Despite statistics saying up to one in three males may have been targeted, sexual abuse is not a common topic for men to publicly admit to. Andrew Noble was once no exception to that rule.

As a teenager, Andrew was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by a man working at his boarding school. For more than a decade, Andrew remained silent. He felt isolated by his experiences and felt very much like a victim.

When Andrew finally found the courage to report his shocking treatment, he was stunned to discover that he was the first of many other youngsters to report suffering at the hands of the trusted school aide over a 10 year period. Until Andrew brought it to the attention of police, no one had been brave enough to speak out.

Prosecution followed, with Andrew’s complaint leading to the successful conviction of the man who assaulted him – and many people he knew, who had all lived in a shameful silence.

This year, during a personal development course, Andrew, now a successful photographer, found the courage to tell his story. For years he had felt people would judge him and even question his masculinity or sexuality because of his experience. What he didn’t bank on was the number of people who suddenly felt safe telling him of similar tales of what they, and others close to them, had been through.

Statistics show that as many as one in every two females and one in every three males have been subjected to some form of abuse and Andrew began to see that demonstrated in the number of people sharing their stories with him.

The knowledge that he wasn’t alone, or an outcast of society, led to a shift in Andrew’s sense of self-worth. He went from feeling like a helpless victim to having a sense of empowerment.

Andrew has chosen to share his story with the aim of increasing community awareness and creating a more open and understanding environment for victims of sexual abuse to have a voice. He believes children should be able to speak out and not feel intimidated by doing so.

Prominent childhood expert Dr Joe Tucci of The Australian Childhood Foundation said that there were more than 265,000 reported cases of child abuse last year alone.

“Child abuse has doubled in the past decade and that research has shown consistently that adults who were abused as children are at greater risk of suicide, self-harm, depression, drug use and alcohol addiction.

“It’s a tragic reality that children who are victims of abuse and family violence are robbed of their childhood innocence,” Dr Tucci said.

To bring public attention to this often unspoken about issue, Andrew has organised the Moving Forwards rally which will run from Federation Square to the banks of the Yarra River on Sunday December 9 from 11.30am.