Ryan was supposed to find comfort in his mother's bed; instead his mother's boyfriend abused him.

Ryan was 11 years old when it first happened.

Home wasn't always a safe place. His mother struggled with alcohol, and there had already been previous trauma from domestic violence.

Most mornings, Ryan would climb into her bed, just to feel close to her and to feel some sense of comfort. One morning, her boyfriend was there too. When his mother got up to go to work, she left Ryan alone with him.

That's when the abuse began.

At the time, Ryan didn't fully understand what was happening. He knew it felt strange, even puzzling. Even more confusing, parts of it felt physically good. That's something some children can experience, and it can lead to overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment.

This is how child sexual abuse often goes unnoticed.

This is why awareness matters.

To contact Ryan on Instagram - @wryanw1973

Join our YouTube or Patreon Memberships for extra content and early access:

Patreon: https://patreon.com/SomethingtoSay

YouTube membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HNNfmEdxrGiVKxGNW6zoA/join

To follow us on social media;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somethingtosayofficial

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somethingtosayofficial1

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/something-to-say1

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@somethingtosayofficial

This podcast provides a platform for contributors to share their own lived experiences. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Something to Say has not independently verified the factual accuracy of statements made by contributors and does not endorse or adopt any allegations, assertions, opinions or conclusions expressed in this recording.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.