'FLOW' A Film About the Disclosure of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Trauma-informed care is growing in importance in health and social care, with disclosure as a vital first step. Yet evidence suggests that individual interactions with professionals may not facilitate trauma disclosure. ‘Flow’ aimed to address this. The film represents a high-quality, behaviour change resource that can be utilised in a wide range of circumstances. It was co-produced by representatives from the University of Sheffield, NHS England, the Department of Health and people with lived experience of childhood sexual abuse.

Flow follows the story of Amy, who is preparing for her art exhibition when a comment reignites traumatic childhood memories. She wants to approach her General Practitioner for help but is hindered both by family loyalty and barriers to disclosure within the NHS. ‘Flow’ has been used both in statutory services and non-governmental organisations, as well as being selected for inclusion in two film festivals. It represents an innovative way to communicate research results and foster change.

The high-resolution version of the film is available at: https://player.sheffield.ac.uk/events/flow.

The full article is available via https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13607804241248347 and is very representative of how difficult it is to disclose sexual abuse that has occurred within a family, to not only health professionals, but also to other family members.