Girl in a Gilded Cage by Elise Macdonald
What we do
The Flying Child CIC is a non-profit, community interest company, founded by Sophie Olson – a survivor of intrafamilial CSA. The aim of the organisation is two-fold. The Flying Child Project brings lived experience into the heart of professional settings, including education, social work and healthcare. Real stories help to break down barriers and dispel myths that lead to victims of abuse being overlooked, and their normal reactions to trauma being misunderstood.
Latest event: Book your tickets on Eventbrite now:
A lived-experience workshop with survivor activist Sophie Olson
Listen now: An interview with Sophie Olson and SARSAS
Find out more about Sophie Olson by listening to her story on BBC Radio 4’s The Last Taboo:
Our core belief is that we must normalise speaking out about child sexual abuse. The statistics are high, and stigma and shame silence the majority. We need to start talking about Child Sexual Abuse.
Breaking stigma is another form of prevention. It is the stigma that creates shame. Shame leads to silence and silence is the cause of the taboo. Abuse, the abused and the perpetrators hide in the shadows.
The Flying Child Project
The Flying Child book: Coming soon…
For the survivor living in the shadow of abuse or its repercussions, this site may be a beacon of light. Recovery from child sexual abuse is possible, regardless of how far you feel you’ve fallen, however trapped you feel in a cycle of poor mental health or addiction, however detached you feel from your sense of self. There is always a way through the shadows, even when you feel hope is lost.
For the professional who works with survivors of CSA, this site will provide further insight into effect of trauma on that individual’s mind, body and soul, a deeper understanding of a survivor’s response to this trauma when faced with the normal trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Expressing the trauma is the key to healing. As survivors we recognise the need to speak about what happened to us. It is hard to say the words about abhorrent acts done to our own bodies and minds, yet not speaking them is harder as they fester inside us like a cancer.
We all deserve the opportunity to tell our story without people turning away because that truth is unpalatable.
Sophie Olson