There is immense sorrow and tragedy in the death of Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington by suicide last week. But perhaps Bennington’s life, death and the attention they received will empower other male childhood sexual abuse survivors to speak out about their own abuse and get help. Bennington was publicly open about being sexually abused as a child and how the abuse tormented him. He shared that he used drugs and alcohol excessively to try to cope with the abuse trauma. His raw, intense singing style and often dark lyrics now seem to have directly telegraphed how haunted he was.
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On Thursday, Australian police announced their decision to charge Cardinal George Pell with “historic sexual assault offenses.” According to Victoria Police, Pell is facing multiple charges involving multiple complainants. Cardinal Pell is the third-ranking official in the Vatican and is the highest-ranking Roman Catholic prelate to be charged with sexual assault. As the former Archbishop of Sydney and Melbourne, Cardinal Pell has been accused of covering up child sexual abuse and has been under fire since the royal commission was ordered to investigate clerical sexual abuse in Australia in 20…
The practice of yoga is said to have originated from Northern India nearly 5,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the 1980s that yoga became popular in the Western World. Yoga, a form of moving meditation, has many physical, mental, and emotional benefits for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Recently, researchers have begun to explore the efficacy of yoga and other mindfulness interventions in healing the trauma of sexual abuse. The practice of trauma-sensitive yoga is centered on connecting the mind and the body, a connection that is often shattered by trauma such as childhood sexual abuse. Stu…
This month marks the 15th anniversary of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (often referred to as the “Dallas Charter”), a document in which U.S. bishops pledged to protect children and address the staggering problem of Catholic clergy child sexual abuse by adopting policies with “a firm determination to resolve the crisis.” The milepost is another reminder that, by and large, institutions continue to say they strive for accountability with initiatives like the Charter but in reality they often need to be forced kicking and screaming to do the right things to…
If “The Keepers” is not a reason to change the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse, then what is? The multi-dimensional Netflix documentary, directed by Ryan White, is an opportunity for everyone to know, feel, and understand the depths of chronic, institutional failure in real time. “The Keepers’ brings heightened awareness to the fact that we, as a culture, are still in crisis. It also provides a deeper understanding into the hearts and souls of survivors of child sexual abuse. Jean Wehner and the survivors featured in “The Keepers” were given a voice to share their truths and end…
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has bravely revealed that she was sexually abused for many years when she was a child, beginning when she was 8. We salute the courage it took for her to come forward.We also applaud the courage it takes for every survivor to come forward. Every survivor’s voice is important, no matter how famous or powerful. But, as April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Mayor Hodge’s revelation is a timely reminder that abuse can affect anyone in our society and it provides powerful public leadership on abuse awareness.Mayor Hodges addressed…
Male survivors of child sexual abuse delay disclosure for 20 years on average. People often ask, why wouldn’t you tell someone you are being sexually abused when you instinctually know it is wrong and it makes you feel gross, dirty, tainted, scared, uncomfortable, and disgusted? The answer? For some, it’s an overwhelming sense of fear. This sense of fear often prevents a survivor from coming forward and telling someone about the sexual abuse they are suffering or have suffered. The reality is, many survivors have tried telling someone many times. He or she may have…
A recent article in The Atlantic examined the connection between trauma and overworking. While every survivor of childhood sexual abuse is impacted differently, the effects are often long-lasting. Over the years, research has determined that survivors of childhood sexual abuse are at an increased risk for emotional, behavioral, and physical problems as adults. More recently, researchers have shown a potential connection between childhood abuse and overworking in adulthood. Some survivors have expressed using work as a coping mechanism. Being engrossed in work leaves little time to think about …
Sad and unspeakable cases of child abuse come to our attention almost every day. It’s hard to avoid news such as former Penn State president Graham Spanier’s role in covering up the Jerry Sandusky scandal, child abuse in USA Gymnastics, and the dozens of clergy abuse victims in Guam. Here in Minnesota, we’ve just learned of charges against an Eagan daycare provider for allegedly assaulting a 13-month-old, and local news has brought stories of child sex abuse by teachers, bus drivers, clergy and Boy Scout leaders, among others over the past several months.The stories seem sadly inevitable and i…
The Archdiocese of New York announced that it will continue to voluntarily compensate some survivors of clerical sexual abuse – EVEN SURVIVORS WHO HAVE NOT COME FORWARD PREVIOUSLY.
In October of 2016, the Archdiocese of New York instituted a confidential compensation program. The program was initially available to only sexual abuse survivors who had previously reported the abuse they suffered to the Archdiocese. Now, the program has been extended to include sexual abuse survivors who have not previously reported to the Archdiocese. In other words, survivors who have been…