NCJ Number
121521
Date Published
1989
Length
160 pages
Annotation
This packet of materials is designed for use in addressing the issue of child sexual abuse in Mennonite families, based on the view that this abuse results from confused and reversed role boundaries and that these boundaries must be identified before they can be restored.
Abstract
Individual leaflets present myths and facts about the nature, incidence, and causes of child sexual abuse; its dynamics in incestuous families; and what parents should do if a child discloses abuse. Additional fact sheets and discussions suggest helpful ways that church personnel can respond to child victims, non-offending parents, and adults who were molested as children. They also describe the characteristics of offenders and helpful responses, suggest sources of psychological healing for incest survivors, discuss the ethical mandate for pastors to report child sexual abuse, and examine ethical and theological issues based on Christian and Jewish beliefs. Materials for inclusion in worship services, personal accounts of sexual abuse, a description of one congregation's experience with pastoral sexual abuse, booklets for parents and adult survivors, and lists of resources.