Hi my names Ryan, I am 20 years old and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse.

I was sexually abused by my step dad from age 8 till 14 when it faded out. He then physically and emotionally abused me till 16 when a near suicide led me to speaking out.

What do I have to say?

Prevention will never effectively happen until survivors’ stories are listened to properly.

I think the best people we can learn from are survivors for prevention. That’s why I am currently developing courses that will teach youth workers, eventually educators, about sexual abuse using the stories of survivors.

I am working alongside a youth worker called Mike, who was actually my youth worker at the time I was being abused. So we have the perspective of the youth worker who could have potentially missed signs or didn’t create space for children to open up about things at home and we have the perspective of the abused child.

All our stories and voices are so important. That’s why this is so important to me. Speak out for change.