The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse
Today the Church of Norway says: "Abuse does happen, but it is not supposed to happen!” Men and women of great courage have told their stories of violence and sexual abuse and by doing so; they have forced the church to deal which these problems. They have shown us a reality witch we cannot be silent about. A reality from which we cannot hide, a reality that must be faced and that forces us to act. We know that abuse does happen, but it is wrong, and we can not tolerate it.
The Church Resourse Centre wishes to…
The Church Resource Centre wishes to promote better conditions of life for people who have experienced violence and/or sexual abuse. As representatives of Christianity, we strongly dissociate ourselves from violence and injustice, and take side with the abused. We believe it is possible for the abused to once again experience a good relation to religion. The basis of our establishment is that God is good, and wants good things for everyone.
How is the work organised?
The activity of The Resource Centre is organised in two areas: 1) a place of social gathering and counselling for women and men and 2) a place for increasing awareness and raising competence for the Church and society.
Employees and clients
The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse has employees with professional background in theology, psychology and health/social work. It is important for the Centre to have close relationships with the different professional environments, both nationally and internationally, in order to be updated.
Since the founding in 1996 more than one thousand women and men have been in contact with The Church Resource Centre. This is approximately one hundred every year. It has been very important that the Church itself has taken this initiative, so that the Church can be a place where it is allowed to talk about painful experiences as violence and sexual abuse.
Experiences of violence and sexual abuse
The Church Resource Centre has developed top competence in two fields: work related to religious problems as a result of violence and sexual abuse, and trauma work. Our work concentrates on the adult man/woman and his/her experience of abuse. For most of them, the abuse started early in their childhood. Many have experienced a combination of violence, sexual abuse, mental abuse and gross neglect. For some the violation is repeated when they are adults, with sexual abuse or violence from their partner or other persons with authority in their lives.
Those who experience violence from care-giving persons in their lives are often very lonely. Their feeling of shame and guilt prevent them from having good and close relationships with others. The abused feel fundamentally abandoned and struggle with relating to themselves as well as others. As a result of the painful experiences they often develop extensive symptoms and damages over time, both physically, emotionally, relationally and religiously.
Something to learn
During the last ten years the Resource Centre has come a long way. Some of the knowledge the Centre has today are also achieved by new research and clinical experience. The work that is done at the centre is pioneer work, and many issues are now viewed different today than then years ago.
Who is the abused?
The traditional understanding about who the abuser is and who the abused is has been an important issue to work with. New research and clinical experiences show that the distribution among who is the abuser and who is the abused is not evident when it comes to gender. Both boys and girls experience violence and/or sexual abuse. This includes men as well as women. Correspondingly, we know that mothers or women in close relation to children or youth can be abusers. This knowledge is the background for the expansion of the Centre in 2005. From then on boys and men have been offered a more specialized team to meet their stories and to give them counselling.
Good and caring adults
Many of those who are in contact with the Resource Centre do not talk so much of the abuse itself, as they talk about what did –or did not happen- afterwards. There was no one to listen to their story. The good and caring adults weren't there. Nobody comforted and supported them. We have heard hundred of stories where the child's feeling of guilt grew through other people's lack of response and reaction. It is important to ask the question of what we can do to help when someone is abused, so that the abused won't be left alone.
Something prevents us from taking action
During the last ten years we have experienced many good things. One of them is that the awareness of violence and sexual abuse has grown. Both the society and the church are now paying attention. In this process we have also come to learn something about the tings that prevent us from helping the once that are abused. It is not easy to be confronted with the fact that people hurt each other this way. This is most of all about our own feeling of guilt and aversion; this means the helpers own reactions to what's told. The story that is told is a part of a reality that is hard to realize, and we want to protect ourselves from it. It might also be hard to realize that a trusted and respected person can be one who abuses others.
Younger clients
Another positive thing is that those who are in contact with the Centre are younger today than earlier. This implies that their experiences of violence and/or sexual abuse are more recent. When these tings are closer in terms of time, we know that the chances of a good life increases, given that he/she gets the help that is required.
Finally
Looking back
The Church Resource Centre wishes to be a good place to be for abused people. If we compare today's situation with the way it was ten years ago, the most important change for the abused, is that many of them know that they are not alone with their experiences. More people know now that it is possible to get help and support within the church, even with these difficult experiences. Being a good place for the abused requires the will to allow the different stories to be expressed the way they are experienced.
These last ten years have been the first in the history of The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse. It has been a decade where we have been challenged – both on our understanding of who get abused, and how that experience influences their lives. It has often been a question of revealing abuse – getting to know human experiences that are usually silenced.
Looking forwards
In the decade to come, The Resource Centre will continue the work in the churches against violence and sexual abuse. The issues will surely not be the same as they have been, but the last ten years have confirmed how important and necessary this work will be also in the future.
In the time to come, the aspect of how to relate to the abuser needs to be paid more attention. The Church must be a place where he/she can meet respect as an individual, but at the same time know that the church do not accept his/her actions. Another one of the new challenges is the work among children and youth.
It matters!
Taking action against violence and sexual abuse is never in vain. And it is in the heart of what the Church is supposed to do. It is not possible to be good enough, but it is important that we do our very best – even small things can make an important difference. We know that it matters!
Liturgies in english
"To retrieve one`s power and dignity"
Examples from the liturgy
Contact information
The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse
Lovisenberggt. 15A
0456 Oslo
Phone: +47 23 22 79 30
E-mail: post@kirkeligressurssenter.no
The Church Resourse Centre wishes to…
The Church Resource Centre wishes to promote better conditions of life for people who have experienced violence and/or sexual abuse. As representatives of Christianity, we strongly dissociate ourselves from violence and injustice, and take side with the abused. We believe it is possible for the abused to once again experience a good relation to religion. The basis of our establishment is that God is good, and wants good things for everyone.
How is the work organised?
The activity of The Resource Centre is organised in two areas: 1) a place of social gathering and counselling for women and men and 2) a place for increasing awareness and raising competence for the Church and society.
Employees and clients
The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse has employees with professional background in theology, psychology and health/social work. It is important for the Centre to have close relationships with the different professional environments, both nationally and internationally, in order to be updated.
Since the founding in 1996 more than one thousand women and men have been in contact with The Church Resource Centre. This is approximately one hundred every year. It has been very important that the Church itself has taken this initiative, so that the Church can be a place where it is allowed to talk about painful experiences as violence and sexual abuse.
Experiences of violence and sexual abuse
The Church Resource Centre has developed top competence in two fields: work related to religious problems as a result of violence and sexual abuse, and trauma work. Our work concentrates on the adult man/woman and his/her experience of abuse. For most of them, the abuse started early in their childhood. Many have experienced a combination of violence, sexual abuse, mental abuse and gross neglect. For some the violation is repeated when they are adults, with sexual abuse or violence from their partner or other persons with authority in their lives.
Those who experience violence from care-giving persons in their lives are often very lonely. Their feeling of shame and guilt prevent them from having good and close relationships with others. The abused feel fundamentally abandoned and struggle with relating to themselves as well as others. As a result of the painful experiences they often develop extensive symptoms and damages over time, both physically, emotionally, relationally and religiously.
Something to learn
During the last ten years the Resource Centre has come a long way. Some of the knowledge the Centre has today are also achieved by new research and clinical experience. The work that is done at the centre is pioneer work, and many issues are now viewed different today than then years ago.
Who is the abused?
The traditional understanding about who the abuser is and who the abused is has been an important issue to work with. New research and clinical experiences show that the distribution among who is the abuser and who is the abused is not evident when it comes to gender. Both boys and girls experience violence and/or sexual abuse. This includes men as well as women. Correspondingly, we know that mothers or women in close relation to children or youth can be abusers. This knowledge is the background for the expansion of the Centre in 2005. From then on boys and men have been offered a more specialized team to meet their stories and to give them counselling.
Good and caring adults
Many of those who are in contact with the Resource Centre do not talk so much of the abuse itself, as they talk about what did –or did not happen- afterwards. There was no one to listen to their story. The good and caring adults weren't there. Nobody comforted and supported them. We have heard hundred of stories where the child's feeling of guilt grew through other people's lack of response and reaction. It is important to ask the question of what we can do to help when someone is abused, so that the abused won't be left alone.
Something prevents us from taking action
During the last ten years we have experienced many good things. One of them is that the awareness of violence and sexual abuse has grown. Both the society and the church are now paying attention. In this process we have also come to learn something about the tings that prevent us from helping the once that are abused. It is not easy to be confronted with the fact that people hurt each other this way. This is most of all about our own feeling of guilt and aversion; this means the helpers own reactions to what's told. The story that is told is a part of a reality that is hard to realize, and we want to protect ourselves from it. It might also be hard to realize that a trusted and respected person can be one who abuses others.
Younger clients
Another positive thing is that those who are in contact with the Centre are younger today than earlier. This implies that their experiences of violence and/or sexual abuse are more recent. When these tings are closer in terms of time, we know that the chances of a good life increases, given that he/she gets the help that is required.
Finally
Looking back
The Church Resource Centre wishes to be a good place to be for abused people. If we compare today's situation with the way it was ten years ago, the most important change for the abused, is that many of them know that they are not alone with their experiences. More people know now that it is possible to get help and support within the church, even with these difficult experiences. Being a good place for the abused requires the will to allow the different stories to be expressed the way they are experienced.
These last ten years have been the first in the history of The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse. It has been a decade where we have been challenged – both on our understanding of who get abused, and how that experience influences their lives. It has often been a question of revealing abuse – getting to know human experiences that are usually silenced.
Looking forwards
In the decade to come, The Resource Centre will continue the work in the churches against violence and sexual abuse. The issues will surely not be the same as they have been, but the last ten years have confirmed how important and necessary this work will be also in the future.
In the time to come, the aspect of how to relate to the abuser needs to be paid more attention. The Church must be a place where he/she can meet respect as an individual, but at the same time know that the church do not accept his/her actions. Another one of the new challenges is the work among children and youth.
It matters!
Taking action against violence and sexual abuse is never in vain. And it is in the heart of what the Church is supposed to do. It is not possible to be good enough, but it is important that we do our very best – even small things can make an important difference. We know that it matters!
Liturgies in english
"To retrieve one`s power and dignity"
Examples from the liturgy
Contact information
The Church Resource Centre against Violence and Sexual Abuse
Lovisenberggt. 15A
0456 Oslo
Phone: +47 23 22 79 30
E-mail: post@kirkeligressurssenter.no
