Sharon Wink

I was somewhat disturbed by the negative reviews of this documentary. I am a licensed psychotherapist and have advanced certifications in many areas explored in this film including trauma and sexual abuse. I have worked with thousands of victims, perpetrators and survivors through the many programs I have developed in mental health, substance abuse, prevention and intervention. My main hope is that we learn how to keep children safer in their homes. We are all impacted by child and adult abuse. It happens in every family, everywhere, everyday. What many may not understand is that all of the reactions and behaviors of those who survived the sexual abuse and trauma in this film were normal based on where they were in their process of what they individually and as a group experienced. We get assigned roles in families and when immersed in inter generational patterns of dysfunction, abuse, and trauma that were at play long before anyone was ever born we develop mechanisms to survive and function and they are not always pretty or healthy. Having open dialogues to not allow the perpetrators to remain protected or demonized and survivors and their families silenced because it’s just too uncomfortable to face that we allow abuse to continue is paramount. We must allow uncomfortable exploration of abuse to occur no matter what without judgement about where each of us may be in our process of survival and recovery. Almost all sexual abuse perpetrators were once innocent child victims of child and/or sexual abuse they eventually perpetuated with many someones having remained silent about their victimization and beginnings of their perpetuation as juveniles against other children. Until we stop the silence and begin many more open dialogues about our child and adult and family abuse epidemic our inter generational patterns of trauma will keep giving to each generation to come.