Publisher's Synopsis
This survivor's account - of how the author was helped to come to terms with being sexually abused throughout his boyhood - provides opportunities for a wide range of people to learn from his tragic experience. It is a harrowing, first person account of the abuse suffered from age of 6 to 18, and it includes explicit illustrated drawings by the author, which most will find deeply upsetting. Greatly assisted by art therapy, the author offers unique opportunities to learn about profoundly harmful abuse, how to prevent it, and how to chart a path toward recovery. The author's message is that "someday, someone could come to you and tell you they've been assaulted in a similar way. It could be your own kid, or a friend. Or it could be you. Perhaps this book will help you prepare for that, and you'll be better able to handle it...I hope you find some benefit from it. Proceed at your own risk, but be kind and gentle to yourselves always." Martin Calder - an internationally known trainer and consultant - contributes to the second part of the book. He cross-checks the author's account with known theoretical frameworks of understanding and response. Calder uses this knowledge to explain and enhance how to work with both male survivors of abuse and their abusers. His message to perpetrators is that we now "have a clearer causal understanding of your behaviour...we are harnessing this knowledge into initiatives that will help us prevent your activities." His message to survivors is that "we are more familiar with the pathways you have been taken down, and we now have a much clearer map and compass to help you successfully chart a path to recovery."
