The statistics are grim: one in five girls and one in twenty boys will be sexually abused before they reach adulthood. Tragically, individuals with disabilities experience abuse of every kind, including sexual abuse, at much higher rates than individuals who do not have disabilities. Though rates of reported sexual abuse declined between 1990 and 2017, historically, all forms of abuse have been shown to be significantly underreported. More importantly, abuse of any kind profoundly shapes the life of a child, and can create lasting negative impacts.
Throughout this fall, we will feature a variety of blog posts and webinars addressing sexual abuse, both for parents of children with disabilities and ministry leaders. We are encouraged by the churches who are already training their leaders and volunteers to be aware of indicators of abuse, and have put critical safeguards in place to ensure that no child is harmed by a person of authority in a space that is supposed to be sacred. We encourage ministry leaders and parents to participate in the events and comment on the posts, to share what has been helpful and effective for your family or ministry.
Jesus placed incredible value on vulnerable people in His time on earth, including people living with disabilities. And He places significant responsibility on His followers to care for and protect children. So when a child has a disability that makes him or her even more vulnerable than children without disabilities, parents and the church need to be proactive to prevent or minimize the possibility of harm to the child. And if the unthinkable happens, appropriate action and accountability are critical, not only for physical and emotional restoration, but to reflect the heart of God for justice and righteousness.
Key Ministry’s audience is parents of children with disabilities of every kind, particularly hidden disabilities, and ministry leaders who desire to share the gospel and disciple all children in an effective way. Thus, our posts and discussions will focus on children with disabilities.
Photo credit: David Beale on Unsplash.com.
The concept of universal design or inclusive design, which typically relates to physical and programming structures, can also apply to this discussion. Thus, the safeguards and accountability standards that can work for individuals with disabilities should also work well for individuals without disabilities. We will also share links to helpful statistics for education efforts, as well as resources helpful for churches and families.
We hope you will join us and contribute to the conversations this fall. Visit our Events page to register, and subscribe to our weekly blog digest to receive all of the posts in this series. We’ll also link to helpful reading for parents and ministry leaders, starting with this post from Diane Langberg, PhD, former board member of GRACE - Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment.
Catherine Boyle is the Director of Mental Health Ministry for Key Ministry. You can follow her work here or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and www.catherineboyle.com.
