“Don’t tell.” Sometimes those two words can carry an enormous amount of weight. In this episode of Unmuted: Families, we’re meeting one of the most serious villains in our series: Silence Snake. Silence Snake thrives when something is too frightening, confusing, embarrassing, painful, or dangerous to say out loud. Together, we're talking about what children can do when they are carrying something that needs to be told - including child sexual abuse, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, threats, unsafe situations, and times when someone else may be in danger. We'll talk about complicated body and brain reactions, why a child's reaction never determines whether harm was okay, unsafe secrets, and what to do when the first grown-up you tell doesn't listen. We'll also talk directly to grown-ups about what can happen when a child finally begins to speak - and why our response matters. Our Hero Skills are: RECOGNIZE. SPEAK. KEEP REACHING. A Note From Brie: This episode discusses child abuse, sexual abuse, self-harm, suicide, threats, and other serious safety concerns. Please consider listening privately before deciding whether it is appropriate for your family. I understand how vulnerable conversations like these are. I am not a therapist, and I work hard to respect that boundary with the children and families I work with. My role is not to diagnose, investigate, provide therapy, or become something I am not qualified to be. But child abuse and suicide are deeply important to me, and I believe they are topics I have a responsibility to discuss in some way with the voice I have gained. Many years ago, I made a promise to the younger version of myself: if I were ever blessed enough to have a community of families who trusted me, I would use that trust for good. Silence Snake is part of keeping that promise. As a fellow child sexual abuse survivor, I chose the words in this episode very carefully. I have listened to it multiple times because I needed to genuinely believe I had created a safe space for these conversations. That does not mean this episode will be right for every family. If you decide to skip Silence Snake and meet us again for a less intense episode, there are absolutely no hard feelings from me. Some conversations aren't right for every family to share together - or may not be right for your family right now. But if you believe your child could benefit from this conversation and you're nervous, I ask that you consider prescreening the episode yourself. Listen first. Decide for yourself. And if you choose to bring your child back afterward, I hope you'll trust both me and the younger version of me who desperately needed conversations like this one to exist. This episode matters enormously to me. Silence Snake and next week's villain are my two favorite episodes we've created in this series. Until next time, keep making space for the conversations that matter. Unmuted: Families is a family-focused series from The Lioness in the Darkness, creating space for the conversations that matter. To support our mission of educating, healing, and protecting families and schools in the digital age, visit:https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-the-lioness-in-the-darkness
