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Sexual Abuse of Children - Part 1

 Did you know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18?*

Did you know that 91% of childhood sexual abuse victims are abused by someone known and trusted by the child’s family?
Did you know that in the United States, 1 in 5 women will be raped in their lifetime?
Did you know that in 8 out of 10 rape cases, the victim knows the perpetrator?
During the month of November, HAVEN of Mercy’s Facebook page will be focusing on sexual abuse.
Sometimes it's tempting to think of sexual abuse as something that happens "out there", but sadly, the statistics are an accurate representation of the church population as well.
But there is hope. Our ultimate hope is in our Savior Who can turn the hearts of perpetrators and Whose Word can comfort the hearts of the oppressed.
Our wise Father also graciously provides a multitude of resources so that we can better understand the dynamics and impacts of sexual abuse, and therefore learn how to respond to these complex and traumatic situations...both as individuals and as institutions. We will be sharing many of these resources this month.
As always, if you have any questions about the theme of the month that you would like us to answer, please send us a message.
Join us this month in praying for the safety and healing of sexual abuse victims in our midst and for the full and true repentance of perpetrators.
*Statistics from www.cdc.gov and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
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