General Resources for Abuse Awareness:
Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment: G.R.A.C.E is an organization founded by Boz Tchividjian dedicated to preparing churches to prevent and respond to abuse in a godly way, with a particular focus on sexual abuse. The website is extremely helpful, with resources for prevention training and policies, response protocols for allegations of abuse, and a thorough resource section. It is also available to hire for independent investigations of abuse and organizations’ response to allegations.
Futures Without Violence: Formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund – The name is the mission. Provides many resources on a range of forms of abuse.
Mennonite Central Committee: The Mennonite Central Committee has a portion of their site devoted to abuse prevention, with many excellent resources.
The Hope of Survivors: Dedicated to enabling support, hope and healing for victims of pastoral sexual abuse
Recommended Books:
The Long Journey Home: Understanding and Ministering to the Sexually Abused (2011) edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer. The book draws together a range of the best research on abuse from a variety of fields to provide a cohesive and thorough resource for churches. Available for purchase from Amazon.
The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response (2012 by Pamela Cooper-White). A thorough resource for understanding violence against women and how the church can respond appropriately. Available for purchase from Amazon.
Documents:
The Grooming Process: This document outlines the typical progression of predatory behavior as it escalates into abuse, and is very helpful for understanding how abuse happens and why people are reluctant to report it.
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