Spiritual
Communities
Action Team
Keeping Our
Children Safe
.
What is the Spiritual Communities
Action Team?
 A group of individuals who have dedicated 6 months to
looking at ways to prevent sexual abuse of children.
 We are from various perspectives including; victim
advocates, prevention advocates, faith leaders, public
health professions and others.
 This initiative is part Minnesota’s Five Year State Plan to
Prevent Sexual Violence.
 Our work is informed and supported by research and
information from spiritual communities.
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Is Sexual Abuse A Real Problem?
One of every three girls and one out of
every seven boys will have a sexual abuse
experience before they are eighteen
years old.
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Sexual Abuse Happens in Every
Ethnic and Socio-economic Group
 Rich or poor: Poverty, which contributes to violence in
many communities, is not seen as a risk factor for child
sexual abuse.
 Race matters: African-American women are less likely
than white women to involve police in cases of child
sexual abuse.
 Boys are also abused: About 14 percent of all young
victims of sexual assault are male, according to police
reports.
*No Secrets, No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal From
Sexual Abuse by author and journalist Robin D. Stone
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Long Term Health
Consequences of Sexual Abuse
 Depression
 Chemical Dependency
 Obesity
 Lung Disorders
 Heart Disease
 Liver Disease
http://www.cdc.gov/ace/findings.htm
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That doesn’t even begin to explore the
emotional impact of sexual abuse.
 Social Isolation
 Difficulties with Trust
 Anxiety
 Post-traumatic stress
 Relationship problems
 Guilt and Shame
 Anger
“Social and Emotional Outcomes of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Review of Recent Research” by Kimberly Tyler, 2002
http://www.dcrcc.org/support_counseling/adult_survivors_of_child_sexual_abuse/C121/emotional_effects1/
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We only need to worry about
strangers anyway, right?
Who are most perpetrators of sexual abuse?
 Trusted family/friends: over 90% of sexually abused
children are victimized by someone they know and trust.
 Relatives: 35% of sexual abuse is by biological family
members. This is not to say that sexual
abuse is biologically caused.
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But there are no sexual
perpetrators in our community?
• Male or female
• Young or old
• Any economic group
• Any ethnic group
• Any religion
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People who sexually offend are
usually adults, right?
 50 % of adult sexual offenders began in
childhood and continue into adulthood.
 Early intervention is the best prevention.
 Every perpetrator was someone’s child.
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Family Contribution to Sexual
Health – Based On Current Research
 Adequate resources – both financially and people wise.
 Secure attachment and positive emotional bonds.
 Limiting exposure to sexual content and context.
 Defined family structure.
 Protecting children from sexual abuse and assisting with
children’s recovery from sexual abuse.
 Responding to sexually unhealthy behaviors among family
members.
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Family Contribution to Sexual
Health - Based On Experiences
 Showing appropriate models for physical affection.
 Discussing morals and ethics as they relate to
sexuality.
 Clear generational roles
 Good balance between autonomy and family unity.
 Ability to change attitudes as children develop
sexually.
 Egalitarian gender roles.
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Why should it be my responsibility?
 Families look to their spiritual community for guidance.
 There are both victims and perpetrators among your
congregants.
 You can have an amazing impact of prevention.
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GOALS
 Open the discussion on how we can keep all children safe.
 Share the work of our spiritual community action team.
 Get your feedback
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Valley of Peace
Lutheran Church
Golden Valley, MN
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St. Thomas More Catholic Parish
St. Paul, MN
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Your Feedback…
 Is this model helpful? Why or why not?
 Would you use it? If so, how?
 What part is most useful?
 What’s missing?
 What barriers are there to using this model?
 If you are already engaged in prevention
activities, how would you start using this
model?
 How would you engage others in using this
model?
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Thank you!
 Would you like to be a
pilot congregation?
Contact person:
 Lessons from A Tree
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