RIPPED was a campaign in 2022 which focused on Jack’s journey of self-recovery having been raped by a stranger in an unprovoked attack. Blaming himself for the attack, he moves away and transforms himself into what he believes is a ‘real man’. The play follows his journey to fit in with a new group of friends, whilst he tries desperately to keep a lid on his past and hoping no one finds out. It is a story exemplifying why so many rape cases go unreported, breaking the stigma attached to male rape, and exploring the pressures put on young men today to conform to outdated ideals of what a man should be.
Words from Duncan Craig OBE
It’s important to our vision of a society where no male survivor is left behind that we continue to commit to a focus on sharing knowledge, helping communities navigate discussion, and find ways of letting young men know that it’s OK to speak out and get the help they deserve. Research shows that on average, male victims take in excess of 20 years to speak out… this is 20 years too long! If we are a responsible society, a caring society, a society that helps people up and not pushes people down, then we must not continue to stand by and watch young men struggle in silence. As a 14 year old abused boy, I felt that struggle so often. I felt that something was wrong with me. I felt that I was made different. I felt that I was on my own with this. Whilst there were references made to abuse and sexual violence in the media I was consuming, it centred on women and girls. I don’t think I ever saw anything or read anything in which the victim was male.
Maybe if I had I would have feltable to #BreakTheSilence? Maybe if I had I wouldn’t have felt so alone and spent the next 18+ years at times in freefall. As the Founder and CEO of Survivors Manchester, I have chosen to use my story to help society understand and hopefully inspire others to feel less alone. It is my responsibility to ensure that this incredible organisation creates opportunities, spaces and material to talk about the subject of male sexual abuse and to talk with male survivors. This is our gift to you Greater Manchester, and I hope you use it to help us #BreakTheSilence and develop a society in which no male survivor is left behind. With love to this amazing part of the world.
