Beyond Forgetting Those Things That Are Behind; Adult Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors and Spritual Bypassing

There is an absence of research highlighting the propensity of spiritual bypassing as well as the scarcity of holistic support for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by the church, particularly when Personnel in Christian Institutions (PICIs) are the predators (Death, 2013). Recovery can be stalled if adult CSA survivors are not afforded an empathetic just response from church communities (i.e. temples, synagogues, and mosques), principally in light of the numbers increasing prevalence of proven cases of PICIs as predators (Beste, 2021; Death 2013). The exposure of survivors toward  “corrective experiences” such as church influences shields survivors from a range of distressing socioemotional strains such as sexual shame and depression (Banyard et al., 2001). Religious activities can hold a prominent place in the lives of adult CSA survivors (Stebnicki, 2016). For some adult CSA survivors, the church edifice represents a sacred place in childhood where their perception and attachment to God began and as adults continue to be a source of support, evolving their prior conception of God within the walls of churches to a broader significance at home (Bryant-Davis, 2013).  Research findings indicate CSA survivors, ranging from teenagers to adults, can veer away from religious affiliation, while others embrace their faith as a source of solace, therapeutic support, freedom, and restoration (Gall, 2006; Stebnicki, 2016; Bryant-Davis, 2013).  However, when CSA is perpetrated within religious settings or ignored, perceptions of God are challenged and the church as an institution can become a personal complex symbol (Futa et al., 2003; Pooler & Barros-Lane, 2022).  Additionally, as CSA survivors age, a negative belief system can develop coupled with feelings of sexual shame and depression, thus causing profound alterations in how they perceive the essence of God's presence, their spiritual identity, and overall well-being (Gall, 2006; Gall et al., 2007; Skaine, 2015;  Stebnicki, 2016). 

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