Hough to establish foundation for child abuse victims

Los Angeles: Actress Julianne Hough, a victim of physical and mental abuse as a child, wants to launch her own charity to help girls who have suffered similarly.

Hough's troubled past inspired her to associate with non-profit anti-bullying organisation - Kind Campaign.

Now, she is in the process of establishing her own foundation to lend advice and support child abuse victims, reports Contactmusic.

"I don't want pity. To me, it's more about being that voice for people who don't necessarily have a voice...," Hough told Cosmopolitan magazine.

"It's important because there are a lot of girls who have gone through so much and sexual abuse," she said.

"They're fine talking about it. They are dead, straight-faced. Then the minute they break down is when they are like, 'I just wish I had a friend to talk to'," she added.

Remembering her childhood days, she said that when she was 10 years old, she was a "tormented little kid, who had to put on this sexy facade because that was my job and my life."

"But my heart was the same, and I was this innocent little girl. I wanted so much love," Hough said.

"While I was in London, I was abused, mentally, physically, everything... It got worse when I started hitting puberty, when I started becoming a woman and stopped being a little girl," she added.

The 24-year-old admits her fans and young relatives' attitude towards her inspire her to do more to help others.

"I have 17 nieces and nephews. The way that they look up to me is scary. I'm like, 'Oh c**p! I better be an aunt they can be proud of'," she said.