was danger that telling any story meant taking blame, and there was no where to run where anyone would care if telling was a mistake.
Self preservation meant fear that revealing would increase frequency.
Self preservation required hiding being invisible as much as possible.
Starvings were her favorite trick.
Second favorite letting everyone take their favorite food odd my plate leaving me what I hated
Third beating my dog to a pulp while I watched

Sorry, what was the question

I didn't know how. All I knew was that I had to lay low until I could escape. Who would listen? And what is it that they could have done for us? The narcissist has everyone wrapped around their finger. They are charming, cunning and can get away with just about anything. I am in my early 40s and I didn't even know what that word was until a couple of years ago. Not one freaking therapist mentioned it to me. Everything made perfect sense after years of therapy when I realized that was what my Dad was. I am lucky I escaped and I am waiting quietly for him to expire.