I FINALLY GET WHAT YOU WERE SAYING MARK,the correlation from severe child abuse and seeking out similar situations as adults for comfort and similarity. Wow the childhood is so very important.....💕

"So many broken children living in grown bodies mimicking adult lives"

There’s a special place in hell for people who abuse children. 🤬

My dad was abused as a child. He died 28 years ago. He was the saddest person I have ever met. I love you daddy I hope you're finally in a better place💙

What an intelligent well spoken man. What a damn shame that he was not given the love and opportunities that he deserved.

I find his photograph particularly stunning. He looks like an innocent child and an older, weathered man at the same time. I pray that his soul can one day find the peace it deserves.

The adults failed him growing up. It's just sad.. Pisses me off.

I teared up instantly when he said his aunt caught the abuse in the act & didn't do anything! My heart breaks for him. I hope his life turns around & he gets peace of mind!

This is why the videos on sex offenders garner so much hate. Predators preying on innocents . The often irreversible damage child abuse causes. He articulated the results so well. So many lost children becoming lost adults.

6 minutes in and I just wanna hug him 😔 poor bloke what he had to endure.

I’m not even 2 minutes into this video and had to press stop. Child abuse burns me up 😡

My condolences to ANYONE traumatized by a family member at an early age... dealing with traumas from complete strangers is anyone’s biggest fear.. but growing up wondering about your own family and not feeling safe at home has to be a whole different beast.

I like this guy. Articulate, self aware, honest and resilient. Best of luck J.J

JJ instantly is one of my favorites. He’s such a gentle pure, broken soul. Mark, thank you for reassuring him that he didn’t deserve what happened to him as a child. I could see in his eyes how those words permeated his mind and how he views himself. He has all the potential in the world! Please do an update.

I’m glad this is talked about no matter how uncomfortable it is people need to know the affects this has on people. Kids don’t forget these things

“I still have hope” That was powerful.

I feel like deep down his grandma knew his grandfather was fixated on him 👀 and in some sort of warped way was jealous of him. It’s no telling how his grandfather spoke about him when he wasn’t around. Thank you for sharing your story!

Millions of boys are just like you JJ! You are so Brave to share! This never should have happened!

There are some sickkkkkkkk people in this world. My heart hurts for him.

May he find the peace he needs within himself. God bless.

Realizing after watching more and more of the videos posted on this channel that children being molested by family members is way more common than I could even imagine. We are always taught to watch our children around strangers and yet it’s many of the ones under the same roof as them who are the real predators. So sad 😞

This is why I was so overprotective of my son. To the point that I probably smothered and spoiled him a little. My greatest fear was him being molested by someone. I vowed to do life in prison if someone ever did that to him.

His aunt saw him being sexually abused by his grandfather and did nothing! I hate humans! I pray this man finds peace and healing. 🙏🏾

Sexual abuse against boys is not spoken of as frequently as against girls . But it actually happens just as often. J.J's story hopefully will help some parents to wake up .. He's a lovely gentleman.

I hope this guy gets therapy. I wish him best.

What a gentle, sweet, intelligent and thoughtful man. Such a shame the world was unkind to him, he truly deserves much better. There is still so much potential to his life.

What a beautiful soul to be able to be so vulnerable and honest about his past. It’s so unfair for him that “it’s just the way life was”.

“It’s like I don’t even wanna open my eyes and look at what I’m going through in life” that hit hard for me. That’s definitely depression and it sucks that he has lived his WHOLE life like this... so sad omg

I can relate to wanting to sleep your depression away. Only getting out of bed because you have to. That part really took me back to a dark place. That I never want to live again. I can relate to overcoming and understanding. We have completely different stories and the same feelings it’s crazy.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in life? "To never give up."

for someone who's never had counselling, nor help with depression/anxiety he is incredibly insightful, forgiving and cognizant of all the issues that have got him this far. I honestly believe good things will come his way. He has the hope and drive and the desire to help. I wish him all the best

JJ, you are NOT the things that happened to you. You are a beautiful person who deserves love. The awfulness that was done to you was never your fault and you never deserved it. I hope you get some help and learn to love yourself. You definitely do deserve that. Take care gentle heart.

Its crazy how so many peoples lives are ruined from sexual abuse, and yet it happens so often, and so littel spoken about

What a beautiful strong soul this gentlemen is! I believe every time a male speaks out about sexual abuse he endured, he is helping to prevent someone else to live a life of shame.

Adults are so f***ing disappointing. His childhood though 😩

Please ask this man back he’s very intelligent it’s a shame no one cared and sad that he couldn’t express his thoughts and feelings to others but has an understanding as an adult right and the wrong of his situation I find his story interesting

He is so self aware and just needs the support and tools to turn his life around and heal from all of the abuse. What if JJ was able to find a low cost therapist in LA at the Open Path Collective organization that is trained in trauma focused therapy like EMDR and knows how to handle childhood sexual abuse and incest. A fundraiser could be started that goes directly to his therapy and a way to get there every week. He still has hope.

My god. There will be a judgment day & I HOPE these “parents”, etc are ready. Hearing stories like this, hurt my heart, to the core.

Mannn I think JJ is stronger than he claims to be... I could see him being a school counselor or a therapist especially since he went through the mud and how mark lifted him up at the end was so beautiful... I wish people would act like Mark... sometimes all people need to hear is one kind word to change their life

He seems like such a wonderful soul! I hope he finds peace. His grandmother probably didn’t hate him because they left, she knew her husband was a nasty pervert and instead of confronting her husband she took it out on him as a boy. I love that Mark poured positivity in to him at the end.

I don't know this man but I have an overwhelming urge to hug him and never let go. He reminds me so much of my grandpa with the way he tells a story and his facial expressions and he seems so sweet, intelligent, and well spoken. Ugh I pray for better days ahead for you J.J.

My heart. What a reflective man. Hope he finds the peace he deserves.

It’s really so sad how our childhoods effect us forever 😢. So much from my childhood plays a roll in my life now. Parents NEED to realize and remember this. Your worth it JJ! What your parents did was not your fault ❤️ You have been thru so much but you are loved and you are strong! You deserve everything life has to offer you ! I hope you can see that one day ! So brave for sharing your story !😊

This might be my favorite interview yet. This man is saving lives with his testimony. Your feedback was so awesome, Mark. Some real healing took place there. With his attitude, there's no telling what he can do now! Melissa-Dallas

Morning Mark and SWU fam...This really saddened me. JJ I'm sorry ur Grandfather wasn't the protector or teacher u needed him to be. I bet he damaged ur father as well. Ur brave, please stay encouraged sir. It was NOT ur fault those adults failed u. 😔

Tragic. This man is so intelligent. How well he articulates the pain and hurt he has been through. My heart breaks for him.

It's horrible to be an unwanted child and it affects your whole life and all the decisions you make are usually bad ones.

The last segment of the interview was really touching , I don’t think JJ has ever been told that he’s a great guy and didn’t deserve any of what happened to him . You could tell that he really needed to hear that , the shame must be so hard to deal with , I hope he feels a better that he had chance to talk about his story and in some way it was therapeutic, what a thoroughly nice guy

god.. the endless stories of neglect are really starting to get to me :(

So amazing how self reflected and well spoken he is. What a good soul, God bless him

I understand, I was physically, sexually,and mentally abused as a child... I’m a pretty anxious and scared adult , I’m all jacked up

I can't imagine how anyone can survive such horrific trauma and try to live a normal life. ( If there is such a thing ) May God Bless this man.

It’s a wonder he didn’t go off on a killing on his family... damn just breaks my heart to hear anybody going thru this type of abuse...don’t ever think it was your fault being abuse by anyone... this type of stuff really makes you mad... I wish he had the courage to talk to his mom though

This man effects more than any other person I’ve watched on here so far. Is there a go fund me for him? He needs therapy, he needs to be loved ❤️ and he needs to find he’s daughter and talk to her, it’s never to late. I’m sure that she needs to hear from him. They both need each other’s love. He seems like such a caring man, he deserves so much more out of life.

I hope this confession, speaking the truth, brings JJ more peace and clarity. JJ, you didn’t deserve this, and for that I am very sorry this happened to you. 😔 Thank you for sharing and I hope this helps you feel better and brings you a new vision because you are worthy. The world needed to know, your family needs to know. You are helping people, you are opening peoples eyes & hearts. I understand shame is real, I have it too. We just have to work on it everyday.

JJ is so brutally honest and so articulate. He is extremely intelligent. His story right here in this video is helping others and is making difference. I wish so much happiness and success for him. ✌️💕

He's so relatable and his ability to put into words what so many have allowed fear to rob them of..very laid back with all the years of drug use his mind is still so sharp...one of my favorites ❤

When you think you're doing bad or going through things in life just watch this channel and you'll know just how thankful and grateful you really need to be.

Mark, I love how tenderly you affirm people and speak life over them! I feel like your work is a form of therapy for people, especially those that feel they can tell their story for the first time and actually be heard ♡

This is like a horrible serial killer's backstory. Poor dude, he seems like a wonderful guy. Sexual abuse is no joke.

“Words permit one to cross into the life of another” thank you Mark for being the guardian of this voyage. Without these stories, the words, most of us couldn’t truly imagine the pain of others.

I feel humbled to hear this story from JJ while he's alive and well. There is hope. The road is long and hard and worth it. Notice how he says his family divorced, not his parents. And he almost said "childhard" instead of "childhood". I hope sharing this is a relief and path to healing for JJ. He has made it this far.

Makes me want to cry. He is worthy ,as we all are. Wish him the love and peace in this phase of his life 3 fold

My father destroyed me. My heart breaks for him

his eyes are so positive. a virtual hug to j.j. Never give up!

This man comes across so well, I am sorry for the way he/you were treated as a child. My heart goes out to you.

So well spoken it really makes me sad his life was stolen from him. I truely pray he finds healing.

I recently just shared my own story with my partner of 7 years. I’ve never had such peace. He doesn’t look at my any different but now he understand why I removed myself from my family. I’m sorry you had to endure this in life but you sound well educated for being on the streets so long.

The child abuse he experience is so sad and disgusting.. It resulted in him being broken to his very soul. He speaks very intelligently. Wishing Mr. J.J. peace and happiness. God bless !!

He seems like such an insightful, sweet, bright man. What a tragic loss of potential.

Wow, his revelation at the end was everything. Mark, what you do is amazing.

I liked how he said he felt like he belonged in skid row because the ppl were damaged. There is always something somewhat innocent, child-like about those who were abused/molested as children. I cant imagine how confused he grew up. How sad not to know what being loved means because how can you love someone or have a relationship. 😔 I pray for you JJ. I loved hearing your story.

I hope he finds happiness, he deserves it. I'm sure talking about this helps him acknowledge it was Not his fault. Talking about it is therapeutic, he releases some of the negativity. JJ seems like a very conscientious person 💞

"There's no healing about it cuz that's just the way life is." That speaks volumes about this gentleman and our homeless. It breaks my heart. People don't understand and moreover won't take the time to learn. Thank you for sharing your story sir. ❤

He is such a wise well spoken person. He went through so much but is so aware. He is worth much more than what he thinks he is. Very sad.

Sexual abuse ruins so many lives! As a child you're ashamed you always blame yourself you begin to hate who you're ... Sexual predators need to face the same consequences as a murderer because they take these kids lives! They will never be the same.

What a sweet man, I know exactly how he feels. God bless you.

Sending prayers and love his way. He is worthy of way more.

I so want someone to come along and invest themselves into this man's life. He is so intelligent, articulate, well-spoken, and has a certain dignified air about him. He could be a motivational speaker talking to people about how to overcome.

We have to Protect our babies smh

I just want to give him a hug 😣 I hope he gets the help he needs & gets the life he deserves!!! 🌷💯

He is just so well spoken. He is speaking all the truth.

Abuse... sexual abuse... prevents healthy development (emotional, mental, sexual, etc) in children. The adults in his family truly failed him. It’s not surprising he has found a community in those from Skid row where people have similar wounds and stories. We all want and need a sense of belonging as social creatures. Even if he sought therapy and healed, he may still choose to stay on the streets. His insight is beautiful and you can tell he has unpacked a lot of his childhood. Good luck to this man.

I have watched this in two sessions and all day I was thinking about poor JJ..... please please don’t be ashamed JJ.... you HAVE ZERO reasons to be ashamed. You are way stronger then you even realize. For you to not even tell your Mom is so heartbreaking because she probably would have made it known and possibly taken you away from this.... if she was even capable. I hope you feel a sense of relief from your talk with Mark. There are a lot of us who will keep you in our prayers. God Bless you !! You seem like such a sincere and loving person. Please try to get clean and get yourself a job so you can show yourself that you are worthy.... because you are. Bless you.

For some reason, his story hit me hard, there is something so beautiful about him. Thank you so much for sharing your story J.J. I wish you all the best.

He's so articulate... I keep seeing this comment. Like, why wouldn't he be?🙄

I agree with everything Mark said at the end of the interview! He summed it up perfectly. " JJ, you deserve everything that life has to offer. And I hope it comes your way."

The strenght this man has... to not only survive but talk about all this so openly. Respect!

I wish I could just hug him and show him what a loving family should be like 🥺 these stories are so common. Young kids being molested by family members 😢 child molesters need the death penalty. Bless him 💕

His story is heartbreaking. What an amazing man. I am soooo upset that he had to deal with so many people that let him down and didn't protect him. A shame. Mark, please follow up work this gentleman... he can come thrive this work resources if he really tries

He is very articulate in expressing his negative background. So glad he put this out there. So sincere also. If he needs someone to talk to I would be willing to do so Mark If u want to call me just msg me here and I will give u my number. Sincerely, Lara here in so California.

Oh wow JJ, I can tell you have put a lot of thought on your life, emotions, everything. Because even tho you feel lost, you express yourself so well and are very self-aware. I would love to listen more about you.

I feel so sad for him. The people that were supposed to love and protect him, damaged him for their own selfish gratification. Praying for you J.J , and yes, you ARE worthy! Keep your head up, good man. 🙏🏽🙏🏽💗

JJ you _are_ intelligent, articulate _and_ *worthy* ! I hope you *know* you are not alone in your story. Thank You for sharing! 🙏

What hurts the most about this is that you can see he wants help. He tells you he wants help. He doesn't want to give up on life. It all starts with childhood. Please be kind and compassionate to children, it can go a long way.

with everything you've been through JJ, you still shine like a KING!! Blessings to you!

GOD PLZ DO ME A FAVOR AND KEEP HIS HEART AND MIND IN PERFECT PEACE

As a mother of a 6 year old daughter, it breaks my heart into little pieces to hear about children getting abused sexually, mentally & physically. As adults, we need to protect our children & look out for eachother's children in general so things like these don't happen. Kids should be playing and having fun, not worrying about getting abused. Our children are so precious and no child should be put through these things.

Sir thank you for sharing your story...I hope you find a new sense of freedom and a release from your past. I too was sexually abused as a child by my two oldest brothers. As an adult I told my family and my two abusers that if they didn’t want anyone to know then they shouldn’t have touch me, because the moment they touched me it became my story and I can and will tell whomever I want. Until we are empowered to stand up and identify our abusers, child sexual abuse won’t stop. I hope now that you have found the strength to tell your story, you will continue to have the opportunity to share your strength. I believe your story will help others find their own voices and in turn healing. Thank you again and God bless 🙏🏻

It takes a lot of strength and courage to speak out and talk about childhood trauma. Especially for a man, he was very brave and now he’s telling his story. This is the reason why I stopped being so judgmental towards homeless people, you just never know what life had thrown at them. Much love to that man. And respect ✊🏼