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Sexual abuse: Faith can silence victims or provide solace
December 09, 2008Université de Montréal researcher finds prayer gets some through; others feel guilt
Childhood sexual abuse victims with a strong religious upbringing often report feeling terrible guilt about their assault, which doesn't surprise Jean-Guy Nadon. A professor of theology and religious sciences at the Université de Montréal, Nadon has conducted dozens of interviews with women who were sexually abused as children and found the impact of religious beliefs can produce varying reactions.
Nadon interviewed one woman, who as a child was physically and mentally abused by her mother, yet followed the 10 Commandments to the letter. That meant she could not rebel because she'd been taught to honour her mother and father. Indeed, as a child, the woman felt she had to forgive her mother's behaviour otherwise she'd go to hell.
Another child, sodomized by her father, also felt she had to forgive him or burn in hell, which her abuser used to his advantage. Another woman, who was raped by a neighbor, was blamed by her mother who claimed the victim provoked the assault.
"A child's God can be kidnapped and exploited by an adult, often by the very adult who taught the child about God in the first place," says Nadon. "It's the victims, not the aggressors, who find themselves silenced and overwhelmed by guilt, pain and isolation."
Kids sometimes deny the existence of a God that doesn't protect children, while others pray their abuse will end and some pray or get through the ordeal. The common thread is that religion is an important resilience factor in abused children. Many kids recite the 21st Psalm, the Lord is my Shepherd: "Yeah though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me."
Depending on what part of the world they inhabit, Nadon cautions that victims feel differently about their sexual abuse. In the northern United States, abuse can weaken a victim's faith whereas a southerner can strengthen their belief in God following abuse.
Nadon plans to further investigate how religion affects people. He is currently interviewing victims of post-traumatic events such as rape, life-threatening illnesses, accidents or war. He is collaborating with Denise Couture, a Université de Montréal professor of theology and religious sciences, as well as researchers from the Netherlands, Belgium and South Africa.
University of Montreal
Another child, sodomized by her father, also felt she had to forgive him or burn in hell, which her abuser used to his advantage. Another woman, who was raped by a neighbor, was blamed by her mother who claimed the victim provoked the assault.
"A child's God can be kidnapped and exploited by an adult, often by the very adult who taught the child about God in the first place," says Nadon. "It's the victims, not the aggressors, who find themselves silenced and overwhelmed by guilt, pain and isolation."
Kids sometimes deny the existence of a God that doesn't protect children, while others pray their abuse will end and some pray or get through the ordeal. The common thread is that religion is an important resilience factor in abused children. Many kids recite the 21st Psalm, the Lord is my Shepherd: "Yeah though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me."
Depending on what part of the world they inhabit, Nadon cautions that victims feel differently about their sexual abuse. In the northern United States, abuse can weaken a victim's faith whereas a southerner can strengthen their belief in God following abuse.
Nadon plans to further investigate how religion affects people. He is currently interviewing victims of post-traumatic events such as rape, life-threatening illnesses, accidents or war. He is collaborating with Denise Couture, a Université de Montréal professor of theology and religious sciences, as well as researchers from the Netherlands, Belgium and South Africa.
University of Montreal
Sexual Abuse Current Events and Sexual Abuse News RSSPossible Link Studied Between Childhood Abuse and Early Cellular Aging
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Halloween sex offender policies questioned
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Brown Professor Continues Debate Over Recovered Memory
Two years after two Harvard psychiatrists published a controversial paper on repressed memory, Brown University political scientist Ross Cheit is engaged in an academic dispute over that paper's integrity and its implications. Cheit's paper appears in the current issue of Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.
People with parents who fight are more likely to have mental health problems in later life
People with parents who were violent to each other are more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up.
Study finds higher prevalence of early menarche among survivors of childhood sexual abuse
African-American women who were younger at menarche, or the onset of their menstrual periods, were more likely to report a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Study helps identify college drinkers who might continue excessive drinking as adults
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Exposure to family violence compromises physical and mental health of older women
Older African American women exposed to high levels of family violence during their lifetimes are at significantly greater risk of poor health status, according to a report in the current issue of Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
How multiple childhood maltreatments lead to greater adolescent binge drinking
Researchers from Boston University found that multiple types of child maltreatment are robust risk factors for underage binge drinking based on a national multi-year study that explored the influence of social environment on the health of adolescents.
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