HD_300 1st Edition Lecture 24 Outline of Last Lecture I. ResourcesII. Ritualistic Abuse- DefinitionIII. PrevalenceIV. Common CharacteristicsV. Child OutcomesVI. Adult SurvivorsOutline of Current LectureI. Influence of ReligionII. PatriarchyIII. Response of the Religious Community to AbuseIV. GoalsV. ConfidentialityVI. ForgivenessVII. Withholding Medical CareCurrent LectureReligion and Child Abuse- Influence of Religiono Religious views have long dictated how children are viewed and how parents should raise their childreno Religion is tightly connected to values-what is considered desireableo From a fundamentalist viewpoint, strict and even punitive discipline is considered necessary to meet one’s obligations as a “good parent”o Religious fundamentalism is closely associated with the concept of patriarchy- Patriarchyo The father is the total authority and controls both the wife and childreno The wife and children are considered “property” and the father thinks he may do anything he pleaseso Children are expected to obey without question- Response of the Religious Community to Abuseo Past Religious leaders tended to discount the child’s report They often let the offender off easy They were not trained adequately to respond to child abuse issuesThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. They often tried to handle the problem on their owno Present Religious leaders are now better trained to recognize and respond to abuse and neglect Still they need to acknowledge that abuse is happening in their congregations  There is still a tendency to discount or minimize reports of abuse - Goalso Protect the childo Stop the abuseo Help the helaling process of the victimo Help the healing process and restoration of the family- if that is possible- Confidentialityo Confidendiality has limitso Confidentiality means respecting the information- not keeping secretso Although not legally mandated to report, religious leaders are strongly urged to do so. Ethically, they are obligated to do soo As part of the penance, the offender should be required to turn him/herself in- Forgivenesso The victim  Forgiveness is often the biggest issue facing survivors Clergy are often part of the problem , they tend to hurry the process Forgiveness is a lifelong process Victims need to have some sense of understanding and justiceo The abuser Often excuse themselves- “God will forgive me” Saying they are sorry, crying, and feeling remorse are not enough They need to take steps to change their behavior and make restitution to the victim- Withholding Medical Careo Medical neglect might occur if parents refuse medical treatment Belief that alternative treatment is preferable or medical treatment is prohibited by their religiono The state has a right and duty to protect the child if the parents cannot or will not care for him/hero Statutes in 44 states assert that: A child cannot be declared abused or neglected simply because he/she is receiving alternative treatment or treatment by prayero These statutes have been challenged on the basis that parents cannot martyr their children based on their own beliefs  Children cannot give informed