Polyvictimization: Why Many Victim-Survivors of Church Abuse Have Suffered Previous Trauma
When victim-survivors of sexual abuse by Church leaders share their stories, some mention that they experienced previous abuse or trauma even before they were harmed in the Church.
Trauma researchers report that this is not uncommon. People who are sexually abused have often lived through other traumatic experiences: sexual abuse perpetrated by a family member, bullying by classmates, physical abuse, or a parent with addiction or mental illness. This phenomenon is known as polyvictimization, or exposure to more than one type of trauma or abuse.
Pete Singer
Studies of trauma often focus on “adverse childhood experiences” (ACES) and find that almost 40% of children in the United States have experienced at least two forms of violence or abuse in the last year, and alarmingly, about 11% of children have experienced at least five in the last year, says Pete Singer, a social worker, mental health professional, and executive director of GRACE, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, which helps Christian organizations “recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse.”
“What you find is that it’s not the exception to experience multiple forms of abuse, it’s actually the norm,” Singer explains.
Research on ACES finds that people who have faced different types of violence and abuse are at increased risk for mental health problems over the course of their lives.
HOW DOES PREVIOUS TRAUMA SET THE STAGE FOR ABUSE?
Previous trauma may increase risk for future abuse in several ways, Singer says. First, perpetrators of abuse may be alert for signs that a potential victim has pre-existing wounds from earlier traumatic experiences. “The predator sees, ‘Oh, there might be a need in that person’s life that I can … fulfill so that eventually I can exploit that person,’” Singer explains.
As an example, Singer describes learning from a perpetrator of sexual abuse—who was also a parent—that he was especially attentive when he picked up his child at school. “He’d look for kids that seemed to go through drop off and pick up without a good connection with their parents, maybe where it seemed like they were consistently arguing or where it seemed like the parent just dropped and drove off and had no concern,” he recounts. “He would then ask his child to befriend those kids so that they would start coming over to the house and he could target them for sexual abuse.”
Similar patterns may emerge for adults as well. “A person going through a hard time might seek pastoral counseling or other support, yet the person who is supposed to be providing support may actually be looking for vulnerabilities to exploit,” Singer says. “Most people in supportive roles truly want to help, but a wolf in sheep’s clothing can cause a great deal of harm.”
In his years of work with people who have lived through trauma, Singer has learned that human beings are driven to make sense of these painful experiences and to seek answers about why these events took place. “The human brain is trying to figure out: How does what happened to me relate to who I am as a person?” he explains. “How does it relate to the world around me? How does it relate to something that’s bigger than me, perhaps God? The brain just naturally goes on this quest for context. And I think at times, a perpetrator can spot a person that is on that quest.”
PREVIOUS ABUSE IS NOT DESTINY
Yet Singer stresses that previous abuse or trauma does NOT make future victimization inevitable. “It’s very important to remember that it’s a risk factor,” he says. “None of this produces destiny for a person.”
Research shows that there are multiple factors that protect people from future abuse and the negative effects of trauma. In the case of children, having at least one close relationship with a supportive adult promotes resilience and the ability to overcome traumatic experiences. “I know a woman who was abused by a few people in her childhood,” Singer says. “She survived because of her grandparents who are always there for her.” As people grow older, having a supportive community of friends or participating in activities that promote connection and engagement, like volunteering or joining a book club, also helps.
FINDING THE RIGHT TREATMENT AFTER ABUSE
When seeking treatment in the aftermath of abuse, Singer says it is important to find a therapist who specializes in trauma. This is especially important if you have experienced multiple forms of abuse and trauma. “A therapist who specializes in ADHD, for example, may not have the expertise to work effectively with complex trauma,” Singer notes.
He stresses that victim-survivors of abuse have power in choosing the right therapist. He recommends screening the therapist by asking questions such as:
What experience do you have with trauma?
Do you have experience with the specific type(s) of trauma that I have experienced?
What treatment approaches do you use, and why?
Has that approach been shown to be effective with the specific type(s) of trauma I have experienced?
Do you have specialized training or certification?
Are you able to accept and incorporate my views of faith (positive or negative)?
“There may be other questions specific to your situation,” Singer adds. “The key is to remember that it is OK for you to question and screen the therapist as much as you want to.”
Understanding that abuses can be stacked on top of one another can also help us create safer faith communities, Singer adds. Sexual abuse does not exist in a vacuum. And it is short-sighted, he says, to “just address the sexual abuse without realizing this is a survivor that is hurting in so many other ways as well.”
—Erin O’Donnell, Editor, Awake Blog
