Educational Media Reviews Online

Boyhood Shadows strives to raise awareness about the highly-stigmatized topic of male sexual abuse by examining the stories of seven men. Each suffered abuse at the hands of trusted adults during their childhood. Their difficult journeys toward manhood serve as a wake-up call to the powerful effects of that breach of trust while suggesting a path toward healing. The driving force behind the program lies in the filmmaker’s friendship with Glenn, a victim who suffered abuse for two years at the hands of a childhood friend’s alcoholic uncle and who has long struggled towards recovery. Glenn serves as the film’s anchor, and viewers are granted a greater appreciation of the challenges (which run the gamut from anger management problems to survivor’s guilt) faced by victims in following his particular story so closely.

The film is loosely organized into three sections. The first segment, “People Don’t Want To Know”, illustrates the damage caused by social stigma, shame, and guilt, which all conspire to make sexual abuse an “invisible crime”. Although it is estimated that one in six boys are sexually molested by the age of sixteen, the shame of victimhood and stigma associating abuse with homosexuality keep the matter hidden. Taboos of masculinity also help keep this severely underreported crime in the shadows—boys are routinely taught to endure pain and difficulty as part of the coming of age process. Machismo and societal norms regarding masculinity thus aid in perpetrators’ goals of secrecy. Clergy abuse and incest cause conflicting emotions; one man who was abused by his father talks about the many great times he’d had spending time with him. Another who was repeatedly abused by a priest remembers feeling confused, that “this was God doing this to me.” Survivors marvel at their ability to develop survival strategies at such young ages; coping mechanisms include self-medication and addiction as well as other forms of self-harm, such as cutting.

“Stabbed in the Brain” highlights the importance of parental awareness. One survivor recalls attempting to tell his parents by describing the physical pain he endured, which was sadly dismissed. Glenn’s saga continues as his family relives the behavioral changes that took place following his abuse, which mirror symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. An eruption of anger is caught on camera as his emotions overwhelm him. Glenn has made a great deal of progress in turning his life around following years of alcohol and substance abuse, yet his troubled emotions constantly threaten the veneer of calm he’s managed to create with his family. The delayed effect of these symptoms on wives and children can be devastating. One interviewee, the ex-wife of a survivor, recounts her pain and helplessness over the course of her disintegrating marriage. Media treatment of boyhood sexual abuse by older women is also critiqued. Victims note how this double-standard serves as a reinforcement of rape culture; boys abused by “hot teachers” become the butt of jokes, and are told they should “feel lucky”.

“Retribution, Myths, and Recovery” begins to look outside the turbulent inner world of the survivors, addressing how support for victims can be broadened to assist recovery. Glenn and other survivors testify to help change problematic statute of limitations laws, law enforcement officers discuss advancements in police care to minimize trauma to child victims during questioning, and rape crisis centers add support for groups focused on male victims. Also addressed is the faulty assumption that victims will become perpetrators, or that abuse ‘causes’ homosexuality. Hetero- and homosexual survivors alike discuss the flawed logic behind this myth.

The film wraps up with Glenn’s heartbreaking journey to the site of his abuse. Long obsessed with the fate of his childhood friend, Glenn finds his home and evidence that he may still live there. This is where the journey ends for the viewer, as the program concludes somewhat abruptly. With so much invested in the film’s main protagonist, it is hard not to wish for some follow-up or concluding remarks—there’s no doubt that the long road continues. Ultimately, this is a brave film which fills an urgent need. By discussing the myriad complications and difficulties faced by her subjects, the filmmaker invites the viewer to bear witness, raising awareness and visibility in the hopes that future victims may not have quite as difficult a road ahead.