FOR MOST CHILDREN, childhood is made up of fun-filled times, dreams of adventures and hopes for the future. Of course, there’s always the monster under the bed that scares them sometimes, but that can always be sorted out by a hug from mum and dad. As they tuck you in again, they reassure you that everything is fine; it was just a bad dream.
For some unfortunate children, however, the monster in their bedroom is all too real. They have nobody to protect them and in the darkness of the night after the lights go out, they wait in fear with their fists clenched, dreading what will happen next. The door creaks open – will he take me this time, or will it be another boy? There’s relief when he goes for the defenceless child in the bed next to yours, matched by an overwhelming guilt that you have done nothing to help your friend. That guilt and terror will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Who are these monsters? They are the people who infiltrated themselves into the care system, where they are supposed to look after vulnerable kids; the kids most in need of love and reassurance. Instead, they received abuse, torture and are often forced into prostitution.
One man who knows first-hand of the trauma of being brought up in the care system is actor, author and artist Chris Wild. After his father died at age of 11, his mother could not cope and was sent into care. A former care worker himself, Chris has written a shocking and moving book, Damaged, which has become a best-selling account of his time in care. Here he talks to Steven Smith.
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Damaged
Meeting Chris Wild is rather like an encounter with an energizer-bunny – all eyes turn as he bounces into the restaurant and immediately starts talking with such enthusiasm about an eclectic range of subjects, from his paintings, film projects and his first book, which has just hit number three in the book charts. He’s so keen to share his news; it’s hard to keep him on one subject for long.
With looks like Tom Hardy, there’s no doubt Wild is going to be a star, although he insists repeatedly that this is not what it’s all about. A former boxer, he pulls no punches when it comes to talking about his life in the care system.
After losing a fight in Glasgow, Chris decided it was time to pursue a different path and decided to take up acting. He started off as David Jason’s stand-in in A Touch of Frost but knew that if he were going to take acting seriously, he’d need proper training. So he moved to Los Angeles to study method acting. On returning to the UK, he went to work in the care system, teaching the arts to children to help with trauma therapy.
by Celebrity Editor Steven Smith