Religion / Spirituality / Faith Content Topic Results

Faith, Spirituality, Religion & Domestic Violence

ckeene — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:50:17 +0000

Faith, Spirituality, Religion & Domestic Violence ckeene Thu, 08/11/2016 - 14:50

Published

June 01, 2023

Author(s)

“Survivors of abuse deserve the best of what both faith leaders and advocates bring to the table.” – Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter

Faith and spirituality can be important to grieving and healing for domestic violence survivors. Both faith leaders* and domestic violence advocates can play an integral role in supporting these processes. Each holds unique and valuable perspectives, resources, and backgrounds. Both are well positioned to impact positive outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Both can shift ideologies that perpetuate harm to those that foster well-being. They can dismantle systemic oppression to allow communities to thrive. Together, faith leaders and domestic violence advocates can create meaningful change. They can support survivors who wish to utilize healing resources that are rooted in their faith and spirituality.

This collection embraces the understanding that religion is a layer of one’s cultural identity. Culturally affirming victim-defined advocacy must center spirituality for survivors. Acknowledging, respecting, and understanding religion is critical to creating a holistic response. Advocates and faith leaders can embrace this unique resource for survival, healing, and resilience.

This collection includes resources for both domestic violence advocates and faith leaders. It fosters collaboration and promotes the development of meaningful partnerships. In this collection, readers will find helpful information and key resources that address:

the historical context and connections between domestic violence and religion,
culturally affirming, faith-centered approaches to support healing and accountability, and
the important role of spiritual activism in movement building for social change.

* The term faith leader (used here synonymously with "religious leader") is inclusive of all faith communities (federally recognized religious groups and not). Faith leaders are not only necessarily officially ordained.

Holiday Toolbox

berdman — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:14:27 +0000

Holiday Toolbox berdman Mon, 11/04/2019 - 10:14

Published

November 01, 2016

New Resources Added

November 13, 2019

Author(s)

Ivonne Ortiz

Kenya Fairley

Patty Branco

Welcome to our Holiday Toolbox! NRCDV has released information to the field, including Technical Assistance (TA) Guidance documents, as part of our Domestic Violence and the Holidays Series in preparation for the time period beginning the week of Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day (“the holidays”). These were developed to 1) respond to the common misperception that domestic violence increases during the holidays, and 2) provide support during a time that may be stressful for survivors of domestic violence and the programs that serve them.

Available research linking reports of domestic violence to the holiday season is limited and inconclusive. In fact, data available from the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) shows a decline in the number of calls received during the holidays, including on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (see Effect of the Holidays on Calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline). Whether or not domestic violence programs experience shifts in the number of survivors accessing services during the holidays, there are unique opportunities and challenges to consider as victim advocates provide services to survivors and their families during this time.

The resources included in this Toolbox highlight trauma-informed strategies to support programs in promoting healing, wellness and safety during the holiday season, while taking into consideration the diverse needs of survivors and the advocates that serve them. Each TA Guidance document provides best practice information and resources related to: positive visioning, promoting wellness and managing stress, cultural sensitivity, responding to the food-related needs of survivors in shelter, considerations for working with survivors from specific populations, and understanding the available research.

The Toolbox features holiday call data from the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and a social media section offering messaging to engage audiences around supporting survivors during the holidays via Twitter, Facebook and other channels.

These tools are offered to inspire and support community-based programs in their efforts to develop innovative, trauma-informed, culturally inclusive practices that are responsive to the unique needs of both survivors and advocates.

Integrity Abuse: Why You Keep Harming Her and How to Stop

fdaza — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:28:19 +0000

Integrity Abuse: Why You Keep Harming Her and How to Stop fdaza Fri, 09/04/2026 - 08:28

General Material

Published Date

August, 2026

Publisher(s)

Joy Recovery

In this episode of the Joy Recovery Radio podcast, the host addresses the cycle of ongoing conflict and relational stagnation that often follows betrayal trauma and hidden sexual behavior. Reflecting on his own two-year period of repetitive conflict with his wife, Jacqueline, the host explains how attempting to manage his behavior or asking his partner to alter her emotional trauma response failed. Albert Ellis’s uses Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and introduces an adapted ABCDE Model to show that a betrayer's reactive conduct is driven by underlying false beliefs rather than the betrayed partner's emotional expression.

Associated Links

Video

Material Categories

Raising Awareness

Prevention Programming

Self Care / Vicarious Trauma

Trauma Informed Approach

Domestic Violence

Healthy Relationships

Mental Health

Offenders / Perpetrators

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Resilience / Healing

Sexual Violence

Paternal Abuse & Surviving Torture: Male Sexual Abuse

fdaza — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:28:52 +0000

Paternal Abuse & Surviving Torture: Male Sexual Abuse fdaza Tue, 08/04/2026 - 16:28

General Material

Published Date

February, 2026

Publisher(s)

Zero Abuse Project

In this powerful and deeply personal account, the speaker reflects on growing up in an African American family while enduring years of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by multiple family members. He describes the effects of trauma-related dissociation, memory loss, shame, isolation, and difficulties with trust and intimate relationships, as well as the influence of cultural expectations surrounding family loyalty, religious beliefs, and respect for authority. The speaker recounts the experience of suppressed memories resurfacing during adulthood, the emotional consequences of confronting his abusers, and the challenges of reconciling his experiences with his faith and sense of identity. Throughout the discussion, he emphasizes the importance of supportive relationships, chosen family, self-acceptance, and community-based healing, ultimately explaining how his own experiences inspired him to create a safe and supportive space where male survivors of abuse can share their stories, find connection, and pursue recovery.

Associated Links

Webinar

Material Categories

Raising Awareness

Prevention Programming

Self Care / Vicarious Trauma

Trauma Informed Approach

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Domestic Violence

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Resilience / Healing

Sexual Violence

Spiritual Abuse & Addiction

fdaza — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:44:23 +0000

Spiritual Abuse & Addiction fdaza Thu, 08/06/2026 - 15:44

General Material

Published Date

November, 2025

Publisher(s)

Zero Abuse Project

The speaker recounts how he was sexually abused by a youth minister between the ages of 12 and 15 while growing up in a large church community in suburban Atlanta. The abuse profoundly damaged both his sense of identity and his relationship with faith, leading him to blame himself and question God for many years. As he struggled to cope with the trauma, he turned to alcohol and drugs, eventually experiencing addiction, arrests, overdoses, and broken relationships. Recovery began through therapy, support groups, and the encouragement of family members, which helped him recognize the connection between his substance use and his unresolved trauma. He later confronted his abuser, discovered that numerous other survivors existed, and worked to prevent the perpetrator from gaining access to more children. Through this process, he rebuilt his faith, found healing in honest relationships, and established the organization "Together We Heal" to provide resources, counseling, and support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Associated Links

Webinar

Material Categories

Community Organizing / Mobilization / Engagement

Raising Awareness

Self Care / Vicarious Trauma

Trauma Informed Approach

Gender

Mental Health

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Sexual Violence

What is faith-based prevention and why does spirituality matter in our work to prevent gender-based violence?

berdman — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:39:14 +0000

What is faith-based prevention and why does spirituality matter in our work to prevent gender-based violence? berdman Mon, 03/17/2025 - 13:39

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

August, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Casey Keene

This Technical Assistance Question (TAQ) explores how spiritual health is connected to preventing gender-based violence, offering models of faith-based leadership for social change through love and introducing the role of spiritual activism in our work.

See more TAQs on the VAWnet News Blog.

Associated Links

What is faith-based prevention and why does spirituality matter in our work to …

Material Categories

Cultural Competence

Prevention Programming

Domestic Violence

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

WEBINAR: Spiritual Health Matters: Honoring the Role that Faith and Spirituality Can Play in the Holistic Healing of Survivors

berdman — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:13:08 +0000

WEBINAR: Spiritual Health Matters: Honoring the Role that Faith and Spirituality Can Play in the Holistic Healing of Survivors berdman Thu, 06/06/2024 - 08:13

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Training Tools

Published Date

June, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Ghia Kelly

Research proves that healthy spirituality can have profound impacts on the holistic health and wellbeing of individuals. In this webinar, Dr. Ghia Kelly will explore spiritual health as a protective factor and the ways faith and spirituality can help survivors connect with themselves, strengthen their support systems, and restore their hope. Talking about faith, religion, and spirituality can be uncomfortable for some people, so advocates will learn strategies for promoting spiritual health and spiritual self-care with survivors in a voluntary, non-judgmental, and inclusive way. The speaker will also discuss the importance of spiritual health for advocates and ways they can support their own spiritual self-care.

This webinar is offered as a complement to Dr. Ghia Kelly's Technical Assistance Guidance document, Spiritual Health Matters: Strategies for Supporting the Spiritual Wellbeing of Survivors of IPV.

Associated Links

Webinar Recording: Spanish

Webinar Recording: English

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Webinar Slides	12.25 MB

Material Categories

Cultural Competence

Trauma Informed Approach

Domestic Violence

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Resilience / Healing

TAG Package: Spiritual Health Matters

berdman — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 16:34:03 +0000

TAG Package: Spiritual Health Matters berdman Mon, 12/04/2023 - 11:34

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

November, 2023

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Ghia Kelly

Brandon Thomas Crowley

Spirituality is important to the holistic health of survivors and can be a critical component of a survivor’s healing journey.

Spiritual Health Matters: Strategies for Supporting the Spiritual Wellbeing of Survivors of IPV by Dr. Ghia Kelly was developed to help advocates:

Gain a deeper understanding of spiritual health and its connection to one's overall health,
Have conversations with survivors about their spiritual health,
Promote spiritual self-care, and
Partner with spiritual allies.

A supplement piece to Spiritual Health Matters, Spiritual Allyship: Practical Strategies for Black Churches Ministering to Survivors of Gender-Based Violence by Rev. Dr. Brandon Thomas Crowley discusses the theological framework of "spiritual allyship," offering strategies to aid Black churches who wish to become allies for survivors of gender-based violence.

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Spiritual Health Matters: Strategies for Supporting the Spiritual Wellbeing of Survivors of IPV	1.05 MB
Spiritual Allyship: Practical Strategies for Black Churches Ministering to Survivors of Gender-Based Violence	215.3 KB

Material Categories

Collaboration / Bridge Building

Cultural Competence

Racial Justice

Domestic Violence

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Resilience / Healing

Examining the Current State of Critical Intersections: Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting and Social Oppressions

berdman — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:51:27 +0000

Examining the Current State of Critical Intersections: Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting and Social Oppressions berdman Wed, 01/31/2024 - 10:51

General Material

Published Date

October, 2023

Publisher(s)

Sahiyo

This report from Sahiyo U.S. explores how different forms of oppression intersect to limit survivors’ access to resources, as well as how the work to end FGM/C is connected to other themes across the human experience. This report is the first of a series on this research and identifies current understandings of critical factors intersecting with FGM/C and outlines the gaps in our knowledge. The publication is organized around seven core themes that intersect with FGM/C: religion, climate change, feminism, race and racism, law and policy, queer gender and sexuality, and bodily autonomy.

Associated Links

Examining the Current State of Critical Intersections: Female Genital Mutilatio…

Material Categories

Racial Justice

Communities of Color

FGM / Honor Killings / Forced Marriage / Acid Attacks

Gender

Race

Religion / Spirituality / Faith

Sexual Violence

Faith-Based Partnerships: Engaging Spiritual Leaders in Responding to AAPI Survivors

berdman — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:27:11 +0000

Faith-Based Partnerships: Engaging Spiritual Leaders in Responding to AAPI Survivors berdman Wed, 05/24/2023 - 08:27

General Material

Training Tools

Published Date

September, 2022

Publisher(s)

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (APIGBV)

From spiritual abuse to being a key tenant of survivors’ healing journey, faith plays a critical role in many survivors’ experiences with violence. Faith leaders such as pastors or temple leaders are frequently the first ones that survivors disclose their experience to. Yet our work with several AAPI faith communities has shown that faith leaders are rarely equipped to respond to DV/SA within the congregation. Therefore it’s essential that we engage faith leaders to be allies in the response to violence.

This webinar gathered four of API-GBV’s partners from a multi-year faith-based advocacy project that reached several Chinese/Taiwanese Christian churches and seminaries, Sikh gurdwaras, and Korean Christian congregations in California. The panel shared what their experience has been to navigate potential resistance from faith leaders in their communities, build a mutual relationship with them, co-develop trainings and curriculums, and provide support in their responses to violence. Participants left with strategies and considerations for working with faith communities against violence.

Associated Links

Faith-Based Partnerships: Engaging Spiritual Leaders in Responding to AAPI Surv…

Material Categories

Collaboration / Bridge Building

Community Organizing / Mobilization / Engagement

Cultural Competence

Domestic Violence

Religion / Spirituality / Faith