10.0 RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE Crisis Numbers:
Distress Centre Niagara www.distresscentreniagara.com
Fort Erie and Area: 905-382-0689
Grimsby, West Lincoln, and Area: 905-593-6674
Port Colborne, Wainfleet and Area: 905-734-1212
St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Area: 905-688-3711
Abuse and Sexual Assault Counselling, Support and Advocacy Phone Numbers in the Niagara Area.
Niagara Regional Police Service.
Grimsby Detachment: 905-688-4111 x5400
Child Abuse Unit: 905-688-4111 x5100
Elder Abuse: 905-688-4111 x5031
Sexual Assault Unit: 905-688-4111 x5100
Niagara Victim Crisis Support Services: 905-688-4111 x5084
In Crisis:
Crisis Outreach and Support team (Adults): 1-866-550-5205
Pathstone Mental Health: 1-800-263-4944
West Niagara Mental Health, Grimsby: 905-309-3336
Kids Help Phone: 1-866-550-5015
Family and Children's Services: 905-937-7731
Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre Niagara: 905-937-5435
Emergency Shelter, Housing and Food
Community Care of West Niagara: 905-563-5822
Grimsby Benevolent Fund: 905-309-5664
Grimsby Affordable Housing Partnership: 289-235-8747
West Lincoln Community Care: 905-957-5882
Women’s Place of South Niagara: 905-356-5800
Resources to Support Victims Through Therapy.
Group therapy helps victims to realize they are not alone and facilitates giving and receiving support. Group therapy could be very helpful for victims/survivors who have been sexually assaulted as that is how some heal. However, at this time research indicates there is not a support group available to join, to share their experiences or just listen to others in the Grimsby area.
905-309-0944
A registered non-profit charity dedicated to helping those in Grimsby and the surrounding community. Grimsby Life Centre Ministries is a vibrant, visible, Christian organization caring for families and individuals by offering help and hope. We are committed to providing practical and compassionate care, guidance and support for the needs of the individuals we serve. This is a local, professional and certified centre for healing and psychological support.
905-688-4111 ext. 5084
This website provides a culminated list of all the resources in Niagara, including non-Christian institutions that aid in the healing and moving forward of an abuse victim. I have chosen a few from their website to showcase on this document as I feel they align with what we are trying to provide to our church members in terms of support.
Gillian's Place - St. Catharines and West Niagara
905-684-8331
Gillian’s Place has protected and served abused women and their children for over 30 years. Whether women need the safety of the shelter or access to the many programs offered on an outreach basis, Gillian’s Place is here to help. All services are available without ever spending one night under our roof. The services have grown to provide a 24-hour support line, safe shelter, safety planning, emotional support, outreach counselling and support, legal advice, transitional assistance and public education. All services are free and completely confidential.
Support Line: Calls will be answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 905-684-8331
905-528-0353
A faith-based, Ontario-wide network that provides responsive and preventive mental health support to individuals, families and communities. Our support services seek to restore hope.
CAP program enables churches to make short-term professional Christian Counselling support available to their members. It provides: a local professional, Master’s degree-level Christian counsellors, and is available to all church members and adherents. There are up to six sessions per year for each member. Services are anonymous and strictly confidential and they are provided at no cost to church members. CAP works seamlessly behind the scenes in your congregation.
Niagara Regional Sexual Assault Centre.
905-682-7258
The Niagara Region Sexual Assault Centre, CARSA Inc., provides services in a safe and comfortable environment for survivors of child sexual abuse, incest and adult sexual assault.
We offer a 24-hour crisis line, emergency services, individual and group counselling, accompaniment and advocacy through medical and legal proceedings, public education programs and community events. All services are free and confidential. Funding for this service is provincial through the United Way.
24-Hour Crisis & Information Line: 905-682-4584
What does the Bible Say about Sexual Assault?
Several passages in the Bible refer to and assist in the healing of sexual assault victims/ Survivors.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world…
Corinthians 1:3-4 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Romans 13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established..
Mathew 18:5 therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
Psalm 72 Of Solomon. Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness…
Psalm 82:3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…
Deuteronomy 22: 25-27 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die…
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
Mark 9:42 If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.
Ecclesiastes 4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun....
Literature for Victims, Pastors, Elders and the Congregation.
FOR PASTORS:
1. Walk With Me: Pastoral Care for Victims of Sexual Abuse Viewed Through Existential Psychology.
Review Ashley VanGeest: This is a really great resource to begin to understand what an abuse victim is going through in terms of the psychology around being sexually abused.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272072954_Walk_With_Me_Pastoral_Care_for_victims_of_ sexual_abuse_viewed_through_existential_psychology
● At the link there is a downloadable PDF version of this Research paper.
2. Guidance on the Pastoral Care for Survivors of Sexual Abuse Both Past and Present.
This resource is a comprehensive guide to what the terms we are using actually mean, a lot of this is in the Essential Information document but I thought might be useful for a pastor.
https://www.scotland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Guidance-on-the-Pastoral-Care-forSurvivors-of-Sexual-Abuse.pdf At the link there is a downloadable PDF version of this guide.
3. What the Bible says to Abuse Survivors and Those who Hurt Them. by: Victor Vieth
Pastors and church personnel often struggle to apply intentional and appropriate doses of both biblical grace and stringent accountability to victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Churches can regularly be prone to turn the tables on survivors by applying a heavy dosage of conviction to victims and misguided clemency toward perpetrators. The mishandling of abuse incidents in the church will drive victims away from the community of Christ and further embolden offenders, thus debasing the name of our Saviour.
Victor Vieth offers a deeper understanding of both abuser and victim dynamics so that church leaders can move past ignorance and prevailing myths to tackle this devastating issue with the power of grace and truth afforded by the good news of Jesus. He explains typical dynamics of how and when child sexual abuse is reported, gives an overview of dynamics of child molesters, and describes healing ways to represent Jesus to survivors. This timely resource will equip churches to wisely and accurately step in to take care of their most vulnerable members.
4. The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Church and Ministries.
By: Basyle Tchividjian and Shira Berkovits.
Churches are supposed to be a safe haven, but many deal with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. This handbook, written by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, helps churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and address possible abuse in their ministries.
5. Protecting Children From Abuse in the Church. By: Basyle Tchividjian.
How do we protect the children in our Christian community from sexual offenders?
We are becoming more and more aware of the prevalence of child abuse, both in society at large and in the church. We want to protect children in our community from abuse, but we don’t always know the best ways to go about that.
From his years of experience as a child abuse prosecutor, Boz Tchividjian unpacks the dynamics of a church environment that allows perpetrators to thrive and offers constructive help for educating and training your church to recognize and deal with potential abuse. Using biblical principles and the example of Jesus, he shows you how to cultivate an attitude and environment in your church that provides safety and protection for these young ones.
6. Suffering and the Heart of God: Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores. By: Diane Langberg.
When someone suffers through trauma, can healing happen? And, if yes, how does it happen? Dr. Diane Langberg tackles these complex and difficult questions with the insights she has gained through more than forty years of counseling those whose lives have been destroyed by trauma and abuse. Her answer carefully explained in Suffering and the Heart of God is “Yes, what trauma destroys, Christ can and does restore.”
But it’s not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counselors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it’s not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counsellor and counselled. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus’s sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is “well-acquainted with grief.” The cross of Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. T his book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. T here is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Christ.
7. The Long Journey Home: Understanding and Ministering to the Sexually Abused.
By: Andrew J. Schmutzer.
Maybe the only thing new about sexual abuse is quality discussion from several professions (psychology, theology, and pastoral care). Here are the insights of over two dozen psychologists, theologians, and those in pastoral care, all targeting the issue of sexual abuse. Designed as a resource for Christian educators, therapists, pastors, social workers, group leaders, and survivors, The Long Journey Home combines current research in mental health with rich theological reflection, global concern with fervent pastoral wisdom for the local faith community to create a fresh resource of information for those who have survived abuse and those ministering to them. Whether you are a counsellor, professor, pastor, or spouse of a survivor, you hold in your hand a fresh resource of information and advocacy for those suffering from the devastating effects of sexual abuse and rape. The breadth of material, biblical insight, discussion questions, and helpful resources gathered here just may be the tool of a generation.
8. Caring for Survivors of Sexual Abuse. By: Basyle Tchividjian and Justin Holcomb
Basyle Tchividjian and Justin Holcomb address the heartbreaking reality that the marginalization of child sexual abuse victims is all too common in the Christian community. They outline specific ways churches have tragically diminished the seriousness of abuse and caused further distress to survivors. Tchividjian and Holcomb skillfully advocate for ways Jesus calls his church to love and serve the wounded among them, so that congregations no longer consign survivors to suffer in silence.
9. Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault.
By: Lindsey and Justin Holcolmb
The statistics are jarring. One in four women and one in six men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. But as sobering as the statistics are, they don't begin to speak to the darkness and grief experienced by these victims. Because sexual assault causes physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain, victims need clear help, hope, and healing. In Rid of My Disgrace, a couple experienced in counselling victims of sexual assault explain how the grace of God can heal the broken and restore the disgraced.
Justin and Lindsey Holcomb outline an approach for moving from destruction to redemption. While avoiding platitudes and shallow theology, Rid of My Disgrace combines biblical and theological depth with up-to-date research. This book is primarily written for those who have been assaulted (either as children or adults) but also equips family, friends, pastors, and others to care for victims in ways that are compassionate, practical, and informed.
10. Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused. By: Brad Hambrick
It is our hope that this curriculum would help every participant know how to respond well to the initial report of abuse at their church, school, or ministry and would make the leader's role clearer. At the end of this training you should be able to say, "I know what I should do, why, and how to do it." From there it is your responsibility as both a citizen and Christian to have the integrity and courage to be one of God’s agents of protection for those being oppressed by various forms of abuse.
FOR PARENTS:
1. Protecting Children from Abuse in the Church. By: Basyle Tchividjian.
How do we protect the children in our Christian community from sexual offenders?
We are becoming more and more aware of the prevalence of child abuse, both in society at large and in the church. We want to protect children in our community from abuse, but we don’t always know the best ways to go about that.
From his years of experience as a child abuse prosecutor, Boz Tchividjian unpacks the dynamics of a church environment that allows perpetrators to thrive and offers constructive help for educating and training your church to recognize and deal with potential abuse. Using biblical principles and the example of Jesus, he shows you how to cultivate an attitude and environment in your church that provides safety and protection for these young ones.
2. God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies. By: Justin and Lindsey Holcomb
God Made All of Me starts from the fundamental truth that God created everything and applies that truth to kids and their bodies. It equips parents to talk with both boys and girls about their bodies and to help them understand the difference between the appropriate and inappropriate touch of others. God Made All of Me allows families to build a first line of defence against sexual abuse in the safety of their own homes.
3. On This Rock: A Call to Center the Christian Response to Child Abuse on the Words of Jesus.
By: Victor Vieth
Jesus was the descendant of sexually exploited women, narrowly survived a child homicide, and grew up to be the world’s most prominent defender of children. Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who abused or neglected children and went so far as to say our treatment of children says everything about our view of God. Although the early church took this message to heart and distinguished itself by its treatment of children, this message has been distorted or ignored by many modern Christian leaders. As a result, the church has often failed to protect children from abuse and, in many instances, has contributed to their maltreatment.
4. The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Church and Ministries.
By: Basyle Tchividjian and Shira Berkovits
Churches are supposed to be a safe haven, but many deal with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. This handbook, written by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, helps churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and address possible abuse in their ministries.
5. How Long Does It Hurt? A Guide to Recovering from Incest and Sexual Abuse for Teenagers, Their Friend, and Their Families. By: Cynthia L. Mather and Kristina E. Debye
This is a great one that many teenagers who have been through sexual abuse or assault find the most helpful one they’ve ever read. Parents really benefit from reading it too. Importantly, boys are included throughout the entire book.
6. Children and Trauma: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. By: Cynthia Monahon.
Written for parents and professionals, this book is easy to read and very informative. It explains the effects of traumatic experiences on children, offers a clear path to restoring a child’s sense of safety and balance, and makes it easy to find the specific information and recommendations you need.
7. The Long Journey Home: Understanding and Ministering to the Sexually Abused.
By: Andrew J. Schmutzer.
Maybe the only thing new about sexual abuse is quality discussion from several professions (psychology, theology, and pastoral care). Here are the insights of over two dozen psychologists, theologians, and those in pastoral care, all targeting the issue of sexual abuse. Designed as a resource for Christian educators, therapists, pastors, social workers, group leaders, and survivors, The Long Journey Home combines current research in mental health with rich theological reflection, global concern with fervent pastoral wisdom for the local faith community to create a fresh resource of information for those who have survived abuse and those ministering to them. Whether you are a counsellor, professor, pastor, or spouse of a survivor, you hold in your hand a fresh resource of information and advocacy for those suffering from the devastating effects of sexual abuse and rape. The breadth of material, biblical insight, discussion questions, and helpful resources gathered here just may be the tool of a generation.
8. Caring for Survivors of Sexual Abuse. By: Basyle Tchividjian and Justin Holcomb
Basyle Tchividjian and Justin Holcomb address the heartbreaking reality that the marginalization of child sexual abuse victims is all too common in the Christian community. They outline specific ways churches have tragically diminished the seriousness of abuse and caused further distress to survivors. Tchividjian and Holcomb skillfully advocate for ways Jesus calls his church to love and serve the wounded among them, so that congregations no longer consign survivors to suffer in silence.
FOR VICTIMS:
1. The Courage to Heal. by: Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
In this ground breaking companion volume to The Courage to Heal, Laura Davis has created an inspiring, innovative, in-depth workbook for all women and men suffering from the effects of childhood sexual abuse.
2. Victims No Longer. By: Mike Lew
For millions of men on the path to recovery, Victims No Longer is the next step.
The first book written specifically for men, Victims No Longer examines the changing cultural attitudes toward male survivors of incest and other sexual trauma. Now, in this Second Edition, this invaluable resource continues to offer compassionate and practical advice, supported by personal anecdotes and statements of male survivors. Victims No Longer helps survivors to:
- Identify and validate their childhood experiences
- Explore strategies of survival and healing
- Work through issues such as trust, intimacy, and sexual confusion
- Establish a support network for continued personal recovery
3. Suffering and the Heart of God: How Trauma Destroys and Christ Restores. By: Diane Langberg
When someone suffers through trauma, can healing happen? And, if yes, how does it happen? Dr. Diane Langberg tackles these complex and difficult questions with the insights she has gained through more than forty years of counselling those whose lives have been destroyed by trauma and abuse. Her answer carefully explained in Suffering and the Heart of God is “Yes, what trauma destroys, Christ can and does restore.”
But it’s not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counsellors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it’s not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counsellor and counselled. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus’s sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is “well-acquainted with grief.” The cross of Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. This book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. There is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Christ.
4. What the Bible Says to Abuse Survivors and those who Hurt them. By: Victor Vieth.
Pastors and church personnel often struggle to apply intentional and appropriate doses of both Biblical grace and stringent accountability to victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Churches can regularly be prone to turn the tables on survivors by applying a heavy dosage of conviction to victims and misguided clemency toward perpetrators. The mishandling of abuse incidents in the church will drive victims away from the community of Christ and further embolden offenders, thus debasing the name of our Saviour.
Victor Vieth offers a deeper understanding of both abuser and victim dynamics so that church leaders can move past ignorance and prevailing myths to tackle this devastating issue with the power of grace and truth afforded by the good news of Jesus. He explains typical dynamics of how and when child sexual abuse is reported, gives an overview of dynamics of child molesters, and describes healing ways to represent Jesus to survivors. This timely resource will equip churches to wisely and accurately step in to take care of their most vulnerable members.
5. The Long Journey Home: Understanding and Ministering to the Sexually Abused
By: Andrew J. Schmutzer.
Maybe the only thing new about sexual abuse is quality discussion from several professions (psychology, theology, and pastoral care). Here are the insights of over two dozen psychologists, theologians, and those in pastoral care, all targeting the issue of sexual abuse. Designed as a resource for Christian educators, therapists, pastors, social workers, group leaders, and survivors, The Long Journey Home combines current research in mental health with rich theological reflection, global concern with fervent pastoral wisdom for the local faith community to create a fresh resource of information for those who have survived abuse and those ministering to them. Whether you are a counsellor, professor, pastor, or spouse of a survivor, you hold in your hand a fresh resource of information and advocacy for those suffering from the devastating effects of sexual abuse and rape. The breadth of material, Biblical insight, discussion questions, and helpful resources gathered here just may be the tool of a generation.
6. Beyond Our Control: Reconstructing Your Life After Sexual Assault. By: Leila Rae Sommerfeld
In Beyond Our Control Leila Rae Sommerfield shares her own story of recovery after rape to give victims hope and encouragement to overcome the emotional scars associated with sexual abuse. You'll discover how to grow emotionally and spiritually through the healing process and how God plays a role in freeing you from shame, guilt, resentment, and hurtful memories. Beyond Our Control is the perfect book to help you discover that a new life is possible and within reach.
7. Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault. By: Lindsey and Justin Holcolmb
The statistics are jarring. One in four women and one in six men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. But as sobering as the statistics are, they don't begin to speak to the darkness and grief experienced by these victims. Because sexual assault causes physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain, victims need clear help, hope, and healing. In Rid of My Disgrace, a couple experienced in counselling victims of sexual assault explains how the grace of God can heal the broken and restore the disgraced.
Justin and Lindsey Holcomb outline an approach for moving from destruction to redemption. While avoiding platitudes and shallow theology, Rid of My Disgrace combines biblical and theological depth with up-to-date research. This book is primarily written for those who have been assaulted (either as children or adults), but also equips family, friends, pastors, and others to care for victims in ways that are compassionate, practical, and informed.