Andy Woodward: Position of Trust: The Silent Battle and the Power of Speaking Out….
As a child, I had a dream. A dream so pure, so full of hope, that it became the very essence of who I was. I wanted to play football, to feel the grass beneath my boots, to hear the cheers of the crowd, and to make my family proud. That dream was my everything. It was my escape, my joy, my purpose. But for some of us, dreams are stolen, not by failure, not by chance, but by the very people we are taught to trust.
The position of trust is sacred. It is the bond between a child and an adult who is meant to guide, protect, and nurture. But when that trust is broken, when it is manipulated and weapons pointing at you, it leaves scars that run deeper than words can ever describe.
As a boy, I was placed in a position where the power of authority loomed over me like a shadow. The fear of that power was suffocating. How could I, a child, stand against someone who held my dream in their hands? The fear of speaking out, the fear of not being believed, the fear of losing everything, it was paralysing. And so, I stayed silent.
That silence became my prison. The secrets I kept buried deep within me became a weight I carried every single day. The internal pain was relentless, gnawing away at my sense of self. I smiled on the outside, but inside, I was screaming. I told myself to keep going, to keep living, but the voice inside me whispered, “Don’t tell. Don’t let them see your shame.”
But here’s the truth about secrets: they don’t stay hidden. They manifest in ways we don’t even realise. For years, I lived with the impact of that internal pain. It shaped my behavior, my relationships, and my sense of worth. I sabotaged the good in my life because I didn’t believe I deserved it. I carried shame that was never mine to carry.
To any survivor reading this, I want you to know that I see you. I understand the weight you carry, the pain you endure, and the strength it takes just to keep going. But I also want you to know this: you are not alone. Your voice matters. Your story matters.
Speaking out is not easy. It is terrifying. But it is also liberating. When I finally broke my silence, I felt the chains of shame begin to loosen. I realized that the shame was never mine to bear. It belonged to the person who abused their power, who betrayed my trust, who stole my innocence.
To the younger generations, to the children who may be living in fear, I want you to know that your dream is still yours. No one has the right to take it from you. Speak up, no matter your age, no matter your circumstances. There is strength in your voice, and there is hope in your truth.
And to the survivors who have carried their pain in silence for years, it is never too late to release that burden. You are not defined by what happened to you. You are defined by your courage, your resilience, and your ability to rise above.
The power of authority can be a dangerous thing when placed in the wrong hands. But the power of your voice, your truth, and your hope is far greater. Together, we can break the cycle of generational abuse. Together, we can create a world where trust is sacred, where dreams are protected, and where no child has to live in fear.
You are not alone. You are never alone. And your story has the power to change the world.