Jane Epstein - Complicated Courage: Sibling Sexual Abuse, The Silent Epidemic

Imagine the unimaginable: a young girl, only six years old, enduring years of sexual molestation at the hands of her own brother. It's a chilling reality that many find difficult to comprehend. Yet, this form of abuse, known as child-on-child or sibling sexual abuse, accounts for an appalling 40% of all sexual abuse cases against children. Yes, you heard that right. FORTY PER CENT.

Complicating matters further, many victims of sibling sexual trauma feel complicit in the abuse, often struggling to recognise it as abuse at all.  

My next guest, Jane Epstein, has not only survived this Sibling Sexual Abuse, but has become a global advocate in the field.

As a young woman, Jane turned to stripping, substances & poisonous relationships to numb the pain. But when Jane became a mother of two toddlers in her early 40s, the dam finally burst.

Parenthood has a way of transforming us, especially those who’ve endured abuse as children. Becoming a parent compels us to love, nurture, & protect our own kids.  But it also has an incredible way of reopening old wounds & forces us to interrogate who was there to protect us when we needed it most.

Jane understands this struggle all too well. Today, she’s resolute about breaking the silence & shedding light on this dark corner of the human experience. 

Brace yourself for a journey that will touch your heart, challenge your perceptions & leave you with a renewed sense of urgency to protect the most vulnerable among us. 

Please note that this incredibly powerful & important episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS talks about sexual abuse & Suicide & isn’t remotely suitable for little ears.

If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can help keep you safe.  And please remember if you’re in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.

BUT BEFORE YOU GO…

Find out more about Jane here

Follow Jane on Insta here

Follow Jane on Twitter here

Follow Jane on Facebook here

Find out more about Tam here

Follow Tam on Insta

Follow BRAVE JOURNEYS on Insta

Join the conversation and chat about the episode here

NEED MORE INSPIRATION?

Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here

CREDITS:

Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday

With thanks to my special guest: Jane Epstein

Audio Editor: Melissa May

With very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson 

BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrungwho are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.