by Brendan Geary

When I was studying in the United States, I remember talking with a friend who informed me that he had been sexually abused as a child. I felt honoured to be trusted with this information, but remember wondering how best to respond. I was his friend, and did not want to come across in a counselling role, in case this led to him feeling like a client. I wanted to remain slightly conversational to avoid moving into ‘professional’ mode. After a while he said, with emphasis, ‘I need you to witness to what happened to me’. I got the message. What was required was my presence, attention, and a listening ear.