The Culture of Silence has Betrayed Victims of Abuse for Generations. The typical response to abuse, especially sexual abuse, is denial. Nobody wants to admit that someone they have trusted could be guilty of unspeakable sins. It is easier to remain in denial and pretend that everything is alright rather than to face the reality that someone who was thought to be trustworthy has betrayed that trust and misused their position of authority to victimize vulnerable individuals. Many times people honestly do not know what to do ...
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The Culture of Silence has Betrayed Victims of Abuse for Generations. The typical response to abuse, especially sexual abuse, is denial. Nobody wants to admit that someone they have trusted could be guilty of unspeakable sins. It is easier to remain in denial and pretend that everything is alright rather than to face the reality that someone who was thought to be trustworthy has betrayed that trust and misused their position of authority to victimize vulnerable individuals. Many times people honestly do not know what to do when they discover sexual abuse within their family or organization so they do nothing, hoping everything will just go away. They might notify those higher up in the organization hoping that they will be able to deal with the issue. Those in positions of authority often want to deal with these issues with as little disruption as possible--so they often accept an apology and promise from the perpetrator that it will never happen again and let it go at that. This book exposes the sin of sexual abuse and gives clear guidelines in dealing with offenders, victims and their families. The author knows first hand how difficult it is to discover that someone you loved and trusted has betrayed that trust and has victimized many vulnerable individuals. He knows how easily one can be convinced that it is better to keep silent than to face the difficulties of exposing an offender and having to answer the questions that will arise from the community, families, and legal organizations. There are no easy answers, but these issues must be faced head on, in spite of the difficulties. This book is an excellent resource for Christian leaders, laymen, families, survivors of abuse, and anyone who wants to make a difference.
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