A Survivor’s Story
LCAHouston International Society News Editor Ruchi Mukherjee unravels the journey of Peta-gay Ledbetter through the cultural nuances of abuse, assault and survival.
“I ignored the signs of an abusive marriage since I grew up in a household that included physical abuse, beyond discipline or spanking. I was raised to believe that abuse was normal,” shares Peta. Dr. Peta-gay Ledbetter was born in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated with her family to the US when she was 8 years old.
Domestic violence does not differentiate between socio economic classes. Peta has dual PhDs in Educational Psychology and in Individual Differences, as well as a Master’s in Education. She is also a registered nurse. However, she married young in part because she thought she was “damaged goods” as she was held at gunpoint and sexually assaulted as a teenager. “I was raised to tolerate abuse. My parents did not support divorce and instead told me that I needed to be a better wife and not do things to make him angry,” she explains.
The turning point in her life came when she went to college and got an education, not just a degree. She finally realized that abuse was not normal and marriages were not supposed to be like this. Peta took a stand and refused to let her kids be affected by domestic violence.
“One night in particular, my ex husband got angry and threw a glass at me while my children witnessed it. That was it. I finally realized that I had to save my children, and I ended my abusive thirteen years of marriage.”
Currently Peta is the director of clinical services at the Alliance for Multicultural Community Services Clinical Services, a refugee resettlement agency that offers services specifically addressing issues of sexual assault, sex trafficking and domestic violence.
As a mother of a son and two step-daughters, Peta continues to be a role model for them.
“I think society has done a disservice to our youth by under-educating them about critical issues such as teen pregnancy, interpersonal violence, and how to protect themselves against bullying, drugs, addiction, human trafficking and being able to spot dangers, in our schools,” she frowns.
Her role model, Shirley Byers, M.Ed, LPC, was her counselor during her divorce and helped Peta process everything that had happened to her. From an abusive marriage to suicide attempts, Peta changed her life for the better. “Shirley saved my life and inspired me to pursue masters and doctorate degrees and even to compete for the title of Mrs. United Nations 2016.”
Peta continues to heal, thrive and not just survive with her loving husband of seven years. She lives her life with a smile and the mission to help other women as a survivor and healer.
Photos By Steven Grant
