Spiritual Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Some Implications for Teacher Education

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a phenomenon that sadly impacts millions of children. Considerable attention has been paid to the immediate and long term effects of CSA, notably in relation to the impact on psycho-social functioning. Few studies, however, have focused on what may be called the spiritual impact of childhood sexual abuse, despite the devastating consequences CSA has to the child's perception of, and relationship with, God. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 mandates teachers and other school personnel to report suspected cases. However, few teacher education programs prepare educators adequately for this responsibility. This paper examines the spiritual impact of CSA from a Christian perspective and discusses some of the implications this has for teacher education programs. Although the paper addresses primarily a Christian audience, the arguments are inter-religious and have applicability across a wide spectrum of faiths.