One in twenty girls and one in twenty boys are victims of child sexual abuse, and Charlie happens to be one of the victims (Finkelhor). Charlie could have been the All-American boy, with ambitions to play college football, a cheerleading girlfriend by his side, and a group of cool friends to hang out with on Saturday nights. The actions of other people in his life lead to a different social scene and a different outcome for him. Instead of being an outgoing teenager, he is overcome by internal emotional scars that lead him to a less than normal type of life. Charlie, 15, faces the suicide of his friend Michael. At school, Charlie finds a friend and mentor in his English teacher, Bill, overcomes his chronic shyness and begins talking to his classmate, Patrick, who later becomes his best friend with his girlfriend -sister Sam. During his first year, Charlie meets: his first kiss, deals with bullies, dabbles in drugs and drinking, makes friends, loses them and gets them back. Additionally, some people learn a secret he kept about being molested by his aunt when he was young, and Charlie suffers a severe mental breakdown and ends up hospitalized. The film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, conveys three central messages: people's choices affect others, people can interact with other people through their shared experiences, and people accept the love they think they deserve . The film shows that people's choices affect others, and sometimes these effects can have a positive effect and others a negative effect, but there is always an effect. For example, Patrick is Charlie's secret Santa sidekick, and he gave him a costume that allowed him to be the writer he always was. Patrick boosted Charlie's confidence... middle of paper ...... relate to others through their shared experiences, and people accept the love they believe they deserve. The roots of all of Charlie's problems go back to when he was younger and his Aunt Helen sexually abused him. This act of aggression leads him to have different social problems as well as personal conflicts that he continually faces throughout his life. Meeting Sam and Patrick changed Charlie in a positive way; he could now have friends who understood that he was a unique and shy person, but they accepted him despite his flaws. The storyline presented through this film helps the audience understand the signs of someone who has been or is being sexually assaulted. The public is aware that a person will constantly battle the emotional scars left after the abuse, and just because the problem has gone away does not mean the memory is erased..