and implementing effective oversight and program accountability . These measures protect staff members and volunteers from false allegations , which are rare , while safeguarding children in childserving programs . As public awareness and secular standards of care rise , sexual abusers look for access to children in places where protections are few : the Church . The Church needs protection , but many churches fail to effectively address this risk . Denominational leaders and others are calling for change , but the call is not being answered at the church level .
HEALING Like prevention , denominations make resolutions and proclamations concerning the importance of care and healing for abuse survivors . Advocacy groups continue to criticize these resolutions as hollow and meaningless , because the proclamations are rarely coupled with meaningful effort to address the injury , suffering and trauma experienced by abuse survivors . Sadly , denominational leaders making these proclamations are rarely able to actually minister to abuse survivors ; this must occur at the church level . Like prevention , shortcomings and missed opportunities continue to occur at the church level . The Church should be actively developing pathways of care and healing and inviting victims of sexual abuse to participate in trauma-informed programs . After decades of sexual abuse allegations and outcries , the Church remains largely misinformed and inactive .
MODELS OF CARE Care comes from individuals . Sometimes these individuals are professionals ( One-to-One Model ); sometimes care is initiated by members of a church body willing to create pathways of healing within the church community ( One-Another Model ).
One-to-One Model The most common model of care contemplates the One-to-One Model : denominations and churches creating a list of counselors and counseling resources . In short : we want victims to get help — and here is a list of people who can help them . There is great value in one-to-one counseling sessions , particularly when the counselor has received trauma-informed training related to child sexual abuse . The One-to-One model has limitations , however . Conservative studies report more than 60 million sexual abuse survivors in the United States alone ; there simply aren ’ t enough traumainformed counseling professionals to meet that need . Additionally , counseling costs present a barrier to access for many abuse survivors . Finally , many survivors remain in a vicious cycle of silence , believing that “ no one will believe me ”; “ somehow it was my fault ”; and “ I ’ m the only one .” The One-to-One Model provides significant value but does not create a sufficiently wide pathway of care to meet the enormous need .
One-Another Model Denominations continue to issue proclamations and resolutions calling for the Church to become a place of healing . For many churches , the solution is to outsource care to outside help ; the Oneto-One Model . Other churches want to provide care , but don ’ t know how . Stepping into this need , one pastor with decades of experience in sexual abuse care created a program deployed at the church level : the One-Another Model .
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