Preventing Abuse and Violence

1
Preventing Abuse and Violence

• Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day
• 2004

2
Gods Top Priority

• What does God think about abuse and domestic
  violence?
• God has acted so there is no mistake about what
  He thinks.

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The Seventh-day Adventists Church Top Priority

• 1995 - General Conference Session
• 2001 General Conference voted Abuse Prevention
  Emphasis Day 4th Sabbath August each year

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The Seventh-day Adventists Church Top Priority
Contd

• Eight departments of the church make this a top
  issue Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries,
  Adventist Review, Childrens Ministries,
  Education Department, Family Ministries, Health
  Ministries, Ministerial Association, Personal
  Ministries, Womens Ministries, and Youth
  Ministries.

5
The Seventh-day Adventists Church Top Priority
Contd

• Why is it a Top Priority? The Bible
• Abuse is prevalent within our church

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Worlds Biggest Human Rights Issue

• Staggering scale of murder, assault, rape and
  abuse from domestic violence
• Often committed behind closed doors
• 92 American women say it is top priority
• Kofi Annan says

7
Worlds Biggest Human Rights Issue Contd

• Most universal and unpunished crime
• Most pervasive form of human rights abuse
• Women more likely to be the victim.

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What is Abuse or Domestic Violence

• Abuse or domestic violence occurs when one person
  uses violent or intimidating behavior to control
  or dominate the other person, resulting in
  physical, sexual and or psychological damage,
  forced social isolation or economic deprivation,
  or behavior that leaves the victim living in
  fear.

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What is Abuse or Domestic Violence

• Abuse is more than just an argument or
  disagreement. It includes fear, control,
  domination, victimization and harm. Someone is
  being hurt.

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1. Physical Abuse or Violence

• Punching, hitting, slapping, shoving etc.
• Use of weapons like guns or knives
• Social practices female genital mutilation

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2. Emotional Abuse

• Words and behaviors
• Insults
• Brainwashing
• Threats
• Manipulation

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3. Social Abuse

• Verbal abuse in front of people
• Controlling behavior
• Isolating a person

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4. Sexual Abuse

• Any sexual act to which an adult does not freely
  give consent or any sexual act with a child e.g.
  rape, sexual abuse, pedophilia, female genital
  mutilation

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5. Spiritual Abuse or Persecution

• The abuser will attack the victims beliefs,
  their faith, or their source of strength to
  maintain absolute control.

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Abusive Behaviors Can Affect Anyone

• Women and children are most often affected, but
  women can abuse too. Family violence cuts across
  all ages and sections of socio-economic, and
  cultural groups.

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The Signs and Symptoms of Abuse

• These can range from depression, anxiety, post
  traumatic stress disorder, sleeping, eating and
  sexual disorders, distrust of people in general
  or authority figures, loss of self esteem,
  feelings of helplessness and worthlessness,
  isolation, addictions, abusiveness?sometimes
  leading to murder.

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Breaking the Cycle

• Abuse is generational
• Children learn from violence
• Children of violent homes are 74 more likely to
• The cycle can be broken with education

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The Good News A. How do we, as Adventists, talk
about it

• Correct information
• Dont tolerate abuse
• God calls us to act
• Some may ignore, but Jesus says Luke 121-3

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B. What Can We Do?

• Educate our children
• Establish refuges
• Help to pass laws
• Help someone who is being abused

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C. Help For Those Being Abused

• An overlooked principle
• We must strive for freedom
• Marriage has both a moral and civil aspect

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D. The Good News

• 1 Corinthians 619, 20
• Matthew 1023, Psalms 912
• Adventist Home p. 344

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E. The Good News For Abusers

• God loves the abuser, but hates the abuse.
• Generally we abuse because we have been abused.