Spiritual Abuse, which is also sometimes called religious abuse, is mistreatment inflicted on others using the excuse or rationale of religion, faith, or spirituality. Spiritual abuse can include harassment, shaming, abuse of power, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, violence and/or humiliation. It often involves a person in a clerical position misusing power, religious doctrine and/or ideology to harm individuals. This can happen in any religious community. It is important to recognize the signs of this type of abuse, know how to get or provide help, and avoid blaming the victim when these incidents occur. Below, we have outlined a list of resources to help inform our community.
Resources on Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual Abuse as described above often creates religious distress in the victims and harms individuals not only on a physical and emotional level but a spiritual one as well. The following articles give more depth to the issue and offer considerations for individuals and communities experiencing this type of abuse.
Resources on Sexual Violence/Abuse
HEART Women and Girls put together a white paper that “provides recommendations for institutional responses to sexual assault based on surveys with direct services providers.” Additionally, they have collected a list of resources including videos, infographics, and articles on the topic of sexual violence and sexual abuse. You can also find a resource map, talking points on responding to allegations of sexual violence within the community as well as a toolkit on how to talk to children about sexual violence and sexual abuse.
Resources on Victim Blaming
Victim blaming is when the victim of abuse, a crime, or any harmful act is held responsible, fully, or in part for the incident that happened to them. This often puts the victim in greater danger and decreases the chance that victims will reach out for help in the future, increasing incidents of abuse and violence.
Click on the below image for the complete infographic from HEART Women and Girls on how to support survivors of sexual assault.
This toolkit was compiled by Sarrah AbuLughod, MA; Amal Killawi, MSW; Madiha Tahseen, Ph.D.; and Sameera Ahmed, Ph.D.
Learn More about the Family & Youth Institute’s Resources
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