Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Never too late to tell
Film helps raise abuse awareness
A powerful new animated video has been produced by NHS Lanarkshire to assist professionals working closely with survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA).
The moving eight- minute animation, “Never too late to tell: understanding childhood sexual abuse”, has been put together by the health board’s gender-based violence ( GBV) and clinical psychology services, along with Glasgow-based video company Media Co-op.
The acclaimed production has already met with success, scooping runner-up in the “service user story” category of this month’s Film Festival in Salford, which showcased public sector film-making.
It comes as the focus was put on raising awareness of gender-based violence through the annual 16 Days of Action campaign, which took place last week.
The campaign called for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and urged businesses to have an infrastructure in place to help employees who have been or continue to be affected by the issue.
The animation follows the story of “Moira”, through her experience of CSA, its impact on her as a teenager and then as a young mother.
It ends with the character taking the step of seeking professional support following her experience of CSA.
NHS Lanarkshire clinical psychologist Dr Elaine Carr said: “The animation is an accessible way to communicate many of the issues associated with childhood sexual abuse.
“It is an invaluable training resource and conveys the common impacts of abuse such as low mood, anxiety, problems with intimacy, flashbacks and nightmares.”
Dr Carr continued: “I’m grateful to all those I have had the privilege of working with – those who inspired this animation and those that did ‘tell’.
“Understandably, many survivors find it difficult to tell, and I hope the animation will help those struggling with the effects of CSA to know that support is available.”
NHS Lanarkshire GBV services manager Ann Hayne added: “The animation shows how perpetrators of CSA use grooming and coercion to gain control and silence children and young people, and how they manipulate other adults around a child or young person, including nonabusing parents.
“It also illustrates the impact on children and young people, the power imbalance between the perpetrator and children, the longterm impact of CSA on adults and ways in which adult survivors blame themselves for not realising what is happening and not being able to stop it.”
Anyone wishing to view the animation should visit www. nhslanarkshire.org.uk/services/gbvservices/