Educating adults

Home: Family & Friends: Supporting Males: It happened to us

Adults as well as children need to recognise that boys are abused. It is also important to recognise that sexual assault of children is about abuse of the power adults have over children, and that it occurs across all levels of society.

Adults must also believe the boy's disclosure of sexual abuse and act to protect him.

'The thing is not why does it happen but to create an environment in which it is less likely to happen.'

'Child sexual abuse is not about sexual gratification, it is about the abuse of power mostly and because of this it does not have to be males abusing females, it extends to males abusing males.'

'The person who abused me was an authority figure and used that position to gain the trust of my parents and others.'

'Keeping it within the family, hoping or believing it will pass without intervention is wrong and ill-informed ... the worst thing is the wall of silence, this just allows things to continue and even if the sexual abuse stops, another form of abuse will start because abuse is about power and control.'

'Always put the children first. It's the only way, part of me has a thing about making it public.'

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Disclaimer Copyright Updated: 21 May 2010